Climate Action

 

The remains of once living animals and plants were converted  into gas and oil which often occurs together. The fact that natural gas is frequently found with oil has contributed to the growth of the natural gas industry. But to get rid of this gas, it has to be flared as in the case of the Niger Delta regions of Nigeria. Countries like the United States discovered the use of natural gas since the 1820’s exactly two hundred years ago, with the first natural gas well drilled in the country which was opened up at Fredonia, New York in 1821. Prior to that time, manufactured gas from coal, coke and from oil was the main stream. This is still in use in various communities today.

The Chinese however, made use of this property as early as 140BC!  They piped the gas through hollow bamboo rods from the sites where it was channeled to the sea shore and there they burned it to evaporate the brine and produce salt. Such commercial use of natural gas was not common and for thousands of years, the ancients knew of the existence of this gas but looked on at it as a natural marvel rather than as a marketable commodity.

George Washington commented wonderingly in 1775, on a “burning spring”, on the banks of the Kana wha River near Charleston, West Virginia. Gas seeping from the ground in this area had been ignited and provided a natural torch. 

In Africa, where the natural gas industry is still largely undeveloped, natural gas which occurs with oil is most of the time flared with the exception of a few natural gas companies which specialize in liquefying this natural gas, millions of cubic meters of gas are still being wasted through flaring. This in turn produces the green gases that are trapped in the atmosphere increasing the earth’s surface temperatures which have led to global warming. Global warming has led to extreme changes in weather patterns thereby causing climate change. 

Many people don’t realize the damage energy systems have done and are still doing to the environment. The Paris Agreement on Climate Change In 2015, was one major forum that I believe brought about a unique strategic plan  to help combat this growing global pandemic by ensuring that developed economies commit to cutting down on carbon emissions so that developing countries can take the cue and also follow suit. 

The United Nations Decade On Ecosystems Restoration (2021-2030) is also another unique strategic plan focused on ensuring that carbon emissions are reduced drastically by 2030 creating cleaner air for all and clearer blue skies amongst other environmental sustainability activities which will bring about total change.

We all must join hands to ensure this becomes real and will not just remain on paper or as talks and agreements which are never implemented. We can all do our bit by reducing our carbon footprint via the energy systems we choose to use daily.