The scriptures tell us that the earth was created by God, and given to our forefathers to tend and keep. How are we doing just that? Can we say that the human race is doing a good job? I don’t think so.
Whatever we are experiencing today on earth whether desertification, pollution of all sorts, tsunamis, earthquakes, hurricanes, volcanic eruption, etc. They are all as a result of man-made activities all in the name of technological advancements and civilization.
The painful thing about the whole issue is that we have been so caught in this technological development craze that we have been blinded from the imminent dangers that loom in the near future as a result of man’s technological conquest.
The environment we live in is suffering and this explains the reason for intensive heat from the sun, excess rainfall, unstable climatic conditions, flooding, more diseases like chronic malaria and typhoid, regular hurricanes, plane crashes, wild fires, etc, the list is endless.
We must start taking care of our environment, otherwise in ten years; the place we call home will be all gone. The desert is approaching at a slow but steady rate, turning fertile farmlands into deserts and 11 states of northern Nigeria are in great danger.
These 11 states are known as the shelterbelt states, where most of the agricultural produce are gotten from namely groundnuts, millet, maize, beans, cotton, tomatoes, various vegetables, cattle, dairy products, etc. what will happen when all this products that are predominantly from the north are no longer produced as a result of sufficient fertile farmlands. Will we be importing food too? There will be shortage of food and unemployment for farmers and cattle rearers. This will increase the rate of poverty in our land.
These days, the sun is so hot that it can melt a candle or even light up a cigarette, wells, rivers are drying up while dams are silting up. This is a big problem for agricultural development and the general well being of the people who dwell in the north of Nigeria.
The people in the south are not safe either. Constant flooding and soil erosion has hindered a lot of progress in the south-eastern region of Nigeria. Places like Nnanka, Obosi in Anambra state have death traps called roads as a result of the damage caused by erosion and flooding. This hinders agriculture, social development and also breeds a lot of diseases for the inhabitants like chronic malaria and typhoid.
The Government should make policies that will not just encourage its citizenry but also force them to care for the environment. I must confess that industrialization came with a lot of benefits but it has its price too.
In developed countries, water bottles, plastic cans, metallic objects, paper, etc are recycled and re-used to create wealth, thereby cutting the cost of production by 50%. Wastes are well managed and used to create wealth and employment, but in Lagos for example, I still see “refuse skyscrapers” at road sides which is not just dangerous but toxic to people living around such places. People living in the coastal areas (Lagos, Niger-delta, etc) should watch and pray that the Atlantic Ocean doesn’t overflow its banks and wreck havoc in the near future……………these are facts!
The irregular and unreliable source of electricity has not helped matters. The cost of doing business in Nigeria is 25% higher compared to other developing countries because of the cost of using an alternative power source. 90% of all businesses depend directly or indirectly on electricity, so if electricity is not regular, you can imagine how the economy is affected negatively. This makes it almost impossible for SMEs to survive. The issue of seeing an alternative power source is not the issue but the rate of CO2 and other dangerous gases being emitted into the atmosphere on a daily basis as a result of the generators we use. These generators emit gases that are toxic to people and still we don’t seem to care all in the name of money making, “why make money destroying your health and later spend that money to regain it?”
I was at a shopping mall in Abuja recently, which had over 250 shops and offices. Whenever the NEPA (sorry PHCN) goes off, everybody brings out gen-sets of various sizes and capacities, switches it on and business continues. The noise pollution is unbearable, the smoke emission is horrible but my fear is that one day that building might collapse as a result of the thunderous vibrations of over 50 generators on each floor of the building, screaming for attention.
The environment should be of paramount importance to each and every one of us so that we can have a better tomorrow for the generations yet unborn. If we continue at this rate… I don’t know what the future might hold.
The issue of Global warming as a result of the depletion of the ozone layer scares me like hell. The last ten years have been the hottest so far in terms of temperature, and it is predicted by Al-Gore (former vice president of the United States of America) that next year would be hotter that this year, and this trend will continue until …
When CO2 and other gases being produced in the process of burning fossil fuels and deforestation is not controlled, then the ozone layer will keep on widening, allowing more ultra-violet radiation to heat up the earth’s surface.
These consequences will emanate:
• Increase in more violent hurricanes around the world
• Diseases will spread easily and more rapidly to many places
• Increase in death-rate of man and animals alike.
• Sea levels will increase by more than 20 feet thereby wrecking havoc on the coastal areas.
• Heat waves will be more intense and frequent
• Drought and wild-fires will occur more often
• Millions of species of animals will be driven to extinction.
• Arctic Ocean could be ice free by the summer of 2050, meaning more water taking over land.
Some cars need to be banned because they are just “nuclear bombs on wheels” poisoning us slowly as a result of the kind of thick smoke they emit.
Why has the rate of sickness like high blood pressure, kidney failure, heart attack, stroke and other cardio-vascular related diseases been on the increase in recent times especially in youths?
Is this as a result of poor environmental conditions? Your guess is as good as mine.
These are steps that can help to remedy the situation at hand
• Don’t litter the streets with pure water sachet bags or bottles.
• Bio-technology should be encouraged in Nigeria to seek ways of reducing fossil fuel pollutions.
• Government should encourage afforestation and reforestation
• Cars that are not road worthy should be taken off the road
• The private sector should seize the viable opportunities in waste management in conjunction with state governments to not only dispose wastes but also create wealth and employment.
• Major roads should have proper and flowing drainage system
• Service your cars and gen-sets regularly
• Petrol should be blended with ethanol (E-10) to reduce pollution from cars (NNPC take note)
In conclusion, why not start by making a difference today, not just for any one but for your own good? Let’s do thing s the right way, be environmentally conscious, tell the vision, spread the news, “if Aids is real, then Global warming is a reality”.
Till I come your way again, am still and always will be your boy – Uchevelli, Keep it Real!
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