The Global Environmental Development Platform

Can there be a green approach to this age old phenomenon which has powered our homes and businesses, and solved our energy quests and problems for decades?  Hydropower has encouraged the significant expansion of dams which has damaged and divided ecosystems according to a report from the ' Green New Deal' proposition for Europe by Diem 25(Democracy for Europe Movement 2025).                                                                                                       Another report shows that in the Balkans, some of the wildest rivers in Europe, and also a hot spot for fresh water biodiversity are under threat from around 2800 already planned hydropower plants projected to be constructed over the next few years. So bac...

  Green technology also demands the need for environmental justice. This means that electric vehicle batteries are sustainably manufactured, and rare earth materials recycled. This goes for other electronics as well. Instead of just dumping these e-wastes in open dumps and landfills, or worst still, exporting them to low-income countries especially in Africa and Asia, manufacturers of these products should ensure and develop guidelines and policies to jumpstart and regulate the recycle and reuse of these e-wastes. According to the e-waste association of South Africa, the RSA alone generates about 6.2kgof e-waste per habitat annually and only 12% of these are recycled. Although, the UN has set aside October 14, every year, which was just a few days ago, for e-waste day to help address the issues and concerns regarding e-waste management, this current trend continues across boundary lines from high income and developed countries to underdeveloped and developing countries. And now, wh...

I will recommend that as we campaign for our rights for a green environment, we should also have and maintain a thorough understanding of the processes that take place and give way to climate change. Climate action is good, but we need to get to the root of the causes why climatic conditions of a city, town or region are altered. First and foremost, what is climate? What do we mean by climate? Now, in this case, I am not asking about the weather; this is different. Although, a lot of people confuse the two, but there is a large difference between the two. Climate is the atmospheric conditions of a particular region, town or city for a long period of time of say 35 years or more. And so, if Warri in Nigeria, or Leeds in The UK, has a certain pattern of rainfall, or the average is say 30.0cm-35.3cm in both regions for the last 35 years or so, and there is a gradual increase which establishes another pattern of rainfall in the last 3 years and is measured at 45cm per annum, which causes s...

  With the world making a transition to greener energy alternatives, global transport is no exception. If we are going to successfully tackle the problems of poor air quality and air pollution, then adapting to cleaner energy as regards transportation cannot be however overemphasized. First of all, there is a need to redesign our urban cities and centers. Having an urban paradigm shift as regards urban and regional planning is what we need right now, to ensure that our cities are planned in such a way that we do not need to commute unnecessarily to meet our immediate and domestic needs. Residential housing, offices, schools, libraries, shopping malls, convenience stores, churches; post offices etc., can be built in such a way,  that we can reach these places within walking distances. The need to drive or travel would only be necessary when going on long trips.  Urban shift is a conference being organized by the Global Environment Facility on September 21, 2021, which has ...

  The transition to green energy is mandatory and cannot be overemphasized. It will be the only sure way that we are going to gain back our natural ecosystems. We can’t possibly continue to plunge deep underneath the earth’s surface drilling and pulling up fossils to produce energy which is and will continue to be a serious threat to human health and the environment at large. And one activity that is a constant threat is gas flaring.  Gas flaring refers to the combustion of associated gas which generally occurs with crude oil. This gas is generated during various processes including oil and gas recovery, petrochemical processes and landfill gas extraction. This kind of  flare which is used in the oil and gas industry comprises of a boom or stack which collects the unwanted associated gases to be flared.  The illegality of gas flaring is a phenomenon that most oil producing countries have turned a deaf ear and a blind eye to. The act of venting mainly emits the methan...

  Desertification can be defined as land degradation in arid, semi-arid and hyper-arid areas. This usually results from factors which include climatic variations and the activities of man in these areas. On the other hand, land degradation is the reduction or loss of biological and economic productivity on these dry lands. These arid and semi and hyper-arid regions are termed so because they naturally lack moisture and the rain fall distribution is highly sparse. And so the humidity in these areas are extremely low as water vapor is very low in the atmosphere resulting from the apparent lack of rainfall. Desertification is a phenomenon that’s quite common on all the continents except the Antarctica. This state of dryness grossly affects the environment and livelihoods of a lot of people majorly indigenes or inhabitants of the dry land regions. The effects of this state of dryness can also be seen, felt and experienced locally, nationally, regionally and globally.  Drylands als...

  June 8 is World Oceans Day. This is the day that the United Nations has set aside every year to convey the importance of our oceans. It is important that we observe these days with utmost precision and care, and not just think that these are just days that the organization chooses to use, so they can  keep up with the ceremony of things or just keep busy. No! They are there,  as a reminder of our duty and responsibility towards our environment,  and the earth in general.  It is vital that we follow and do our own little bit to proffer solutions to our dying planet. And if everyone contributes their own quota to the sustainability of the environment, then we would have gone a long way in ameliorating the problems we have created by our own actions and leave at least a better place for posterity. Oceans are natural carbon sinks that grab carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to use in photosynthesis by plants under the sea. These are plankton, corals, algae and oth...

  May 22 is International Day for Biodiversity. It’s a day that has been set aside by the United Nations to celebrate biodiversity on the earth. Biodiversity is so important that without this concept and ideology, there will be no life on earth.  When God created the earth,  He made various life forms which include plants, insects, land animals, aquatic animals, terrestrial animals and human beings. All these life forms can be found on land, water and in the air. So, then biodiversity can be defined as the variation or the variability of life on earth. And there are different types of biodiversity namely: genetic biodiversity which occurs within species. Secondly, there is species biodiversity which occurs between species. Then, finally we have the ecosystem biodiversity which is between ecosystems. The three levels of biodiversity are also genetic biodiversity, species biodiversity and ecosystems biodiversity. These, however, explain the variability or variation of life ...

  Plastic pollution is presently becoming an increasingly dangerous problem to the environment especially on land and water ecosystems. It’s even worse in countries with suburbs which do not yet have recycling as part of their environmental management culture. Also, in  coastal areas or regions with beaches and rivers, plastic wastes is seen to litter the environment with these plastic wastes floating in nearby rivers, streams and drainage canals. This isn’t proper if we are going to gain back our natural ecosystems. The use of public trash cans or dust bins should be strictly adhered to at all times to keep the environment and beaches clean. Owing to the fact that these plastic or synthetic wastes are non biodegradable. They are not like organic wastes which are biodegradable and decompose into the soil and help provide the necessary nutrients for plants. Most times these plastics made out of synthetic fiber or polyvinyl chloride can remain in the environment just the way the...

  The activities of mining and extraction of minerals and especially petroleum crude oil has gone on now for more than half a century. Crude oil  and gas production has helped in no doubt to solve the energy problems of man and his society at large. But when in the bid to solve a problem, you create several recurring problems, then it is expected and mandatory we go back to the drawing board and analyze our options. Imbalances in weather patterns and atmospheric conditions are problems which have come about as a result of the quest to solve our energy needs. The continued production and consumption of fossil fuels is gradually destroying the environment, and it’s time to say it plainly as it is. We can’t go on pretending that we do not actually know the crude sources of the pollution and degradation we are currently experiencing in the environment.  If we continue to mine crude oil, refine and flare petroleum gas, even when it is glaring that these activities are pollutin...

  Last week, I wrote about the root causes of global warming and climate change, which are mainly migration, urbanization and overpopulation. The second major root cause is deforestation. Deforestation is the indiscriminate removal of vegetation and forest cover from the earth’s surface. As more and more trees and plants are cut down for building and construction purposes, the atmosphere and environment suffers greatly. Trees and plants give out oxygen while they inhale or take in carbon dioxide. Human beings on the other hand, breathe out carbon dioxide and inhale oxygen.  So, you see,  there is an interaction between plants and humans. What they exhale is what we inhale,  while what they exhale is what we inhale. Therefore, the need to have adequate vegetation cover in the form of grass, shrubs, flowers and trees in our immediate environment can’t be a overemphasized. The presence of green plants contributes immensely to public and individual health. Secondly, cons...

  Like I have often said, the battle with global warming and climate change can only be won only if we get to the root causes of these reverse trends. We can’t talk about ameliorating or mitigating these situations without first addressing the issues that brought about these changes. First and foremost, the issue of migration has to be dealt with. This I believe is the major root cause of global warming. There are many reasons why people move from one city, town or region to another, and there are also factors that propel or pull people from one place to another.  The search or quest for better living conditions is one of them. When a region or city has become the center of economic and commercial activities, this has a tendency to pull people from other regions to it. Then a trend begins. Migration from less, or no economic or commerce regions begin to occur and you find people moving in droves from the country or villages to the cities and towns in search of business, better...

  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...

  Climate can be defined as the atmospheric conditions of a place over a particular period of time. If conditions are altered even in the slightest bit, there is climate change. Most recently, in different parts of the world, climate change has become an increasingly growing problem, stemming largely from man’s quest to solve his energy problem and answering that quest by employing the use of three primary fossil fuel resources namely: coal, petroleum crude oil and gas.  Coal is the most abundant fossil fuel resource in the United States, China and major parts of Africa. As oil prices have   plummeted and the availability of oil is slowly declining, the use of coal again is most likely going to increase if the United Nations Decade On Ecosystem Restoration strategy isn’t strictly adhered to especially in oil producing nations of the world. And this has tremendous environmental problems and consequences caused by the sulfur content of coal and not to mention the release of...

  The average rainfall of the plains of Europe is 57.4 centimeters per year. In the mountainous regions, it is over 125 centimeters. Also along the western slope of the Rocky Mountains in the United States, the precipitation is abundant, reaching a total of about 340 centimeters a year in localities. While the interior of the United States, it is much lighter with a record of sometimes 40 centimeters a year in some states. The rainiest regions of the world are probably the lower slopes of the Himalayas. The village of Cherapunji in India, south of the main body of the Himalayas has an annual average rainfall of about 1,082 centimeters. A record breaking twelve month rainfall of 2,646.12 centimeters occurred at Cherapunji from August 1860-July 1861. Also, in August 1841, no less than 3,800 centimeters of rain fell in a five day period is the equivalent of almost four years of rain fall in the state of New York .  The heavy rainfall in the tropics is due not so much as to conden...

On a hot summer day, a town, city or region is warmed by the rays of the sun. The temperature of the air over this town, city or region rises above the surrounding countryside. The warm air rises and its place is taken by cooler air. The cooler air is warmed in its turn. Gradually, the rising air gets cooler. Finally, it reaches the saturation point. The water vapor in the air then condenses and a cloud is formed.  When the clouds are full of condensed #water vapour, the sky fills with #clouds, which become heavier and darker. Soon after, drops of #rain come splashing down on the ground and #trees, and buildings. If the weather is really cold, snow or a mixture of snow and rain called #sleet, falls instead. At other times, the #moisture may freeze completely to form pellets or even balls of #ice called hail. The process described above is known as #precipitation. Rain, #snow, sleet and hail are various forms of precipitation-liquid or solid #water coming from high in the #atmospher...

 In Africa, right now the sun is really high up in the sky and the weather is getting unbearably hot as we have entered the dry season. It’s amazing how on one side of the planet it could be so hot and at the same time, on the other side of the planet it can be terribly cold.  Anyway, there is an abundance of radiant energy or solar heat coming from the sun right at this moment streaming through the atmosphere and heating the earth’s surface thereby increasing atmospheric temperatures. This solar energy is a renewable energy resource and can be classified as a source of green energy.  Now, what is solar energy? Solar energy is radiant light and heat from the sun which can be harnessed using a range of technologies such as solar heating, photovoltaics, solar thermal energy, solar architecture, molten salt power plants and artificial photosynthesis. So, in other words, solar energy is created using energy which has been generated by the sun.  Solar energy is a renewabl...

  Every good government and subsequently good governance will ultimately end up in peace, progress, prosperity, advancement and finally development of the people and society at large. Regardless of the type of rule the government is based upon, the fact remains that a leader who is unselfish and considerate, who refuses to be enticed by frivolous and profligate measures and pleasures, and the immediate need to gratify them at the expense of the welfare of  his subjects, will run the affairs of the state with equity and justice. In such cases, development in all ramifications of the society will be inevitable and attainable. This will be achievable because there is a balance in the dispensation of power, authority and justice. Social and economic transformation leads to socio-economic development. Economically, wealth and natural resources are evenly distributed and equally fair. Scenarios where leaders of countries especially in Africa ‘stash away’ heavy amount of cash running...

The development of a society, country or nation means that there is a balance in all facets of society, integrated to ensure transformation and sustainable growth. Government on the other hand, is a term which broadly understood means the ordering of a group or community by a central organization or it may refer to central organization itself. Thus, we may speak of a government of a club, private association or a church as well as the government or state or bodies politic. But when narrowed to its political meaning, government refers to the management or administration of the state. And for the purpose of this blog post, we would look at it from this angle.  The findings of anthropology suggest that the origins of the governments are tribal and monarchic. Primitive societies are generally based on familial relationships and authority is often times execised either by a man who is a patriarch or by a woman,  who is a matriarch, recognized by the others as the leader. Until the ...

 Countries with the largest economies and consumer patterns in the world today, often have the most serious solid wastes problem. Household refuse, commercial rubbish, industrial wastes and contraction debris total more than 700,000 metric tonnes daily in the United States alone.  Among the major methods of solid wastes disposal are open dumps, sanitary landfills, incineration, ocean dumping, feeding garbage to swine and composting. Seepage  of rain water through these wastes in dump and land fills may result in pollution of underground water. Incineration pollutes the air. Ocean dumping damages ecosystems in parts of the sea over a lengthy period of time, and the African environment is characterized by the above mentioned. In smaller towns and cities in most developing countries in the continent, you can find on every street and even along the roads, solid wastes litters. A lot of people just dump household refuse and solid wastes directly on the streets and even on the ...