#ClimateJusticeThursday: You have a right to clean energy!

Hello readers,

Welcome to #ClimateJusticeThursday on CleanbuildVoices!

Access to clean energy- and by energy I also include electricity- has been interestingly described as a derived human right, a right based on other rights, such as the right to adequate housing.

And for those of the Christian faith, the scripture tells us that God said let there be light and there was light! So, why shouldn’t you have that which God himself clearly wants you to have?

In today’s edition of #ClimateJusticeThursday, we’ll be exploring clean energy and how it is a right.

Did you know that around people in Africa do not have access to electricity and have no access to clean cooking fuel? As an African myself, I know first hand what lack of access to electricity can do to a person, the frustration and helplessness. I also know how it feels to not have any choice but to opt for kerosene, charcoal, and other dirty fuels to cook your meals just because the price of LPG (cooking gas) is too high.

In this age of renewable energy, there is an ongoing shift from pollution-inducing and climate-ruining sources of energy, namely fossil fuels. More and more people across the African continent are adopting clean energy that is available to them, mainly solar. As much as the western world would love Africa to transition to clean energy quickly, there’s that not-so-little problem of cost.

Granted, the price of solar products might be on the decline globally. But in the African context, there are still households that will never be able to afford them. So what next? Well, at this point there is a need for governmental interventions. For one, African leaders can reduce high taxes placed on solar products that are imported into their respective countries to make low-income communities afford them.

We read news about various power projects taking place in one African country to the other. This means that millions of people, especially women and girls, somewhere need to be provided access to stable and reliable energy so they are able to enjoy their households, businesses, and schooling better. While some already enjoy this, others don’t. If this is you, consider some of things you can do.

• Speak up at the next local town hall meeting you may be attending.
• Tweet your concerns about the lack of energy access in your community the digital world is your oyster.
• Write a letter to the highest government official in your area ( We did that in English essay class).
• Check out not-for-profit organizations that may be sympathetic to your cause.

I hope you find these tips helpful.

Watch this space as we’ll be back next week for another edition of #ClimateJusticeThursday.