Ecopreneurship: Making money by saving nature

BY DOYIN ADEOYE
WHILE there are entrepreneurs, others create businesses with the intent of saving the environment, they are ecoprenuers.
From recycling to house cleaning, consultancy and production of organic beauty products, there exist many eco-friendly business ideas that revolve around saving nature.

Solar energy
There has been a lot of focus on solar energy in recent years. Many state governments are now investing in this field, with many working on ways to convert their waste to energy. One good way to make money while also save the planet is to get involved in solar energy production.
Also, with the increase in demand for solar energy comes the need for more hands in relation to installation, maintenance and repairs. Engineers in solar technology are beginning to get known, and with little or no competition, it is a business idea that pays really well.

House cleaning
Getting involved in house cleaning, especially environmental-friendly home cleaning services can be profitable. Many Nigerians, especially the working class, are often too busy to care for their environment. So having a classy and standard cleaning service brand will not only bring in profit, but also help people keep their homes clean.

Composting
Why throw your waste out when you can convert it to useful and fertile compost? Any organic matter, including cooked waste food, can be converted to compost. Organic fertilisers are in high demand by people who have already embraced the green revolution, and tapping into this can be profitable.

Recycling
Recycling is probably the fastest growing eco-friendly business at the moment. Although recycling may be on the high side for someone who has a small startup capital, collection of waste is relatively cheaper. While partnering with companies on collecting their waste is a plus, it is however, becoming a very highly competitive industry.

Consultancy
Although going green has become more popular in recent times, many people who are interested in it still do not have the knowledge or idea of how to go about it. You can assist people with consultancy services and get paid for it.

Is climate change driving the spread of zika virus?

TRANSMITTED by mosquitoes, the Zika virus is spreading at an alarming rate across countries and scientists in Brazil suspect that global warming is exacerbating the problem.
According to the Climate News Network, last year was the hottest on record, with temperatures for the first time about 1°C above pre-industrial levels. But in some parts of Brazil, average temperatures rose between 3° and 5°C, according to data from the Centre for Weather Forecasting and Climate Studies at Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research. The abnormal warming of the Pacific caused by El Nino contributed to this.
Studies by Brazilian scientists show that the Aedes egypti mosquito has spread to 80 per cent of the country, an area of 6.9 million square kilometres, four times larger than a decade ago.
Paolo Zanotto, a virologist at the University of Sao Paulo’s Biomedical Sciences Institute, is co-ordinating a network of laboratories studying the Zika virus.
“We have noticed that dengue has spread to areas that were previously too cold for it, like the south of the country. The number of mosquitoes is increasing, their area of activity is increasing and contact with populations who have never before had contact with dengue is increasing. Global warming is probably collaborating with its spread to previously free areas,” he said.
Christovam Barcellos, a geographer at the Fiocruz Institute in Rio de Janeiro, said: “We have noticed that dengue has spread to areas that were previously too cold for it, like the south of the country.”

Kenya launches Green Universities Network

MORE than 160 participants from Kenyan higher education institutions last week attended the launch of the Kenya Green University Network (KGUN), which is aimed at including environmental and sustainability practices into the curricula, campus designs and research projects of Kenyan universities.

Speaking at the launch of KGUN, a joint initiative of the Commission for University Education (CUE), the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Achim Steiner, UNEP Executive Director, said that Kenya is seeing fast progress in higher education.

“With the increase in student enrolment, there is more reason, challenge and opportunity to integrate sound environmental practices and knowledge-sharing into the higher education fabric. Many Kenyan universities have already recognised sustainability demands and have responded in ways that are worth sharing. They are investing in greener campuses, greener curricula, and ways of engaging staff, students and community,” Steiner said.

Professor Judi Wakhungu, Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Natural Resources and Regional Development Authorities of Kenya, said that the network marks the beginning of long-term cooperation between 70 universities in Kenya that will address sustainability issues through the adoption of low-carbon strategies, mainstreaming environmental sustainability across the curriculum, and engaging with community and other stakeholders at various levels.

The National Environment Management Authority, through its Director General, Professor Geoffrey Wahungu, also expressed its commitment to continuously work with universities, through various initiatives including this network to harness synergy and mobilize resources for capacity building to enhance environmental sustainability.

Waste is a resource; it is a currency —Bilikiss

Bilikiss Adebiyi Abiola is the CEO and co-founder of Wecyclers, a company that offers waste collection and recycling services to Lagosians. She speaks with DOYIN ADEOYE on what it takes to run a recycling business among other issues.

What exactly influenced Wecyclers?
Wecyclers is a social enterprise, and the idea came from a class I took in business school, at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where I was exposed to the issues people face in countries like Nigeria. According to the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics, about 70 per cent of Nigerians live in poverty. We face a lot of issues such as lack of access to finance, poor environmental sanitation and waste management systems.

So we wanted to turn waste management from being a problem, because many people live in very dirty environments where drainages are blocked; they are exposed to mosquitoes and sorts. All of these are because waste is not managed properly. Waste is a resource; it is a currency. It is valuable, so we wanted to teach people that instead of living in such environment, they could actually take control of the situation by making money from the waste.

So how does it work?
We designed cargo-bicycles that we deployed in communities around Lagos to pick up waste. So we tell people to separate their waste; they separate their plastics, bottles, pure water sachet and cans, so when we go and pick up the waste from them, we weigh it and for every kilogramme of waste they give to us, they get points. As the points accumulate, they can then exchange the points for something, choosing from one of the different items we have which ranges from plastic bowls, toasting machines, pressing irons, and even things that can empower them like generators, sewing machines and even cash.
So people are using it as a way of empowering themselves and we have several people that engage with us within the communities; those who don’t have any job see it as an opportunity to earn something.

Was it easy convincing people to partner with you as regards their waste?
It wasn’t. We actually targeted the grassroots because we felt that the people in the rich areas already have adequate waste collection system. So it is the people in the poor areas that need it. Many of them were very sceptical initially when we approached them and that really shocked me, because they actually throw this waste away. But when we told them we needed them to keep the waste for us, they felt we wanted to scam them.

So we had to spend a lot of time building their trust, talking to them and we even get members of their community that believe in us to talk them. Whatever we say we would give them, we ensure that we do so. And having done that consistently for some time, there is a lot of trust now.

Environment Ministry resuscitates sanitation day in Abuja

BY DOYIN ADEOYE

WITH the theme, ‘Clean Environment: Our Collective Responsibility for a Healthy Living,’ the Ministry of Environment on Saturday, 30 January, launched the monthly sanitation day programme in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

Speaking at the event, the Minister of Environment, Mrs Amina Mohammed, stated that the national environmental sanitation day was introduced in 1984 by the Buhari-led administration, and 32 years later, the idea of designated sanitation days at states, local governments, as well as markets across the country has remained a legacy.

“Sanitation is vital for human health, as healthy people are more productive at workplace and healthy communities offer a more lucrative market for our goods and services. That is why the Ministries of Environment, Health and the FCT are collaborating to ensure providing clean environment for healthy living in the FCT and there is a strong commitment to make the collaboration sustainable.

“The theme was carefully selected to highlight the fact that most of the common illnesses our people suffer from such as malaria, cholera, typhoid fever, scabies and even Lassa fever etc, occur as a result of poor environmental sanitation and hygiene practises,” she said.

The minister at the event also reiterated her commitment towards giving Nigerians the desirable change in the environment sector, adding that it is her “strong desire to consult with states, local governments and other relevant stakeholders to create a strong interface to bring back the national environmental sanitation day.”

The launch which took place at the Kuje Area Council saw to the cleaning of Kuje Modern Market and environs, and a visit to the Bwari Area Council of the FCT.

In his address, the FCT Minister, Honourable Mohammed Musa Bello, also urged the members of the communities to cultivate the habits of cleanliness, while the Minister of State for Environment, Ibrahim Jubril, noted that the essence of the communal environmental sanitation exercise cannot be overemphasised.

Traditional rulers in the FCT including the Bomo of Kuje and Ona of Abaji, who were at the event, pledged their support to the success of the campaign.

Landmark Paris Agreement opens for signing April 22

BY DOYIN ADEOYE
ALTHOUGH the world rightly celebrated when 195 countries adopted the new international climate agreement at the COP21 in Paris in December last year, what is important to ensure that the Agreement quickly comes into effect and is fully implemented, is that each country must now sign and indicate their consent to be bound by the Agreement.

To this end, United Nations (UN) Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon has invited all world leaders to a signing ceremony on 22 April, for the climate agreement. Coinciding with the observance of the International Mother Earth Day, the UN executive is also using the occasion to further engage business leaders to put the new agreement into action.

“Leaders’ participation could also facilitate the early entry into force of the Paris Agreement and provide for the smooth finalisation of the operational details needed to give effect to the provisions of the new Agreement,” Ban Ki-moon said in his invitation letter.

For many stakeholders, it is until the agreement is signed that nations can then begin to celebrate, because at least 55 countries, representing at least 55 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, are needed to ratify the agreement before it can take legal effect.

The Agreement which is aimed at keeping a global temperature rise at no more than 2 degrees Celsius, and to strive for a limit of 1.5 degrees Celsius if possible, for the period 2020-2030, is a critical turning point towards a climate-resilient world.

“The adoption of the Paris Agreement caps a remarkable year of multilateral achievements for people and the planet. It provides a solid foundation for the low-carbon, climate-resilient transformation of the global economy. And this transformation will help secure a future that is safer, healthier and more prosperous for all,” Ban Ki-moon said in his invitation.

The signing event will take place at the UN Headquarters in New York on 22 April, after which it will then be opened for signature for one year, that is until 21 April, 2017.

Ever heard of the Sick Building Syndrome?

BY DOYIN ADEOYE
FOR many, once they enter a building, they begin to feel dizzy; develop eye, nose, or throat irritation; dry or itchy skin; or even have difficulty in concentrating, such, among others are the symptoms of the Sick Building Syndrome (SBS).

The SBS is believed to occur when occupants of a building experience discomfort that appears to emanate from the building. Although it has no known cause, there are many risk factors responsible for this condition.

A 1984 World Health Organisation (WHO) report, suggested that up to 30 per cent of new and renovated buildings worldwide may be subject of complaints related to poor indoor air quality.

Basically, the SBS occurs in modern buildings with closed mechanically ventilated systems, as its causes are often related to poor ventilation and air conditioning systems. On many occasions, lack of fresh air is the major factor responsible for SBS, which in turn causes discomfort for many individuals.

According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (2006), inadequate ventilation, chemical contaminants from outdoor sources, chemical contaminants from indoor sources and biological contaminants, are the four major causes of SBS.

While chemical contaminants from indoor sources within the building may include pollution from adhesives for carpeting, upholstery, chemicals from copy machines, pesticides and so on, sources of air pollution from outdoor pollutants may include fumes from car exhaust, plumbing vents, etc.

Biological contaminants on the other hand, are as a result of bacteria and viruses in the building. They may breed in stagnant water or on wastes that are not properly disposed. Individual negligence and attitude towards caring for the environment, is a major contributory factor to this.

To some others, especially those in an office space, poor lighting could also have adverse effect on the eyes. And in areas where they rely solely on power plants for electricity supply, the loud noise could cause headache for many residents in such areas.

To maintain good and healthy conditions in buildings, as well as resolving the problem of SBS, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (2006) recommended increase in ventilation rates and air distribution; purification of air; removal or modification of the pollutant sources, as well as education and communication.