Minimizing climate change by linking deforestation in Ghana to cultural practices
In recent times, there has been great talk about the vast accumulation of greenhouse gases that result in the skyrocketing temperature of the earth that causes global warming. In estimation, increases in the earth’s temperature intensified in the early 1970s when human activities shot it up considerably by almost 1C. Greenhouse effects are naturally required in the proper balance to regulate the correct warmth and coolness that the earth requires. However, when greenhouse gases increase at an abnormal rate, an imbalance occurs that is detrimental to human life. This imbalance in the earth’s atmosphere results in extreme or severe drying (droughts) and melting (floods) that brings very serious and harsh consequences to human life and the environment. These harsh conditions include desertification, increased melting of snow and ice, rising sea levels, and an increase in intolerable hurricanes and cyclones. These unfavorable land conditions cause uncensored heavy downpours leading to the flooding of farms and cities. In addition, there is an introduction of new pests that mercilessly destroy farmland, lakes and other bodies of water. The habitats of many species of biodiversity are modified and/or destroyed. This condition has led to a large increase in the number of endangered species and species extinction globally. In terms of disease outbreaks, the effects of global warming increase the likelihood of infections from diseases such as asthma and allergies due to the high rate of air pollution.
One of the main causes of global warming and the accompanying climate change is deforestation. Deforestation often occurs when there is aggravated logging or burning of flora species and the destruction of forests for agriculture and other forms of agricultural activities. Deforestation intensifies the concentration of greenhouse gases, in particular carbon dioxide and methane. The indiscriminate felling of trees and the clearing of farmland for agricultural activities often lead to alterations in soil composition, increases in soil erosion and nutrient leaching, as well as increases in decomposition rates of converted soils that create carbon dioxide emissions. Also, deforestation ends up reducing the number of trees that are supposed to naturally absorb carbon dioxide, which is the most common greenhouse gas that triggers global warming and climate change. To stop the uncensored felling of plants and trees, as well as the destruction of forests, the traditional councils of local communities in Ghana long ago instituted strong cultural practices that serve as traditional checks or moral regulators on the behavioral attitudes of members. of your society. . One of those resilient and productive cultural practices are taboos.
Taboos are tough prohibitions on what to do and what not to do in society. Violation of any of these taboos amounts to disrespect for the ancestors, spirits, and deities, as well as the powers of the chief and his cabinet of elders. This attracts severe double consequences of spiritual and physical punishments. Spiritually, a taboo breaker is believed to kiss the wrath of angry spirits which can be instant death, insanity, infertility, and extreme poverty. Physically, the traditional council imposes large monetary fines for the culprit to pay. Sometimes there is a confiscation of the defaulter’s property, such as farmland for a specified period. Due to the resilient nature of these sanctions, members of society always strive to pay attention to them. Interestingly, many of these taboos are ecological and prevent the rampant logging of flora species and the clearing of forests.
For example, there is a taboo against cutting down young species of flora. In most local communities in Ghana, young trees are not supposed to be felled. Also, the cut trees are supposed to be replaced in triplets to appease deities and ancestors. Due to this prohibition, there is always the maintenance of the sustainability base and the abundance of flora species to consume the excessive carbon dioxide gases in the environment.
There is also a taboo against destroying the forest vegetation bank around rivers, lakes and streams. Farmers must leave a bank of forest vegetation of no less than 10 meters around bodies of water. This prevents high evaporation that would have contributed to global warming.
In addition, there is a general cessation of harvesting of all flora species during specific taboo days and closed seasons in the year. This taboo also regulates the duration of the harvest of flora species that would have led to deforestation. Interestingly, the very cheap tree species that are felled most of the time are taboo in most local communities. Special purification rites are supposed to be performed with members of the traditional council before regulated felling of such tree species is allowed. This helps control rampant logging of flora species in the environment.
It is distressing to learn that due to globalization and its unregulated impacts, the powers of traditional councils in many of Ghana’s local communities are diminishing. This has affected the resilience of taboo observance in some of the local communities in Ghana. Therefore, there is an urgency for the Ghanaian government to pass legislation to increase the powers of traditional authorities in local communities. This would help them smoothly carry out their productive cultural instruments, such as ecological taboos. This would help stop all forms of negative environmental activities such as deforestation to add the contribution of culture to minimizing the emission of greenhouse gases that cause global warming and climate change in Ghana.