Wangari

As the Climate Conference participants sit among the rolling green confines of the UNEP compound discussing the policy and science of reducing carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, most of the rest of Nairobi is enveloped enough carbon soot to make their snot like coal. The air on the street is so foul with particulate pollution that I’m (Dave) sure it’s taking time off of my life. When I go for a run, I feel like a pack-a-day smoker (although part of that may be the nearly 5,000 foot elevation of Nairobi).

The problems are so basic in this city, and amazingly vast. Solving the climate conundrum seems a world away when the traffic lights don’t function and government officials are appropriating public forests for their own personal gain. The blatant corruption and dysfunction that pervades the government is especially heartbreaking given the country’s rich natural resources and common good will.

One extraordinary woman has struggled against this tide for more than a generation and, along the way, has inspired hope in millions here in Kenya and around the world. Her name is Wangari Maathai. Nearly thirty years ago, she created a movement of woman to plant trees in and around their homes, farms, and towns. That group, called the Green Belt Movement (GBM), is now one of the most recognized and important grassroots efforts in Eastern Africa. These simple and generally uneducated woman have planted millions of trees, which in turn has restored watersheds and soils, provided fuel for cooking, and lessened conflict over diminishing natural resources. They have also planted a seed of hope for a better future. One that helps overcome defeatism and dysfunction with homegrown social systems that replenish both communities and the land. Two years ago, Wangari was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for these incredible achievements.

Part of my work here is to analyze and report on the ways in which GBM and other similar groups can help to ensure compliance and enforcement with national and international laws pertaining to forest conservation and climate change. These grassroots efforts are a crucial component of making environmental laws work in places that have a pretty terrible record of making anything work well. I had the honor of spending some time with Wangari last week and hearing her speak at several events. What is so amazing is that she totally lives up to the hype. She is at once warm and personable, yet strong and firm; she is as much at ease speaking to country folks as she is addressing heads of state. One such event truly epitomized her role here. It was a tree planting ceremony to commemorate the signing of a deal with the World Bank and other foreign investors to sequester greenhouse gases through reforestation projects. Not satisfied with a mere press event, Wangari insisted on having the dignitaries dig their hands in the dirt to plant some trees with local women.