Rick Olson visits with children in Tanzania.
By Rick Olson, Rotary Club of Prior Lake, Minnesota, USA
Climate change is an impersonal, ambiguous term, which denotes negative impact on people around the world. But on a recent trip to Tanzania in Africa I met some of the innocents who will be most affected by the increased droughts caused by carbon dioxide emissions.
On a 10-day biking safari to visit Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti, we camped in a school yard in a Maasai village west of Arusha, Tanzania. Three boys came to visit, and after giving them some treats, I took their photo with my phone. I showed them the photo, and a boy about 8 or 9 years old gestured to me he would like to hold the phone.
Maasai children learn to take selfies with Olson’s smartphone.
So, I showed him how to take a photo with it and handed it to him. I also taught him how to take selfies and videos. Before long a group of about 15 children were gathered around us, looking at photos he had taken, enlarging the pictures of some of the kids, all to gales of laughter. It was so much fun. Seeing how quickly he learned to use the phone, without our knowing a word of each other’s language, was such a kick.
These Maasai children live in a very dry area. The March-May “rainy” season had not produced a drop of rain by the time I left on 23 March. These young ones and the rest of their tribe are the least capable of adapting to even drier conditions projected by the climate scientists than the desert they already live in, hanging on by a thread. Yet, we in the United States who are in the most wealthy of countries and have produced and continue to produce the most carbon dioxide can’t even agree that human-caused climate change is real, much less agree on what to do about it.
Is it the truth?
As a Prior Lake Rotarian, I join my club weekly in reciting The Four-Way Test. The first two lines are: “Is it the truth?” and “Is it fair to all concerned?” A guest commentary I wrote for the Prior Lake American, Commentary: Acting on climate change can make difference, outlines why it is the truth that climate change is real and caused by humans burning fossil fuel. Is it fair that those least able to adapt to the negative changes bear the greatest impacts while we do nothing? I think not.
We are not helpless in mitigating the consequences of our past and present actions. We as Rotarians can support actions including government legislation that promote feasible measures to effectively reduce carbon dioxide emissions. We can support Rotary projects that seek to alleviate or reduce the impact of climate change.
Join us in minimizing the damage to not only our economy and our lives, but that of the innocents in Africa and India who will be most affected.
Attending the 2019 Rotary International Convention in Hamburg, Germany? See the schedule and breakout sessions for events relating to the environment.
Rotary Voices 
I wonder sometimes why can’t we clean up our environment and keep it clean. Let us start from Rotary Colombo International and Rotary Toronto Sunrise International Canada and with all Rotarians of the world and introduce Global Cleaning Day for all the people in this world. This is Everybody’s Business. Thanks.
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Its a good idea but not too practical as many people like to deliberately disobey not only the laws but the rules and guidelines of civil behavior to wit Vladimir Putin, Adolf Hitler, Josef Stalin etc etc etc.
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At our club – Haenertsburg (D9400), we have a 5-Way-Test, the 5th Test being: “Will it protect planet earth for future generations?”
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I love that. We, in our Caribbean island dealing with plastic garbage, say “will it be plastic-free”! I like yours.
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Browsing the internet for Rotary + Climate related input I was happy to stumble across this post. Thank you! The climate crisis is putting all Rotarys projects at risk, if we as Rotarians would jointly focus on this issue we would not only meet the 4 way test (brilliant with the 5th!) but we would also gain respect and grow with the next generation.
Greetings from district 2350 and Lidingö Rotary Club (Stockholm area) – contact me if you have interest in sharing ideas – Ingrid Hesser, Past president 2007-08 and incoming President 2020-21
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Thank you for your thoughtful connection of climate change and the Four Way Test. To the first commenter, I respectfully suggest that this is not actually a political movement as we usually think of it. It is based on facts and is not an issue of partisan politics, though many treat it that way.
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I have to be candid – in recent years, I have seen Rotarians embrace political movements and justify Rotary’s involvement in them as “service.” Is this really the direction Rotary wants to go?
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Yes, we need to. And if you want to attract young members, then we need to address this issue. That does not mean that we can prevent climate change but we may limit and adjust to it. We need to changen
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Thank you for this.
As a vocal and persistent advocate for environmental protection, regeneration and sustainability in District 7020, I often find resistance from stateside Rotarians who seem to think climate change is a debatable political issue, not a human crisis that we are already experiencing.
The 4 Way test is a great way to look at climate change. Thank you.
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The most poignant of the 4-Way test is Will it be beneficial to all those concerned?
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