Steemit Engagement Challenge Season2 #week2 | Markdown Style Contest : Show Your Activities in Protecting the Environment

Introduction

Hello everyone on the STEEM FOR BETTERLIFE community and welcome to week 2 of the challenge. This week’s challenge happens to dwell on an important issue that the world is suffering from. Global warming has a long-term effect on climate change caused by human activities on earth.

The question many will ask is why is it a social issue that everyone needs to bother about? If we all can understand this simple question, then we will all know we all have rules to play to resolve this social issue created as a result of global warming.

Why is global Warming Considered a Social issue faced by all.

Global warming affects everyone directly or indirectly ranging from water shortages or rise in sea levels causing floods, and poor crop productivity leading to food insecurity. This affects mostly poor communities because they have limited ways to adapt to the changes cause by global warming.

The impacts of global warming are visible everywhere in the world. Floods occurrences for instance the case in South Africa this year as floods destroyed homes, killed humans, caused bridges to collapse, interrupted transport networks, etc are common issues caused by global warming. It is a common thing these days to witness wildfires, high temperatures are also feasible.

High temperatures and drought are what are affecting us in Cameroon. Most communities are suffering from water shortages, some communities now depend on bole holes for household consumption. High temperatures are greatly affecting my region-Northwest region. Before it was uncommon to witness rivers and streams dry off, or extremely hot weather. Of recent, though rainy season but we wonder if we are in the dry season. Farm produce such as maize is being affected by pests. The high temperatures favored the high presence of mosquitoes which in the past was not the case.

The question now is are these problems caused by global warming irreversible or we humans causing the damage can equally create solutions to global warming? This question has guided me to create activities that help to protect the environment. My activities are based in Bamenda, North West Region of Cameroon.

Activities I do to Protect the Environment

In my community, over the years, I realized that there has been constant cutting down of trees by farmers, burning of bushes, and planting eucalyptus trees that are not water friendly. This is not helping to protect the environment but rather destroying it. So, I do nurse trees, especially water-friendly trees, and plant in communities where there has been constant cutting down of trees.

_{Preparing water friendly trees to be planted in communities}

---

Most farmers do not practice crop rotation and constantly plant a single crop on the same piece of land over and over. This is not good for the environment. I do practice crop rotation because it helps the soil not to deplete. Rotating crops is vital because some crops supply nutrients to the soil while other crops instead take away nutrients from the soil.

_{This farm, last year, I planted cassava, and sweet potatoes. This year, I had to remove all cassava to plant maize and beans}

---

if there is one thing I will never stop preaching to farmers is the practice of organic farming. All the agrochemicals such as fertilizers used rather damage the environment as it produces large quantities of fossil fuel. So I do not use agrochemicals but use organic manure on the farm which reduces the rate of carbon present in the soil.

_{Me harvesting vegetables I cultivated around the house with organic manure. When you eat this, the taste is completely different from the one cultivated with agrochemicals}

---

One thing I always tell people is that ignorance or lack of knowledge is disastrous. Most farmers in my community are local farmers who are not well educated about global warming caused by us humans. So, I go to the communities and create awareness through sensitization activities, letting everyone knows that we all have a role to play to protect our environment from drought, high temperatures, floods, etc.

Conclusion

In sum, protecting the environment is not a single person's role to turn things around for our good. We need collective efforts to conquer global warming. Do not be reluctant to say I alone cannot protect the whole world but remember little efforts put together will have a great impact to the environment. We should plant flowers, and fruit trees in our yards to make our environment green.

When we make our environment green, then our environment will be safe.