Let us take the statement credited to Professor James Hansen, NASA’s Chief Climate Scientist,
which he wrote in a report (in 2007): ‘The Earth today stands in imminent
peril and nothing short of a planetary rescue will save it from the
environmental cataclysm of dangerous climate change’.
This
statement only proves that the challenge of climate change is real. Since the
turn of this century it has become a global (if not) security challenge.
What
everyone- at least those who agree with the reality of this menace- agrees with
is that only a concerted global effort, involving the governments of all
nations, will be enough to avert its dangerous consequences. Be that as it may,
the individual actions of the ordinary people are still crucial. Large and
complex issues, like climate change, are usually best tackled by breaking down
the problem into manageable bits for proper analysis. This was what led to the
gathering of world leaders in Paris, France in December, 2015 to seek ways of
minimising the negative effects of climate change.
The Paris Agreement is said to be the
first universal, comprehensive and legally-binding deal seeking to tackle the
menace of global warming. Perhaps, this was why David Cameron, the British
Prime Minister said remarked (about the agreement): “a huge step forward in
helping to secure the future of our planet”. The deal is also unique in that it
commits nations to trying to keep global temperature rises “well below” 2C, the
level that is likely to herald the worst effects of climate change.
To properly analyse the vexed issue of
the ozone layer depletion, we need to first understand its causes. But before
we go on to analyse the causes and the options for developing countries we need
to make some germane clarifications. First, we are going to be using Nigerian
specific cases and as it relates to how the scourge affect us as a people.
Secondly, this writer does not intend to part in the political debate of the
reality or otherwise of the menace as it has been reduced to in some other
climes.
Like every known human-created problems,
the causes of climate change are still with us. Our people have yet to come to
terms with the fact that human activities are primarily
responsible for the emissions of four principal green-house gases: carbon
dioxide (CO2), methane
(CH4),
nitrous oxide (N2O) and
the halocarbons (a group of gases containing bromine, fluorine and chlorine).
These dangerous gases accumulate in the atmosphere, causing concentrations to
increase with time. Significant increases in all of these gases occur in the
industrial areas such as Lagos, Port Harcourt and other urban centres.
Human
emission of carbon dioxide has increased from the use of fossil fuel in
transportation in densely populated areas; bush burning (especially in the
rural areas) and other industrial activities in the country. Deforestation has
been scientifically proven to be responsible for releasing CO2 and
reducing its uptake by plants. Carbon dioxide is also released in natural
processes such as the decay of plant matter.
Nitrous
oxide is also emitted by human activities such as fertilizer use and careless
burning of fossil fuel. Natural processes in soils and the oceans also said to
release N2O.
Though, itself not directly having human cause(s), desertification or
desert encroachment in the Northern (especially the north eastern) part of the
country is one of the effects of human interactions with the environment. This
region we must not forget is strongly associated with serial bomb blasts (as a
result of terrorists’ acts), bush fires, erosion, ecosystem losses and the
likes have had major economic impacts on humans. Relocation of farmlands and
movements of people from their natural environments to new places increases the
risk of global warming. Since man’s first natural instincts survival, it is
understandable if people attempt to “conquer the environment” by this instinct.
These often results in crops and forests stressing, species (particularly
fuels) threatening, fire, coral reef bleaching for food or other uses.But
unknown to them, they in the process instead of surviving end up “killing” the
environment and endangering future generations.
In Lagos and other coastal states of the Niger-Delta, sea level rise and
storm surges with major impacts on coastal development, infrastructure, saline
intrusion, loss of coastal wetlands.Though the Lagos State Government has done
a lot to combat the scourge of storm surges, which has been a nuisance to
inhabitants in the state in the past, little do people know that they were
suffering from the consequences of their (in)actions to the environment.
Oceans
have absorbed about thirty per cent of human-made carbon dioxide around the
world, storing dissolved carbon for hundreds of years. As the uptake of carbon
dioxide has increased in the last century, so has the acidity of oceans
worldwide. Acidification of oceans has had its attendant consequences on marine
life, reefs and fisheries.
Many may not like to admit it that the scourge of global warming is also
partly a security issue. The present international refugee and economic crisis
arising partly from global terrorism (Boko Haram case in Nigeria) and from rise
in sea level; flooding of large population centres, in particular in north
eastern part of the country (including the Internally Displaced Persons or IDP
camps as a result of insurgency) have added to the complicated challenge of
climate change in Nigeria.
It can be so easy to talk
about the challenges of global warming without coming out with any meaningful
solution. It is said that it is very easy to destroy but it is never easy to
create. It is on this note that having identified the cause, we feel we are
duty-bound to present the solutions.
Just as we were able to show
that over sixty per cent of the causes of climate change are as a result of
human depletion of the environment, we must understand that the solutions to
climate change lies in our hands. As developing nations, it is understandable
if government takes the lead role(s) in our daily lives. This is why we have
divided much of our proposed solutions into those dealing with policies (from
the political systems) and those having to do with behavioural change (on the
part of the citizens).
Having laid this template,
let us now go on to present our proposed solutions.
First, developing nations
must make climate change a serious political issue.
In Australia for instance, the 2007 Federal election was
strongly influenced by the stance made by competing political parties on
climate change. It is therefore so
pathetic and worrying that developing countries do not appear to be taking
global warming as a sort of national emergency. For example, Nigeria’s two main
political parties, the All Progressives’ Congress (APC) and People’s Democratic
Party (PDP) have no official views either in their manifestoes or any other
document regarding climate change at least during the 2015 presidential
campaigns. Are we really serious about tackling this challenge head-on?
No matter how we view this scourge now,
one thing is obvious- that the strong and urgent action needed to combat
climate change will require a healthy dose of political will, and the courage
to make tough choices to save ourselves and the future generations. Before we
are misconstrued, we need to come out clear that climate change should be a
totally non-partisan issue as it has been in Nigeria but since it affects all
people and all countries there are times we need to sake sides. If climate
change is continued to be seen by the major political parties as an important
issue, for so long will it be marginalised by apparently more immediate
concerns.
The next option is for Nigeria to
consider “green electricity“. By ‘Green electricity’' we mean the electricity produced from sources which do
not cause burning coal and gas in power stations which releases millions of
tonnes of carbon dioxide, the main gas responsible for climate change and in
turn have negative consequences on the environment. It is true that every type
of electricity generation will have some impact (positive or negative), but
some sources are more “green” than others.
The safest energy sources are those
that utilise the natural energy flows of the Earth. These are known as
renewable energy sources, because they will never run out. There is a
scientific prognosis that the future of energy clearly likes in renewable
sources such as solar, wind and wave power. Aside from climate change, there
are limits to available oil, natural gas and coal.
‘Green power’ is electricity
that comes from these technologies, but is delivered to you in the same way as
‘dirty power’ from fossil-fuel burning. That is, down your power lines. As more
people take up this scheme, it will drive ever greater investment in these
technologies, reduce cost of delivery, and so further hasten the pace of
update. It’s a feedback, and you can be the catalyst of change.This green
energy has been used in the United Kingdom and other advanced countries for
several years include taking advantage of: Wind, Solar, Hydro and Wave, and
Tidal power. There is also Geothermal, Biomass, Landfill gas and Waste
incineration.
Due to lack of the technical know-how, Nigeria and many other
developing countries may not be able to afford the use of more complex green
energy sources like the Biomass, Geothermal, Landfill gases, but definitely
they can afford the rest. The strategic position of Nigeria in sub-Saharan
Africa affords it unique atmospheric condition to adopt the weather-related
elements like the Wind, Solar and Hydro power. Also, thanks to the growing
population of the developing countries, we generate enormous amount of waste
hence limiting space at landfill sites. The political leadership in these
countries must urgently see the need to convert these ever-increasing wastes to
a viable source of income for their citizens. This should also include giving incentives for development of clean energy technologies, including
solar, wind, geothermal (hot rocks), hydrogen, tidal and wave. Another
incentive may also be for development of large-scale clean energy utilities,
including solarthermal, solar-desalination and wind-water extraction plants in
outback regions using highly efficient high voltage DC cables to supply
electricity to major cities.
The next option is to
advocacy. There is need for strong advocacy for the use of efficient household
energy for our people. In Nigeria,
many of us unthinkingly leave lights on when we are not in the room, or switch
off the television sets by the remote instead of at the wall, fire up the
heater on when we could put on an extra layer of clothing, or turn on the air
conditioner when we could open the window and turn on a fan. It is a force of
habit – a bad habit we can break, with just a little thought. The behaviour
change we advocate lies at the heart of most individual actions on reducing our
individual carbon footprint. By being sensible about our household energy uses,
and making sure our houses are well insulated, we can make a huge dent in our CO2emissions.
This will save us huge amount of money that we no longer need to spend on wasted
energy time.
Aside behavioural changes, we should
consider investing in technologies that help us in our daily lives as a nation.
Our people must learn to- when buying new electronic appliances such as air conditioners
or washing machines- take note of their energy and water usage. The more energy
efficient they are, the more they will save us in the long run, and the lower
their CO2 emissionswill be.
In most cases the ‘payback period’ – the difference between the initial cost of
a high versus low efficiency appliance and the long-term savings in lower
electricity and water bills, is only a matter of a few months to a few years.
After that, people will be smiling to the bank while at the same time doing
something meaningful to combat climate change at the same time. How easier can things
get?
In
a nation that is strictly consumer oriented, we must learn that cars are not
only slow means to get to work when you’re faced with a city gridlock – they
are also a huge user of oil (which is running out globally) and cost the tax
payer heft amounts in road building and maintenance.
In a city like Lagos where
the challenge of traffic is huge on working days, time, money and energy will
be saved if people park their cars at home and take public transport to
work. Getting people to their
destinations by trains, buses, bikes and on foot is much more greenhouse
friendly, and often considerably cheaper. The main problem right now with
public transport is that because not enough people use it, there is not enough
investment by government to improve the quality of service and capacity to
support large volumes of commuters. It might seem like a difficult task, but
larger cities in developed economies have solved the dilemma and now move most
of their people about on public transport. So our people must cultivate the
habit of patronising our public transport network, and push governments at all
levels for more investment in the sector. Also walking trails instead of
building more and more roads for cars and worrying incessantly about fuel costs
will reduce carbon emissions. The transition to a new transport system has to
start with each and every one of us. There is need for major
improvements in public transport and rapid development of more energy-efficient
private transport.
We must address the issue of waste
disposal. We dispatch too much of things we need and re-cycle too little of
what we must throw away. Large amounts of energy and water is invested in producing
endless amounts of these “trash”, much of which we do not really need or end up
using. So we must use our local recycling service, for plastics, metals and
paper. We must avoid the temptation to buy things we do not need like trinkets
and knick-knacks, just because it feels good to accumulate things. There are
limits to everything, including, most importantly, the ability of the planet to
supply people with an ever burgeoning supply of raw materials. We must think above
sustainability over suitability.
Also, Nigeria should participate in international negotiations and
agreements placing constraints on emissions from coal. Nigeria is a major coal
producing nation with large coal deposits in Enugu and other places. The
country must consider enforcing and domesticating the numerous regulations
concerning the burning of fossil fuels. Part of the enforcement mechanism
should include sanctions on erring members of the public.Agencies like the
Environmental Protection Agency or similar ones should be empowered to educate
the public on environmental awareness; ruthlessly prosecute offenders of the
regulations and perform any other function(s) confer on it by the National
Assembly regarding reduction of CO2 emissions.
To counter the effects of
desertification, governments at levels must discourage deforestation through
making of laws and policies which are aimed at such. These laws must include
compulsory planting of trees in schools and public spaces. The state must be
firm in preventing careless falling of trees for uneconomic uses like cooking
and for household consumptions. This will go a long way to reduce the effects
of climate change.
Our proposals in this piece, we must
admit, form part of the solutions, not the
solutions. But we insist that if followed thoroughly by developing
countries, they can be the much-needed answers to the critical question of
climate change. The solutions are nowhere else but in our hands. But to show
our seriousness about this, we must be ready to leave politics aside and tackle
this monster head-on!
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