Wangari Maathai. The first time you hear the name, it might not exactly roll off your tongue. But it lodges in your memory. If you are reading this blog, you have probably heard of this remarkable woman. If not, or just for a refresher, here's a short introduction. She was born in 1940 and grew up in Kenya. In 1971, she received a PhD in veterinary anatomy from the University of Nairobi, becoming the first woman in East Africa to receive a doctorate. She became an associate professor at the University of Nairobi in 1976. In addition to this position, Dr. Maathai was also active in civic, women's, and human rights organizations. She had a genius for addressing urgent issues in synergistic ways. In 1977, at the age of 37, she started a nursery that provided jobs for the unemployed and contributed to environmental restoration. From the humble start of these tree seedlings, she founded the Green Belt Movement to plant trees across Kenya. Her passion for democracy and women's rights, in addition to environmental issues, led to her outspoken and articulate participation in Kenyan politics, although at times, she was at odds with the actions of the government. In fact, she was arrested for her activism to preserve Kenya's forests. Despite this, well maybe because of, this, she was elected to the Kenyan Parliament in 2002 and became the Minister of the Environment. She earned many international awards, including the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004. She estimated that she had planted over a million trees in her lifetime. Her actions came from a continuous thread of passion throughout her life, as recounted in her memoir, “Unbowed.” One of her messages, which you can find in her own voice on YouTube, is to “be like a hummingbird”. Do the little things you can do to improve your world and set an example, in spite of the naysayers.
Wangari Matthai comes to mind this week because the 17th of June is the United Nations' annual Drought and Desertification Day. What do you think of when you hear this phrase? Maybe you see images of boats stranded on an expanse of sand in the Aral Sea, which went from being the 4th largest lake in the world in 1960 to just 10% of its size by 1997. Maybe thoughts of the encroaching deserts in Australia and north Africa come to mind. Or maybe you think of the Dust Bowl that roiled through the central part of the United States nearly a century ago. Places far away in space and time from those of us in North America in 2020. But even here in the southwestern United States, hydrologists tell us that the past five years of drought are nothing compared to what we are now entering: an era of drought to rival the demise of the Anasazi, a period during which we will never see Lake Havasu or Lake Powell full again. In spite of this, U.S. government subsidies, put in place years ago, keep water flowing to unsustainable crops like cotton grown in Arizona. But we aren't the only nation that has taken this course. Freshwater inflows diverted from Lake Aral which led to its shrinking are also used for irrigating cotton in an arid region. These types of crops and agriculture policies are not sustainable but they aren’t the only reason for the prolonged drought we are entering.
The UN's 2020 Drought and Desertification Day slogan is “Food. Feed. Fiber.” They seek to change habits surrounding the foods we choose to eat and food waste (both of which we hear of often) and clothing choices (do we hear much of this?). Here are some sobering facts around clothes, fashion, and water usage:
675 gallons of water are used to produce a single t-shirt. Drinking the recommended eight 8-ounce glasses of water (or tea, or coffee) a day, this would take you over 3 ½ years to consume!
(If you want to explore more about the fashion industry, click here For more about how manufacturing and fate of clothing has changed in the past 20 years, take a peek at Adam Minter's “Secondhand: Travels in the New Global Garage Sale.”)
The good news is that you can get by with fewer clothes! Do you really need three shirts made of that flimsy but lightweight new cotton knit (they are so cheap!) when one or two will do? Consider buying a more expensive but durable item of clothing. We all like new and different things once in a while, but they don't have to be brand-new to be fun. Trade that disliked T-shirt for one your friend has. Or, when we “open up” again, have a clothing swap party or check out Goodwill. And as for masks, instead of buying new fabric, consider using the sides of a worn-out sheet or that cotton shirt, pair of pajamas, or robe with frayed cuffs or hems to make a reusable mask. Or give those items to a seamstress you know to make it instead.
Our actions don’t have to end with changing our shopping habits. As Wangari Maathai and Our City Forest fans and devotees know, trees are a mighty force for mitigating drought and desertification. Studies have shown that soil infiltration near individual oak trees is higher by more than a factor of two compared to surrounding grassland without trees. Water that sinks into the ground but not taken up by the tree roots continues downward, recharging groundwater. Trees transpire water, meaning they put moisture back in the air. This reduces heat gain which can mitigate the effects of a drought, especially in urban places. Their roots hold soil in place, reducing soil loss from wind erosion. The very presence of roots reduces the advancement of desertification.
We can't all plant a million trees or buy expensive clothing. But we can do our part. Don't despair if you think your action is small or futile. Just remember that when the fire seems to be raging all around, it's better to do a little than to give up or go along. As Dr. Maathai said: “Be a hummingbird.” And, as she also said, and as we have all been so recently poignantly reminded: “We all share one planet and are one humanity; there is no escaping this reality.”
