Umande Trust

COVID-19 has entered the consciousness of all people around the world, but not all have chosen to accept it. Conspiracy theories, accusations against the government and denying its existence have been prevalent in many countries, such as Kenya and the US. In March, the US Center for Disease Control announced that masks were only for those who were symptomatic, while the Kenyan government closed airports, churches, schools and mosques. In April, individual US states started to mandate mask wearing for everyone. In May, Kenya ordered a countrywide mask mandate with a fine of Sh20,000 or imprisonment not exceeding 6 months or both. Both experienced shutdowns and reopening, drops in economic prosperity and employment, and both had relatively similar responses to COVID-19. In the US, many reacted negatively with the announcement of a pandemic. Many reject the idea of such a virus, calling it a hoax and creating conspiracy theories to try and disprove COVID-19 and public health offi

         For the past couple of weeks, we have been doing a “climate change crash course” that provides a foundation on the issue and why you should care. Climate change has the force to alter the earth’s systems as we know it. All over the world, countries will experience severe natural disasters, population displacement, and a decrease in public health, among many other implications. It has a global impact, but developing countries and vulnerable communities will carry most of the burden. And their challenges will be felt by the rest of the world. It is hard to believe that a crisis so detrimental to the global community has not been solved already. This week, we will discuss the complexities of addressing climate change and examine the effectiveness of current efforts.  Data Collection and Decision Making First and foremost, government and international action is the key to solving climate change; however, the nature of climate data makes it hard for scientists to convince decision-