Global Warming and Namibia

The other day in class, I was talking about synthesis reactions with my grade 9 physical science classes. One good example of this is photosynthesis (yes, because it has the word “synthesis” in the name, but also because they have already learned about it in life science, and it’s a more concrete example for them than the stuff we did in organic chemistry!!)

The interesting thing (at least to me!) was that when we talked about carbon dioxide, they immediately told me that photosynthesis is good because it takes carbon dioxide out of the air. The same thing happened with fuel combustion – they immediately connected the release of carbon dioxide with global warming and the ozone layer. (side note – I commented that whenever they turn on the lights, they’re using electricity which means coal is being burned somewhere. “But Miss, don’t you Americans have many more lights than we do?” Touche, Namibian learners.)

some of my grade 9 learners 

Now, I know these kids don’t always perform the best in school, and they definitely struggle in science more than normal students in America. But as soon as you mention carbon dioxide, they jump to climate change!! How is it that we still have Americans who don’t believe in climate change, but these poor-performing learners in Namibia can tell me the causes of global warming, problems with ozone layer depletion, and actively discuss the effects of climate change on their community??

And it’s not just the kids. Some of the adults I was talking to the other day, about the drought currently facing all of Namibia, had some interesting insights. In the US, we’re used to elders telling us how much harder things were when they were kids. (“I had to walk 2 miles to school, uphill both ways, barefoot in the snow…” you know those stories?) Here, it’s the opposite. The elders never whine about anything. And maybe it’s just a cultural thing, I don’t know. But I find it interesting when they tell us how much cooler the weather was when they were kids, how much more rain they used to have. How we’re having droughts more frequently how, and they feel like the sun is burning their skin more now and do I think it could be because of the ozone layer disappearing since they were kids?

On a tangentially related note – if anyone has great ideas for bringing solar power to southern Africa, you should totally jump on that. I can’t imagine a place better suited for photovoltaic technology, but there’s absolutely none here!!!

ok, I know I already posted pictures of athletics. But seriously, look at that blue sky! there are never, ever clouds here! It's kind of weird actually...