Ogun will soon begin to generate clean energy from waste — Hon Oyeleye

Honourable Bolaji Oyeleye is the Commissioner for Environment in Ogun State. He speaks with Doyin Adeoye on the works of the ministry, especially ahead of the state’s 40th anniversary.

What has the ministry put in place ahead of the state’s 40th anniversary?
Ogun state will turn 40 by February 3 and the state government is planning to launch some of its projects that she has done from the first term till the second term of this administration. So talking about the environment as it affects the anniversary, we have been up and doing in the ministry because the environment touches practically everyone and everywhere. So, we are ensuring that we have a clean and safe environment even as we celebrate.

How has the ministry fared over the years?
We’ve done quite a lot and we are still doing more, because the environment is such that we cannot do it all; it is an ongoing process. Just like we live daily, the environment has to be taken care of daily as well. We have been able to make a lot of moves in the area of waste management, our cities are cleaner. And the ministry have also been able to put in place laws that will ensure that our people comply with the way the environment is meant to be. We’ve made laws on the way they dispose their waste, as well as laws that have to do with tree planting. So we’ve done a lot on improving the aesthetics of the city, especially on going green.

SDGs: Can Nigeria fight these environmental issues by 2030?

THE international community over the last decades has adopted quite a number of environmentally related agreements, one of which is the new global development agenda agreed by the United Nations (UN) in September 2015, which is a follow-up to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

The universal agreement which is based on a set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, fight inequality and injustice, and tackle climate change by 2030, carefully balances the environmental, social and economic dimensions of sustainable development.

Integrating the environment and development is essential, as any human development, largely depends on a healthy environment. While some of the goals are basically environmental, others such as Ending Poverty, Zero Hunger, Good Health and Well-being, Affordable and Clean Energy, Sustainable Cities and Communities, Responsible Consumption and Production, and the likes, need a good environment for a successful implementation.

Goal 6: Clean water and sanitation
With more than 40 per cent of people around the world affected by water scarcity, it is essential to ensure access to water and sanitation for all. This figure is however, even projected to increase with the rise of global temperatures as a consequence of climate change.

According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), although 2.1 billion people have gained access to improved water sanitation since 1990, dwindling supplies of safe drinking water is a major problem impacting every continent. By 2050, it is projected that at least one in four people are likely to be affected by recurring water shortages.

Oceans will contain more plastic than fish by 2050

According to a new report from the World Economic Forum and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, if we continue our ways, the world’s oceans will soon be home to more plastic than fish.
“The best research currently available estimates that there are over 150 million tonnes of plastics in the ocean today,” the report reads.
“In a business-as-usual scenario, the ocean is expected to contain one tonne of plastic for every three tonnes of fish by 2025, and by 2050, more plastics than fish, by weight.”
In other words, in just 34 years, plastic trash in the ocean will outweigh all the fish in the sea.
According to Huffington Post, the study describes plastics as the “ubiquitous workhorse material of the modern economy” and finds that after a short first-use cycle, 95 per cent of plastic packaging material value, or $80 billion to $120 billion annually, is lost to the economy.
At least eight million tonnes of plastics, equivalent to one garbage truck every minute leak into the ocean each year, according to the World Economic Forum.
The 36-page report, “The New Plastics Economy: Rethinking the future of plastics,” also offers hope.
By redesigning materials and developing new technologies, the research shows it is possible to eradicate plastic waste.
Achieving such systemic change, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation said in a statement, will “require major collaboration,” including from consumer goods companies, plastics manufacturers, businesses involved in collection and recycling and policymakers.
“This report demonstrates the importance of triggering a revolution in the plastics industrial ecosystem,” Dominic Waughray of the World Economic Forum said in a statement, “and is a first step to showing how to transform the way plastics move through our economy.”
Today, only 14 per cent of plastic packaging is collected for recycling, according to the World Economic Forum. In comparison, the global recycling rate for paper is 58 per cent, while that of iron and steel is 70 per cent to 90 per cent.

Short answers to hard questions about climate change

Here are quick answers to often-asked questions about climate change. This should give anyone a running start on understanding the problem.

How much is the planet heating up?
As of October 2015, the earth had warmed by about 1.7 degrees Fahrenheit since 1880. The number may sound low, but as an average over the surface of an entire planet, it is actually high, which explains why much of the world’s land ice is starting to melt and the oceans are rising at an accelerating pace.

Is there anything I can do?
You can reduce your own carbon footprint in lots of simple ways, and most of them will save you money.

Will a tech breakthrough help us?
Even Bill Gates says don’t count on it, unless we commit the cash. As more companies, governments and researchers devote themselves to the problem, the chances of big technological advances are improving. But even many experts who are optimistic about technological solutions warn that current efforts are not enough.

How much will the seas rise?
The real question is not how high, but how fast. The ocean is rising at a rate of about a foot per century. That causes severe effects on coastlines, forcing governments and property owners to spend tens of billions of dollars fighting erosion. But if that rate continued, it would probably be manageable, experts say.

Is there any reason for hope?
Scientists have been warning since the 1980s that strong policies were needed to limit emissions. Those warnings were ignored, and greenhouse gases in the atmosphere have since built up to potentially dangerous levels. So the hour is late.

But after 20 years of largely fruitless diplomacy, the governments of the world are finally starting to take the problem seriously. A deal reached in Paris in December commits nearly every country to some kind of action. Religious leaders like Pope Francis are speaking out.

Culled from New York Times

Nigeria needs more environmental warriors —Dr Jibunoh

Better known as the Desert Warrior, Dr Newton Jibunoh is perhaps Nigeria’s foremost environmentalist with over 40 years of experience on environmentally related issues. The founder, Fight Against Desert Encroachment (FADE) speaks with DOYIN ADEOYE about various issues, especially as regards the Nigerian environment.

Nations will start signing the Paris Agreement. How realistic is this agreement for Nigeria?

We shouldn’t celebrate yet over Paris Agreement, because there are a number of issues related to it. I started attending the very first summit in 1994, so as an old player in the game, I have learnt not to go away with whatever draft agreement. For instance, countries will start signing the Paris Agreement in April this year, and by then I think a lot of the nations that attended the COP would have dissected the agreement. Until the whole 196 countries signs the agreement, which will go on for one year, that is when we can start celebrating.

For instance, a lot of countries did not even initial the Kyoto Agreement, not to talk of signing it and this draft agreement is very similar to the Kyoto Agreement. So there are issues so many people are worried about. For instance, if countries fail to meet up with agreement, how do you hold them accountable? This was missing in the agreement, as well as the time frame to achieve it. So I believe we should not celebrate yet, until countries begin to sign the drafted agreement.

Would you say the agreement put into consideration the Intended Nationally-Determined Contributions (INDCs) of developing countries?

A lot of the developing countries are underdeveloped and very vulnerable. So when it comes to adaptation to climate change, many of them find it difficult. In fact, Nigeria is an underdeveloped country; we are not in the same league with South Africa, Brazil or India, those are the developing countries. So when benefits that are meant for developing counties come, I doubt if we are in a position to tap into it.

Like I’ve always maintained, and I hope that the new Minster of Environment will take that seriously, most of the countries that are providing money and transfer of technology will not do that except they see what you have on ground. So the question is, what are we going to show that we have been doing?

Social media, viable tool for climate advocacy —Cross River Most Beautiful Girl, 2015

BY DOYIN ADEOYE

TWENTY-YEAR-OLD Cross River Most Beautiful Girl 2015, Queenette Awukam is an environmentalist, advocating for more youths’ involvement in climate friendly activities.
“I have been advocating for forest conservation even before I became Cross Rivers’ Most Beautiful Girl. And I believe that being in this position is an avenue to further promote this. I am passionate about the sustainable livelihood of my people, coupled with the drive from my governor, Professor Ben Ayade, who is a source of inspiration in the course of championing climate change.
“I grew in a state that is very environmentally conscious; very clean and green. So having grown up in such place, I believe everywhere in Nigeria should be conducive enough for breathing and our day-to-day activities,” she said.
Using the platform to create awareness on climate change and its effect, Queenette said her green pictures which went viral of recent, is meant to reach out to more youths to be environment conscious.
“As a beauty queen and an artiste, I know that pictures are good sense of communication, as they speak louder than words. In one of the pictures, I, being the only live tree in the middle of dead logs, is an appeal for forest conservation.
“There have been innovations over the years; every youth is on the social media. So I feel that the best way to go reach out to them is to create more awareness using the social media. Every youth now wants to have fun, so we can as well educate them while they do that.
“For instance, the recently held Calabar Carnival had the theme: ‘Climate Change,’ which was used as a platform to educate youths on being environment friendly. More youths need to champion the course for a greener environment, and must take further steps in acquiring more knowledge on problems and particularly solutions on climate change,” she said.

Why we partner with secondary schools —RecyclePoints

BY DOYIN ADEOYE

RECYCLEPOINTS, an incentive based waste recycling and social benefit scheme is partnering with schools on waste recovery, reuse and recycling.
In line with its corporate objective to breed an environmentally friendly generation, the company, over the weekend, had a partnership with the Redeemers International Schools (RIS), Lagos, where the latter signed into the company’s Schools Recycling Programme.
“RecyclePoints motivates people to recycle by creating value from their everyday waste. We have a target of partnering with three schools every month, where we get them to have recycling bins and also educate them on how to sort their waste and recycle them. Through this programme, each school earn points from their recycling activities, which they then use to get rewards that we offer through our scheme,” Mrs Chioma Ukonu, Chief Operating Officer (COO) and co-founder, RecyclePoints said.
Speaking on what influenced the partnership with schools, she noted that many children over time are beginning to be more environment conscious.
“We had a lot of schools visiting our collection and sorting hubs in the past, just to learn about waste recycling. So we felt that since there was the affinity to understand at their age the benefit of waste recycling, we could carry the message to the schools directly, where they will see the idea of sorting waste from source.
“We offer various items through our incentive-based schemes, so for schools, we are looking at partnering with them to get things that would necessarily support their educational activities. Whenever they reach a particular point, they get something in return. For instance, like we did some two years ago, we invited them to an environmental quiz competition June 5, which is the World Environment Day.”

GEFTY: Empowering youths to save the environment

BY DOYIN ADEOYE
The global environment has its effect on children and young people, consequently environmentally aware empowered children and adolescents are potentially the greatest change agents for the long-term protection and stewardship of the earth.
This is exactly what the Green Education For The Youth (GEFTY) initiative is all about: a dynamic form of empowerment for young people on going green.
GEFTY, an initiative of the first lady of Ogun State, Mrs Olufunsho Amosun, was launched on Children’s Day, May 27, 2013, where she gave 5,000 children her self-written GEFTY handbook, to educate and create awareness on the need to cultivate green habits.
The students at the launching, also partook in the first ever Ogun State Youth 10,000 tree planting exercise, where thousands of students were part of the tree planting exercise.
According to Mrs Amosun, “the world is going green and so is the job market. It is therefore paramount to educate children on green initiatives. We also need to educate our youths on recycling techniques and get our unemployed youths off the street into the recycling business of turning waste to wealth.”
As part of the initiative, 12 GEFTY ambassadors were sponsored on a nine-day green awareness workshop on sustainable environment to the United Kingdom last year.

Lassa fever: Keeping our environments free of rodents

BY DOYIN ADEOYE

With the recent outbreak of Lassa fever in the country, it is important to take note of the environment’s role in combating this threat.
The natural host of the Lassa virus are rodents, and the transmission to humans usually occurs from exposure to urine or faeces of infected rats. Lassa virus may also be spread between humans through direct contact with the blood, urine, faeces, or other bodily secretions of a person infected with Lassa fever.
Between 2012 and 2013, more than 2,900 cases were reported in widespread outbreaks that occurred across many states in Nigeria.
Discouraging rats from entering homes will prevent the spread of Lassa fever, and this relies on promoting good hygiene.
Effective measures to deter rats from making their ways into the house include storing grain and other foodstuffs in rodent proof containers, disposing of garbage far from the home, maintaining clean households and covering of food and water properly, among other options.
Speaking at a lecture series organised by the Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ibadan (UI) recently, Professor Ade Ojeniyi, noted that there is a relationship between the spread of some diseases and the environment.
With the theme: ‘One Homo Sapiens, One Animal, One Environment, One Medicine and One Health,’ Professor Ojeniyi’s lecture elaborated some of the diseases that are transmitted from animals to man, as well as vice versa.
“No living species has had a greater impact on the environment than Homo Sapiens, yet our health is so intertwined with animal health, while the medications applied to combat infectious diseases in animals and humans are very much the same.
“The environment is the pool from which docile draw their diseases and put the disease back for interchange, from one host to the other,” he said.

Realities of car emissions and global warming

BY DOYIN ADEOYE

In Nigeria today,  road  transport  is  the  major  means  of  transportation  for  many, with thousands of cars being registered annually across various states in the country.

Over the past decades, fuel consumption has increased rapidly, basically because of the increasing amounts of vehicle use, as well as a major expansion of the transportation sector, which includes aircrafts, trains and ships.

However, with this increasing rate is an endangerment to the environment. Many vehicles on Nigerian roads contribute immensely to global warming emissions.

According to a 2012 World Health Organisation (WHO) report, about seven million people died as a result of exposure to air pollution.

Besides aiding global warming, car emissions are also responsible for many health hazards. According to experts, the carbon monoxide, hydrocarbon and Nitrogen oxide emitted from these automobiles for instance, causes skin cancer, cataract asthma and other respiratory diseases.

Although some states are already working on curbing this, a lot still needs to be done if Nigeria is to meet up with the Paris Agreement, which is to keep a global temperature rise at no more than 2 degrees Celsius, and to strive for a limit of 1.5 degrees Celsius if possible.

In Lagos for instance, the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMAT) in a bid to improve the quality of air, developed the Strategic Transport Master Plan (STMP), which targets the reduction of emissions from the transport sector by 45 per cent by 2030.

The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) is also doing its best to control this menace, but a still needs to be done. One of its regulations is the National Environmental (Control of Vehicular Emissions from Petrol and Diesel Engines) Regulation, 2010, S. I. No. 20, which is aimed at controlling the country’s air quality.

It launched the Vehicular Emissions Testing (VET) programme last year, for effective monitoring and compliance of vehicular emission. The programme which is a mandatory yearly test of vehicles for toxic air emissions is also aimed at the installation of emission reduction technology in all vehicles plying Nigerian roads.

However, to further tackle the environmental impact of car emissions, stricter regulations need to be enforced on more usage of less fuel-consumption vehicles on the roads, because the less fuel burnt, the fewer emissions generated. When emissions go down, the pace of global warming also reduces.

Many are not aware that there exist laws that govern our interactions with our environment. And to some others, adhering to these laws seems to be a major challenge. DOYIN ADEOYE writes on why Nigeria’s environmental laws have made little or no impact over the years.

Nigeria, like any other nation faces diverse environmental problems. Ranging from erosions, deforestation, oil spillage, water, land and air pollutions, and illegal waste disposals, among other issues, these problems can either be natural or manmade.
Many are unaware that the simple act of dropping a pure water sachet or PET bottle on the street, or burning of refuse, constitutes environmental crimes, which violates environmental laws and policies, and warrants punishments.
Although, the role of enforced policies in curbing environmental crimes is important as it serves as an effective tool for environmental protection, many of Nigeria’s environmental laws are yet to fulfill the purpose for which they were made.
Various administrations over the years have enacted environmental policies to combat the constant degradation of the environment, some of which include the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) Act, Oil Pipelines Act, Environmental Impact Assessment Act, The Land Use Act, Hydrocarbon Oil Refineries Act and Water Resources Act, among others.
As administered by the Federal Ministry of Environment, NESREA Act of 2007, which replaced the Federal Environmental Protection Agency (FEPA) Act, has a role of the protection of the environment and the sustainable development of Nigeria’s natural resources. Section 27 of the Act prohibits, without lawful authority, the discharge of hazardous substances into the environment. And this offence is punishable under this section, with a fine not exceeding, N1 million and an imprisonment term of five years. In the case of a company, there is an additional fine of N50,000, for every day the offence persists.

2016 and the Environment Ministry

BY DOYIN ADEOYE
Since the Minister of Environment, Mrs Amina Mohammed came on board in November, there has been a major focus on the ministry, as she has on many occasions, proven that the ministry will in time, be a solid reference for other ministries, due to the fact that it will always prioritise environmental issues.
In two months, a lot of grounds were covered by the ministry, one of which was the minister’s visitation and inspection of some environmentally sensitive areas in the Niger Delta, Borno, Kano, Lagos, and Yobe states.
However, as the New Year starts, it is essential that the ministry firmly defines the strategies and means by which it intend to tackle various environmental issues such as deforestation, desertification, waste management, climate change, ever increasing population, oil pollution and coastal erosion, assailing the country.
Also, means of attaining the scope of the Paris Agreement need to be vividly highlighted. Speaking through her twitter handle recently, the minister had assured that the necessary will be done to ensure that Nigeria’s Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs), a phenomenon developed under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) for reductions in greenhouse gas emissions is implemented.

How Calabar Carnival 2015 promoted greener Nigeria

By Doyin Adeoye
BESIDES its glamour, the 2015 edition of the international Calabar Carnival and Festival is worthy of note, as it was used as a platform to preach a greener Nigeria.
With the theme: ‘Climate Change,’ the event marked the 11th edition of the carnival, where trees were planted as part of the state’s campaign to combat climate change issues.
Speaking at the ‘Plant-a-Tree’ march held on Tuesday, December 29, Cross River State governor, Professor Ben Ayade, noted that the entire state, especially its capital, Calabar, would go green by the time five million trees are planted across the state.
A Professor of Environmental Science himself, Ayade, disclosed that the green carnival was not only a reminder to Nigerians of the need to protect the environment at all times, but also a business clue, as he assured the youths in the state of his administration readiness to make millionaires out of tree planting business.
“We are going to introduce urban afforestation, which is a classical departure from what we know. There is a need to turn to climate change businesses, and we are going to make green millionaires out of that exercise. I encourage youths to partake in tree planting,” the governor said.
Tree planting cools the planet, by absorbing the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide during photosynthesis. They can also cool the planet by evaporating water to the atmosphere. Trees also have warming effects because they are dark and absorb a lot of sunlight, holding heat near ground level.
Through their performances, the competing traditional bands at the event: Passion-4, MastaBlasta, Bayside, Freedom and Seagull, all highlighted the effects of our actions on the climate, and proffered solutions.
Held at the UJ Esuene Sports Stadium, the bands in various climate change interpretations, advocated for a stop in falling of trees, control of oils spills, cleaner power plants and greener farming, among others, as ways climate changed can be tackled. The Passion-4 band emerged as the overall winner at the festival.
The governor was accompanied by the Minister for Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, Senator Florence Ita Giwa and other dignitaries, at the ‘Plant-a-Tree’ march.

Food wastage, a contributory factor to global warming

Having food leftovers goes beyond scrapping it off the plates. Its impacts on our natural resources and the environment at large, is enormous. DOYIN ADEOYE writes on how food wastage affects the environment.

With a population projected to reach 9.6 billion by 2050, it is obvious that food production in the world would always be on the increase and as such, there will always be leftovers. With the increasing population rate, the world is now producing and consuming more resources than ever.
The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) in 2011 estimated that each year, one-third of all food produced for human consumption in the world, which is around 1.3 billion tonnes, is lost or wasted. This includes 45 per cent of all fruit and vegetables, 35 per cent of fish and seafood, 30 per cent of cereals, 20 per cent of dairy products and 20 per cent of meat.
From raw foods that go uncooked, to the cooked that are uneaten, and the leftovers on the plate, food loss and wastage have significant impacts on the environment. Water, fuel and energy are required in food production processes, storing, transportation and cooking. Besides the natural resources that are discarded when there is food wastage, greenhouse gases emissions occur in many stages of food production, therefore, contributing to climate change.
Across countries, especially the developed nations, many are not aware of the tremendous amount of food that is wasted and the impact that has on world hunger, political stability, the environment and climate change.
Food Microbiologist, Mr Samson Ajobiewe, said that wasting of food indirectly accounts for imprudent use of natural resources in the food production process, as well as being a contributing factor to environmental issues.