| Introduction | | | | this, in 1990, portion of Uruguay and Argetina |
| The recent increase in the levels of Green House | | | | remained dried for 12 years, leading to failure in |
| Gases (GHGs) and incidents of subsequent climate | | | | agriculture. The cluster of islands that make up |
| change disasters has become a major global issue. | | | | Samoa, and the neighbouring US territory of |
| The present concern about the green house effects | | | | American Samoa, appear to have been worst hit- |
| began with the realization that human activities are | | | | Samoan villages destroyed as magnitude 8.3 |
| upsetting the natural balance by increasing the | | | | earthquake strikes between islands. Other countries |
| amount of CO2 and similar gases in the atmosphere. | | | | with perceived climate change impacts include: New |
| All heat retaining gases are referring to as GHGs. | | | | Zealand, Japan, and Australia. Threatened by |
| They are CO, CO2, CH4, O3, NOx etcetera. Global | | | | starvation, and agricultural losses, large numbers of |
| warming occurs whenever the levels of these gases | | | | people are now being forced to move within and |
| in the atmosphere increase or much of deadly | | | | between countries of the world. The UK and |
| ultraviolet ray escapes from the sun into the surface | | | | Netherlands, together with the World Bank, has just |
| the earth when ozone layer in the atmosphere is | | | | announced funding of up to £3 million (Euro 4 million) |
| depleted. | | | | for a new research study that would support |
| In essence, all factors that contribute to GHGs | | | | developing countries to prepare for the impacts of |
| production and emission are directly related to human | | | | climate change. |
| population and their activities. The production also | | | | Control Steps taken in the Past and Action Planning |
| involves individual house hold, communities, and | | | | for GHGs Reduction in Nigeria |
| national and international societies, in general. When | | | | Before it became a global issue, the problems |
| the human population was very small, the quantities | | | | associated to GHG on the environment had earlier on |
| of these gases were far below the threshold limits | | | | been felt in the developed countries of the world. |
| and effects were hardly felt. However, the sporadic | | | | Then, the efforts made by these countries to control |
| growth in world population in the eighteen century | | | | the menace of GHG in their regions included: disposing |
| and the current dispensation- of up to 20 billion has | | | | of fairly used materials to developing countries. These |
| definitely increased atmospheric level of CO2 and the | | | | include smoky vehicles, refrigerators that produced |
| associate gases. What is particularly worrisome is the | | | | chloro fluoro carbons (CFCs), air-conditioners, |
| total absence of national plan for reporting and | | | | television, computers and many other out-dated |
| controlling the level of GHGs in Nigera, as in many | | | | electronic gadgets. In Nigerian context, these are |
| other developing countries at the moment. | | | | popularly tagged as 'TOKUNBO'. At the same time, |
| Causes | | | | government of these countries introduced mass car |
| The causes of GHGs in the environment range from | | | | transit like long buses and trains to reduce number of |
| human respiration to major activities performed to | | | | individual cars that plied their roads and therefore |
| sustain and maintain livelihood. For instance, every | | | | minimize the vehicular emission of CO, CO2 and other |
| living creature contributes CO2 into the atmosphere | | | | GHGs. Because of poverty and ignorance that |
| through respiration. Farming, transportation, | | | | ravaged in most African countries, some shipping |
| industrialization, urbanization, as well as economical | | | | companies connived with government of advanced |
| growth and development are another major cause | | | | countries to dump containerized toxic wastes in |
| GHG emission. In addition to this, the causes due to | | | | some African countries. This action was considered |
| civilization and changes in cultural practices cannot be | | | | inhuman and condemned environmental conscious |
| undermined. The number of vehicles on the roads | | | | people through out the world. Then, who can |
| increases at alarming rate. The fact is that more and | | | | adequately estimate the quantity of toxic wastes |
| more CO and CO2 gases are produced by vehicles | | | | that might have been dumped in ocean and major |
| during traffic hold up on urban highways. Consider | | | | water ways in the universe by these perpetrators? |
| how long such hold ups persist in most African | | | | To be straight forward, the global efforts to reduce |
| countries where everybody wants to move in his or | | | | and control the amount of GHGs generated in the |
| her own car on the very narrow and usually | | | | world have been focused more on industrialization |
| un-motorable roads. With power outage and erratic | | | | and economic growth; the impacts of culture and |
| supply of electricity in the country, the use of | | | | other aspects are being undermined. The strategy to |
| generator and electric power plants of different sizes | | | | reduce green house gases should be holistic. All the |
| compounds the problem further. | | | | contributive factors and human activities should be |
| Many things that God created as natural defensive | | | | treated with equal attention, using up-down and |
| mechanisms to remove the excess GHGs are | | | | bottom-up approaches. The cultural activities that |
| constantly being removed by man as he struggles to | | | | contribute to GHGs emission should be replaced by |
| make advance in technology at an alarming rate. In | | | | those ones that prevent them. Nature building and |
| many cases, big trees that are supposed to reduce | | | | conservation should be encouraged. Researches |
| the level of CO2 in the environment are cleared | | | | should be funded to investigate new territory for |
| during major developmental projects like building, road | | | | heat and light energies generation through solar, wind |
| construction, and, oil exploration and exploitation | | | | and hydro-electric power development. Vehicular |
| exercises. Unchecked deforestation has promoted | | | | emission can be reduced by recycling crankcase |
| the avoidable desertification of green lands especially | | | | ventilation air into the engine or changing the |
| in Africa. Desert is now moving from arid to | | | | properties of gasoline and redesigning the engines. |
| savannah land at jet speed! The impacts of aero | | | | Conflicts and miss-understandings at both local and |
| planes and ultra-modern jets on GHGs production on | | | | international scenes should be settled through |
| air cannot be overemphasized. Poor management of | | | | bargaining and constructive dialogue at United Nation |
| mountain heaps of refuse especially in urban cities, | | | | forum instead of going into warfare. Wastes of all |
| including, open burning, uncontrolled incineration, sea | | | | natures, both hazardous and non-hazardous, should |
| dumping are potential source of environmental | | | | be properly managed in environmentally friendly and |
| pollution and GHGs generation. Studies have showed | | | | sustainable manner. In fact, if properly managed, |
| that abattoir wastes including carcass, blood, and | | | | methane gas can be produced from organic fraction |
| animal dung and so on, if not properly managed, can | | | | of waste stream. The use of charcoal and firewood |
| produce GHGs in a manner that can pose treat to | | | | in making fire for domestic cooking can be replaced |
| public health. The advent of sophisticated weapons, | | | | by energy produced from wastes. Also, in African |
| including nuclear and atomic bombs and their use | | | | countries, mass transit buses should be encouraged |
| during the civil wars and those that were used in the | | | | to reduce vehicular emissions. |
| recent military attacks in Afghanistan and Iraq cannot | | | | Finally, there is no anticipation that level of GHGs |
| be dissociated from current GHG effects in the | | | | generation and their consequences can be reversed |
| world. | | | | unless quick and holistic steps are taken world-widely. |
| Effects | | | | One practical step that can be taken in Nigeria is to |
| No doubt, excess GHGs in environment lead to global | | | | design an action planning at community level. At each |
| warming and this leads to climate change. Climate | | | | local government area there wards. Each ward should |
| change has brought loss of rainfall (as much as 30%) | | | | have a programme for environmental management |
| in some areas of the world with corresponding | | | | and protection, whereby people would be trained on |
| problems to agriculture, food supplying, drought, soil | | | | proper waste management strategies like |
| nature, drinking water supply and so on. On the other | | | | composting. Those people would also be trained on |
| hand, other areas in the universe have gained up to | | | | how to plant trees and flowers within the courtyard |
| 60% in annual rainfall. Environmental catastrophes like | | | | of every compound, inter-compound open space, |
| heavy storm, hurricane, flooding, agricultural losses, | | | | districts, community market squares and along |
| earthquake and other public health problems are rave | | | | pedestrian and vehicular routes. This singular act will |
| of the moment. In this case, any country that | | | | check GHGs emissions and purified atmospheric air. |
| depends on one crop or agricultural produce as a | | | | To be well coordinated and effective, the |
| foreign exchange earner may face serious economic | | | | programme can be put under the Department of |
| problem at soonest future. Global warming brings | | | | Community Development Inspectorate at each local |
| increase in temperature of oceans, leading to melting | | | | council. At the end of the year, there would be |
| of ice in Polar Regions and flooding being experienced | | | | competition organized by the three tiers of |
| in some parts of the world. Coastal areas of | | | | Government (Local, State and Federal), whereby the |
| economic importance are eroded while water that | | | | most environmentally beautiful ward, council and |
| could have meant for drinking is contaminated as a | | | | state will be compensated. The compensation can be |
| result of salination. | | | | in terms of money or developmental projects like |
| In 1982, Ogunpa flood claimed several lives and | | | | bridge, cinema and television viewing centres, roads, |
| destroyed properties worth million of naira. Also in | | | | in case of wards. The earlier this planning arises the |
| 1989, in Sudan, 200m of rain fell in less than 24hrs | | | | interests of concerned policy formulator and stake |
| and more than a million people were rendered | | | | holders; the better it becomes for this country and |
| homeless. The incidents go on and on. In contrast to | | | | the world, in general. |