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CLIMATE CHANGE 2011: What do we know about Greenhouse Gas emission? BYHUGOODIOGOR ver since the global awareness campaign on curbing the emission of fumes into the atmosphere began, Nigerians and indeed countries in third world have maintained an attitude that Climate change is a white man's problem. Consequently, the issue Qf gas flaring in the Niger Delta has treated with levity. Oil companies have carried on as if they are not part of this earth. With the knowledge that they could get their way through a weak Nigerian state and institutions, they have continued to breach all laws and regulations aimed at checking their activities. At individual level, villagers fell trees and bum bushes at will. Industries emit fumes without restraint; rickety vehicles puff carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, regardless of the health hazards to people within the vicinity. At home the aerosols used as pesticides, the emission of CFC from mdges and air conditioners the emission from generators and diesel engines are part of our daily lives. News about global warming and its causes are treated as 'distant phenomenon or something that only activists on environmental issues or scientists should bother themselves about. For government officials and
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agencies, the" issue is only meaningful and worth giving attention if only it will bring money to their pockets. As a people it is surprising if we have ever bothered to ask what exactly is a green house gas? And why is the world so concerned about it. We have see the rapid changes in weather conditions, we have seen the tide rise and the ocean submerge homes and farmlands, we have seen the sand revolt and the sun scotch the earth, we have the roar of the ocean and the shaking of the earth, but somehow we think the gods are to blame. V\e have not shown concern for our environment and the resources from the earth that we use to support existence. Green' House Gases, in a nutshell, are gases in the atmosphere either occurring naturally or caused by human activities, these gases absorb and emit radiation. They wear off the protective surface of the Ozone layer thereby causing ultraviolet radiation from sunlight to hit the Earth and its atmosphere with intenSity. Most of this is reflected back into outer space, to the ozone laye~ clouds, and ice on the Earth's surface. Scientists estimate that approximately 25 percent is absorbed by the planet, and is then re-emitted as infrared radiation. Some of this re-emitted radiation is absorbed by greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, exciting the molecules and causing them to
Residents of Lagos struggle with perenialflooding of the city
emit the radiation back to the planet again, as heat. The more of these gas molecules there are in the atmosphere, the more infrared radiation can be absorlied and sent back to tlie Earth's surface. Increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases in the air will result in an increase of infrared radiation
being trapped and re-emitted. The greenhouse gases that we have the widest understanding about are carbon dioxide (C02), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N20). and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs, used for aerosolsj ...C02 currently contributes the.most to the greenhouse effect - the amount of radiation being
Reducing the cost of energy 'use '"T'here is no doubt that one .1 fundamental difference between the rich and the poor is that while the former conserves what he has, the latter waste that which he has even as little hence it is said that the destruction of the poor is in ·their poverty. Energy is one of the vital resource that sustains and makes life comfortable, there are various sources cif energy arid it costs so much to capture and utilize it, for those countries that know what it takes to capture all forms of energy, they are conscious of the cist and constantly calculate how much energy they are conswning and at what cost, They are conscious of how Lo curb the usage of energy and save cost where they can Those who what to see the wastefulness of the poor can only state bon third mainland bridge in Lagos and take record of the type of car that play the Laos road on the average. It is said that auto mobile makers have the Nigerian market in mind in their designs and market plans because every C1JT that roll out from th., production line finds its way to Nigeria. W11ile even those coun hies I."&t have conquered basic issues of live like food and shelter are mindful of what they
consume, Nigeria, with all its abysmal records in human development index is prodigal in all ways. The rich countries 4opose taxes on owners of certain categories of automobile that are classified as fuel guzzlers, they also impose taxes on parking space, to discourage capricious consumption, but they have also made sure that they have provided efficient and descent means of transport. In doing so they help to reduce the number
of vehicles that will be on the road, to burn energy at w;U. The Case is different in a country that extracts crude oil from its own soil and imports refined petroleum products. It is not out of place to go into a hotel and see guest leave their light on all through the night, they live their television sets and computers on while asleep or even away from their rooms, they can leave their water heater on all day and all nigh, in the same way air conditioners are left on even when there is nobody in the room. There is no consideration of the huge energy cost to the hotel and office in a diesel powered economy. There is no safety considerations as an electrical spark could cause fire outbreak. It is estimated that an average American household spends about $1,900 annually on energy and also creates more than 26,000 pounds of carbon dioxide per year. Collectively, residential energy use accounts for about 20 percent of the country's :;rreenhouse gas .emissions. There are few suggestions that can be employp.d for ('ost cuTting and safety reasons. 1. Thm off unneeded lights 2. Tum off home-offi.ce equipment not in use
*Ellergy saving bulb
3. Use energy-saving appliances
4. Increase AC thermostat by 18'1' 5. lDwer water heater temperature to 100'1' 6. Unplug extra fridge in the kitchen 7. Fetch water'in a glass to brush
your teeth and close the running tap 8. Managetheflowofwaterwhen using your Jacuzzi 1t pays to be an efficient user of energy especially in Nigeria where tlle government has failed woefully to provide its citizens energy as required to make life meaningful. It pays to be a wise energy user and environment conscious citizen jn the New Year. Also, stay with Environment Watcb to provide further energy efficiency measures for homes, offices, arid watch your carbon foot prints in 2011. Even without knowing it the arllount of
ffiDT1ey
spel1t
r)n
fuelling or gassing generalors, .)r provide 3lternative sources L·f energy hdS· 3erioll!:' il!lpact on personal and family incol1le, this invariably hinders their ability to save, An econo~y ..,·\rith01,lt =:;avings Cailllot generate inve.shnent. 'I,Ve need energy for production, socializing with family and mends and carry on with other aspects of life, we cannot do without ellergy and vve cannot but count the cost.
trapped and re-emitted by greenhouse gases - but the other gases combined will soon be as important to the greenhouse effect as C02. Experts tell us that these gases are increasing in concentration in the atmosphere, and they have higher rates of absorption of inirared radiation. CFCs, for instance, can absorh 20,000 times as much heat as C02. However, international decisions to curb CFC emissions have helped stabilize CFC levels in the air. Greenhouse gases are not, inherently, a bad thing. They help to maintain atmospheric balance of temperature on earth to make it sustain human life They help to make the earth liva,ble because without them, the average temperature of the Earth's surface would be slightly less than 0 degrees Fahrenheit! With the greenhouse effect, the average surface temperature is 59 degrees Fahrenheit. We have seen that the growing concentration of greenhouse gases in the atlnosphere has the power to raise the average temperature. We are therefore, witnessing the contrasting manif0stations in the huge snow falls in Europe, the US. dismpting fligt·.ts and economic activities, we have seen flooding in
Queensland, i\ustralia as in the days of Noah, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sokoto, Lagos Ogun in Nigeria were hit by deluge arising from torr:ential rainfall or
burst dams.n,e unpredictable changes l!1 (l>nate results in eJ...1:reI.Dlties in v.~,2ather condItions
that can
Co 11::~,~
drought and
dese1ti11 ~a rlOn rLdt can affect food su~pJy 11oodi.~o
tonetf.tIal rains and ('dtlSe soil and coastal
erosion~, that washes away homes ana bves. Th~~ .jaog~~: ;jf c1iI.laJe chJ.n.q~ is reul and 'close to !lS ill nnr d2iIv existence that we nee::i to pay att~ntion to this development.
In schools, homes,
('hUTC[;ct-.,
television, etc, we must talkabuut
green house gases just the way we have'ta1kabout sex, sexuality and
lheliKe.