TED 
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In this perspective-shifting talk, energy researcher Rose M. Mutiso makes the case for prioritizing Africa’s needs with what’s left of the world’s carbon budget, to foster growth and equitably achieve a smaller global carbon footprint.
This talk was part of the Countdown Global Launch on 10.10.2020. (Watch the full event here: https://youtu.be/5dVcn8NjbwY.) Countdown is TED’s global initiative to accelerate solutions to the climate crisis. The goal: to build a better future by cutting greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030, in the race to a zero-carbon world. Get involved at https://countdown.ted.com/sign-up
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About The Author
Except for comment, my mouth is shut- more energy on video games, ga ga ga games, than Senegal, than, than, than it echoes, sickening, I listen to Senegalese music yes I am white, BUT I LOVE THE ETHNIC MUSIC OF SENEGAL, next time I listen I will bear this in mind, at least Trump is gone, as a Canadian I am counting on Bidden to work with Trudeau to DO SOMETHING, NOT WHAT THE SPEAKER DESCRIBES, NOR WHAT CHINA HAS DONE, A VIABLE, A FAIR, NEW LEVEL OF LIVING…Namaste, Z ( I am saving this to listen to daily, when I waste water, or during hot weather, in November it should be snowing here but it has been bizarro 21C that proves climate change for this Canadian, southern Ontario- BUT DURING OUR SUMMER WE WASTE PRECIOUS WORLD RESOURCES BY KEEPING OUR STORES SO COLD THE STAFF NEED SWEATERS, WHOOPS I KEPT TALKING. All of what the speaker said should matter wherever you are, stupid me, as I run water, waiting for it to get HOT or COLD enough, I muse about Africa, kids who have to walk for miles for water, brainwashing- you tell me, The Iconic Fashion High Priestess Vivienne Westwood years ago made me aware, I cant afford ludicrously overpriced Moen temperature set taps – we all know technology is there and affordable, such taps should be standard!!!! Our hydro bills are among the most expensive on the planet ((I keep visualizing Niagara Falls, thinking what a friggin rip off)) Namaste world, pay attention to what she stressed, do they make school kids aware of talks like this? All these gadgets- and yet I feel overall we are DUMBER, maybe I'll go back to bed with Ali Farke Toure…Z
I do not think that Africa should get the remainder of the carbon budget. In fact, I don't think any country should get any more carbon allowance. we have the technology to convert entirely to renewable energy, and we should do that. developed nations have the capital to give completely sustainable energy to Africa. African nations need to have renewable energy developed, not coal. if they do not have the resources to do this then rich countries should do this for them. inequality is a serious issue, but that is not a reason to develop in non-renewable fields for energy. just because someone else committed a crime to get to a position of prosperity doesn't mean that everyone should. I do condemn nations that still use energy from fossil fuels, but development is no excuse to follow in their footsteps. Africa has the chance to develop without fossil fuels, and they should continue to develop this way, and other countries should support them.
Question for you (University of Pennsylvania educated yet somehow African) lady… Why are you allowing all those companies extract all that gas and other minerals from Africa? just use it yourself…
I see what you're saying but maybe Africa could be the exception instead, and do clean energy right. I'm Kenyan and believe if we continue to seriously invest in geothermal and wind and solar we could have more energy than we need.
Facts, Facts, Well said!!!! Africa need more energy to develop and industrialize . we need to renegotiate a better and fair deal in tackling Climate change.
I support this cause
There’s a common misconception that nuclear energy is “unsafe”, “environmentally unfriendly”, “expensive”. It’s actually better than coal in all those categories. Maybe it should power Africa.
1:37 I stopped my job because of, p a i d t o b e h o m e .c o m
While I agree with Rose M. Mutiso in her general statement, I see a lot of problems in her speech. She is inconsistent, rather finger-pointing instead of focusing on solutions, and some of her arguments are based on a questionable premise.
On the one hand she points out that Africa is the biggest victim of climate change, on the other hand she demands a bigger share of emissions for Africa. If you will suffer the most, shouldn't you endorse GHG emission reductions on other continents as well as your own? It is correct that developed countries need to drastically reduce their emissions, much more than developing countries. But fighting climate change is a global task and must be pursued by everyone and every nation. There is no sense in building fossil fuel based power plants arguing that western society needs to transform its energy generation first. Last but not least, no one denies Africa its fair share of emissions and no one doubts that there will be an increased energy demand in the future. But she uses this claim for some of her arguments. Also, I'm tired of the racism argument whenever it seems to support the own narrative, since it's a knockout argument. The phrased opinion that "not everyone can or should achieve western standards" is not racist motivated and could affect nations of any "race". Also, it does not exclude that western societies also have to reduce their standards.
GHG emissions and economic growth correlated in the past. But there is no necessary correlation in reality. Therefore, I don't see a problem in funding only renewable energy even if that was true. By establishing sustainable electricity generation in the first place African nations solve both, the energy demand and climate change problem. There is no need to make the same mistakes as western societies. On the contrary, they avoid a cost intensive transition period.
This video seems to ignore that solar is the cheapest energy source available. It can also be supplemented with more consistent clean energy methods for any downtime if you're not a believer in battery banks. If you build a carbon rich energy generation system, it won't change. The industry will do what it does in the west and lobby the people who matter to let them keep doing business. It takes decades to get rid of that sort of thing and we don't have enough of those left. If you really hate sun and wind, you could always build nuclear, it's cleaner and safer than fossil fuels. If a region like Africa wants to become economically competitive, form an economic union like europe. It kinda sucks that it shifted to politics in europe but unity is what africa needs. fix your political system, get rid of all the division and corruption and stop the big players like america china and the EU from pillaging your rare earth minerals and bribing the important guys rather than shaking your fist at the "racist" rich because they won't help you grow the way you want.
Wow, Thanks for this. So interesting… Africa, we need to harness our natural energy whilst fighting climate change.
this video only gives the same old excuses how it’s not their fault and they don’t need to change anything but we need to change everything. Same tired song
This TED is stupid on so many levels. All countries should face the climate change with the same effort. India and China are planning to develop themselves into carbon free economies in the 2050-60, African countries can do the same.
Especially because they don't have to build anew a set of infrastructures like other countries must do.
And yes, climate change isn't a problem created by African people but for sure it isn't a problem that I, young person in Europe, had any control of.
Our generation of people born in Europe and other Western developed countries in the last 30 years, can't be charged for the crimes of our fathers. Same way African countries should stop accusing others of their internal corruption and incapacity of organizing societies and not tribes.
Powerful speech.. 👏Respect that!!
Tie up with India's ambitious plan of One Sun One World Plan👍
I thought China with its Road and Belt programs had solved Africa's problems. /sarc
Great video!!
Thank You, Rose 🌹. Our Carbon Budget must be fought on an equitable playing field and not equally, since the disparity is different around the globe. Much love and respect to Africa, who only uses ~1% of carbon use today.
The sad part about this is country's like india, China and the continent of Africa are the biggest polluters in the world. America may be energy wealthy but we are the 10th cleanest country in the world. Out of those country's we are also the most populated and wealthiest. Africa has much bigger problems then carbon tax. Like I dont know…. SLAVERY. STARVATION. EXTREME PREJUDICE against there own people. Maybe work on Ebola before you claim you don't understand renwable energy. Also wind farms are more destructive and loss more energy than any clean resource. Solor would be okay but you don't have the money for it because your killing each other all the time. Just a thought.
so you mean white nations created tonnes of carbon to achieve their wealth (and still do) but now want African nations to do the opposite of this? as in "do as I say and not as i do". am I supposed to be shocked?
I agree with the point on inequality however the downward cost curve of batteries and solar for example, capitalising on this in a geological area where the tech is highly efficient and will not only help fuel development but make the African industrial boom a model for how nations should move forward in both an economic and environmentally conscious manner .
One of the issues with the majority of countries in Africa is the government who simply don’t care about their own people. It is frustrated for me when I call friends on What’s App to see the darkness in their homes. It make me sad how they have gotten used to it.
Better they should provide more renewable funds
Poor African nations need FOSSIL FUELS. Green tech is too impractical and far too expensive to implement in such places. Stop buying into big green propaganda.
I'm not worried about any of this I am optimistic about Africa and her prospects in a couple of decades and she won't have to destroy half herself as China has done to get the power they crave. After over 100 years of humiliation by the British in particular Covid19 is part of the loss of power and status of the West and I'm afraid allot of. Those Westerners who think the interest earned from past violence against Africa and her people is going to continue, won't get their wish. This includes the Muslims who were the first to introduce colour based nonsense on the African continent, before WW2 nobody took the USA seriously. After WW2 when Europe destroyed itself America rose I think the west an Asian dominants of Africa will come to a close soon and it will be through African women. Many don't know that Nubian Dynasties were mostly administered by women never underestimate an African woman especially if you get her mad!
WoW, this is beautifully communicated. You addressed the issues from political, justice, and technically. Congratulations Rose.
You need to keep shouting this from the roof tops.
I totally agree with you sis. You're 100% right.
Africa should learn from China. The WEST tries to tell China what to do, then China turns around and does whatever is in the best interest of China. AmeriKKKa threatens nations with sanctions if they trade with Venezuela/North Korea or Iran… China goes "LOL, hodl my noodles" …. and does whatever is in its interest. In order for Africa to be in that position, we need to unify – have 1 voice. You want access to ANYTHING in Africa, it will ONLY happen if it benefits all of us. You hurt 1 of us, you hurt all of us and we punish you. But the days where you can put sanctions on 1 African nation like Rwanda for wanting to create its own clothing industry – those days must end. America would't have done that, if Africa as 1 continent said if you punish Rwanda, we'll punish YOU.
Black woman present …they need to teach this in our American schools!!!
Reading the comments here… you have to fear for the American education system. Cant make the this level of stupidity up
We act now and stop the blame game
Spot on
Well said . Thankyou
If you are looking for away to help the environment and fight climate change you can use ecosia they are a search engine that plants trees
Powerful message
Well articulated. Listen up everybody.
Really well put Rose.
Africa must to plant trees
we must use the dirty energy first as we are moving into clean energy era. Developed countries are using electricity from coal to manufacture solar PVs and sell them to Africa. what a joke😅😅😅
Incredibly eloquent; everyone needs to hear this.
Nobody “needs” to cut their carbon emissions. Warming will be gradual, modest, and masterable, especially if we use fossil fuels to adapt to a slightly warmer climate.
Mitigation is a losing proposition. It imposes greater costs than it avoids. Adaptation is the solution.
Sorry to break the news to you, but Jennifer Lawrence, Prince Harry, and Leonardo DeCaprio won’t decarbonize their lives. They’d rather Africans stay poor so they can maintain their life-style.
Do you know which race commits the most murders, rapes and robberies per capita everywhere in the world, has the lowest average IQ in the world and has the highest rates of AIDs in the world and has never designed and manufactured one piece of technology?
You are on point my lady, let's African countries attained a certain level of development before talking about the climate change. I don't think that's our priority for now.
Development and Sustainability should come first.
Well said. That is a strong and valid argument. Thank you for the informative speech. It still resonates over time and shall lead more initiatives into action.
Very inspiring
Incredibly eloquent, but naive … If every in development country simply increase carbon emission in short term, Paris Agreement will never be met.