African Climes

Well then, settle in everyone. Thanks for that glass of water, lovelee. So lights off and let’s listen to the rest of the story. So then, where were we….. Scenario Three Climate change means that the incidence of extreme weather events increases. It also means that they are not completely predictable. So one day, Ali, for that is his given name, is busy getting  his father’s herd ready for the long journey to the best pasture lands, which are over the next two ridges beyond his village. So he and his younger brother get their provisions ready and they get the journey going. Along the way, Ali is listening to freshly minted music on his smartphone and his younger brother is whistling along. The young boy is excited. He is heading to Form One, in the same secondary school his brother did his final year. Ali is all set to go university, he now feels like a grown up and can’t wait to step out on his own. So this holiday, Ali’s father is a proud man. His two sons ar...

Hello readers! Here’s to hoping you are well and all is swell. Today we tackle a topic that touches many. Climate change and mental health. The World Health Organization, or WHO in short, as from October 2016 declared a whole year to raise awareness and campaign against depression using the campaign #Let’s Talk. Depression it seems is the most prevalent mental condition, affecting about 300 million people globally according to WHO. There are however other conditions like bipolar, dementia, PTSD or schizophrenia. So today, we are going to discuss how climate change can cause, worsen or compound depression and these other mental health conditions. To start with, let’s go back to basics. Climate change is essentially a result of a warming globe, because of a manmade increase in greenhouse gases. Rising temperatures as in slowly rising temperatures or heat waves can cause mental health issues. More than usual. A heat wave is especially bad for people wi...