Transcriber: Rhonda Jacobs Reviewer: Aijia Yang
I hope you saw what a disappointing video that was.
And I am here to talk about why we are where we are today.
Climate change.
Many of us hear and see this term almost every day in our lives,
whether it’s through social media,
magazines, TVs,
billboards and many other spots.
However, barely any of us try to go into the details and tackle it.
What is climate change?
Climate change, to me, is the change in temperature in a long time,
global warming and the changes that come with it.
We’ve noticed in the past few years,
very rapid changes in the weather patterns.
As a Kurdish citizen, and on a global range, a global one.
Carbon dioxide is at its highest in 2 million years.
And we are losing 1.2 trillion tons of ice every year.
Now you might ask yourselves:
How can climate change be halted by our single efforts?
Well, I believe the answer to that is saving the trees.
It is easy for me to say, and easy for you to hear.
But felling during the last decade
has resulted in deforestation at 5.2 million hectares per year.
That is equal to 7.3 million football stadiums.
And us living in Kurdistan are a part of those millions.
This is what will lead to disastrous effects.
So what are trees?
They are not just the branches and leaves
that leave a shade in our everyday life.
They are what we and many other species depend on for living.
Here’s a fun fact.
In addition to providing us with life,
trees are also a reason for our mental well-being.
It has been proven that just looking at the tree makes us feel happier.
There.
There must be a tree picture on.
(Laughs)
I know I proved my fun fact with all the smiles on your faces.
Just as happiness is one of the advantages,
by cutting them, we face many consequences.
It makes me very upset to witness a time lapse of 60 years showing no difference,
but even becoming drier.
I care so much about trees and the environment
that during my spring break
I spent it on a Saving the Trees campaign.
Now, there I perceived many, many things.
But what caught my eye were the negative effects coming with felling.
Due to deforestation, the release of carbon dioxide
is equivalent to one fourth of emissions from combustion of fossil fuels.
That is a major cause in the global shift of energy.
Can you wonder how bad cutting trees affect Kurdistan?
If we are to say we will apply a new income strategy
and shift from the non-renewable energy to the agricultural sector,
we have to keep in mind the ongoing increase
of drought and desertification caused by deforestation.
And also bear in mind that agriculture alone
can be one of the biggest incomes for the country, if not the biggest one.
As an animal lover myself,
cutting trees can also cause the loss of habitat for many animals.
For example,
this beautiful animal is going extinct because of no more trees.
That is because trees for animals are food and shelter to us.
I mean, who wouldn’t want to see
these animals flying and running around our wildlife in Kurdistan?
The final negative effect I want to talk about,
after all the negative effects I shed light on today,
is how deforestation disrupts transpiration and changes the water cycle.
Now trees are a bridge
between the deep down soil and the atmosphere we live in.
They are the reason why underground water comes down as rain.
A knock-on effect that happened earlier this year in Kurdistan
was a decrease in a type of a fruit.
The farmers of the city of Zakho
were expected to make 250 tons of pomegranates by the end of the year.
By the way, Zakho’s pomegranates are known for their sweet taste,
and overall, they are a very popular seasonal fruit we eat in Kurdistan.
Guess what happened due to deforestation and shortage of water.
The farmers have been able to produce only 70 tons,
which is a 70% decrease in the number expected.
I hope this now gives a better image of what I was pointing out.
However, all this could have been saved, and with just one click,
we could have had this.
[Before After]
It would be great to see the heart of Erbil
and our beautiful Kurdistan surrounded by such green life.
This would be possible
with the community’s efforts and understanding altogether.
An idea that can transform what you and I saw in the video
is the use of carbon credits.
Now, most of you have heard what carbon credits are.
But what interested me was how it is a type of a currency,
but a new one that allocates allowances to certain companies.
How is this gained?
As we know, carbon emissions lead to a very dirty environment.
So to gain them, a company needs to either make or fund
renewable energy projects,
reforestation and improving energy efficiency.
They are measured by specific companies designed for this purpose.
For example, an oil company is producing carbon emissions
and this damages the environment.
So how can carbon credits help in this case?
The company will now have limits and cannot produce more
unless they follow the steps that were mentioned before.
Now that the company has gained carbon credits,
they are now able to produce more carbon emissions.
However, this time,
they will be able to maintain productivity
and preserve the climate at the same time.
So carbon credits create a balance, might lead to a healthier environment.
Witnessing this from a global point of view,
the carbon credit market value is very popular now
and went up to $851 billion between 2021 and 2022.
That is 164% increase compared to 2020.
Now, comparing it to Kurdistan,
it is 85 times the annual income of Kurdistan.
It is 85 times the annual income of Kurdistan.
Carbon credits,
an idea that will most likely shape Kurdistan’s environment
in a much stronger state,
but comes with it certain other ways to aid this process,
such as planting more trees,
no more cutting them.
And this happens with increasing protection over them,
looking for alternatives for non-renewable energy, wood and etc.
As a citizen of this country,
it is now time to give back
to the country that has truly and greatly offered us so much
and aim for a healthier Kurdistan.
So now, by ending my speech as a community hand in hand,
we can do much to gain this vision.
I want to end my speech by asking you a question.
Would you prefer papers or planting more trees?
The decision is yours.
Thank you.
(Applause)
Thank you.
(Applause)