The Global Environmental Development Platform

Today is Earth Day. It was created in the US by late former democratic Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson and by 1990, Earth day had gone global, heralding a call to millions of people in more than 140 countries to take up environmental issues and turn them into a movement world wide. Like I have said on occasions like this, now is the time to consider our actions as regards the earth we live in and our environment. We should take this time to reflect soberly and be thankful first of all that we have a place we can call home. Let's be thankful also for the air we breathe, the natural environment which includes land, hills, mountains, oceans and seas; rivers, streams and lake. The game reserves and national parks, the list goes on and on. But as we reflect, let’s also remember that the environment and earth is under duress and extreme pressure from the ills of land, air and water pollution and other forms of natural hazards like hurricanes, earthquakes and tsunamis.  We have seen in

My heart breaks as I continue to hear disturbing news about the rising number of infections and subsequently deaths of people infected with the Corona virus around the world. I sincerely sympathize with people who have lost loved ones to this deadly disease. The severity of the situation hit me today as I stumbled across a short video on instagram showing nurses in ICU in New York, on their knees praying, and crying out to God for mercy, and His divine power to heal those afflicted with this highly infectious disease. My heart broke and my eyes glistened with tears, as I watched this heartbreaking scenario. It then dawned on me that if we don't rise and do something quickly about this pandemic, humanity might become extinct. God forbid! But  what can we do now? I keep wondering.  Yes, its good to wash or sanitize your hands. It's also good to keep your hands away from your face because the gateway to your lungs, where the Corona virus wants to get to, is through your nose or n

As I write this, I am literally dripping in sweat. Why? You may ask.. it’s  the dry season here in Nigeria and subsequently most parts of Western, Eastern and Northern Africa. Nevertheless and despite the fact that we do experience a lot of heat at this time of the year, this is not normal.  Temperatures have hiked feverishly and can be measured at between 37 to 45 degrees and this shows that the sun is high up in the sky and literally burning hot. Well, as I have been saying for a while now, we with our own hands have brought on this demise by own making. First of all, there are major factors which have contributed to this,  and we all know what they are: #air pollution, indiscriminate  removal of vegetation cover as a result of urbanization; and gas flaring, the result of oil drilling and refining. Air pollution as a result of the release of carbon dioxide and  lead oxide emissions into the atmosphere from old and over used vehicles is one major factor. Secondly, bush burning, relea

To stop global warming the #green house effect must be curbed. Since the green house effect is caused by green gases, then the activities that bring about the introduction of these harmful substances into the atmosphere should be completely eradicated. First of all #air pollution which is a major problem in the world today can be reduced drastically if adequate measures are taken to this effect.  In most urban cities, especially in Nigeria, the air is gradually becoming unbreathable largely because of lead fumes being expelled from old and rusty exhaust pipes of cars, lorries and trailers. Thus, putting the public health of individuals at risk. One way to stop this incessant #pollution from these vehicles is by enforcing the laws that govern vehicle registration and maintenance, and if possible sanction these vehicles from further pollution of the environment.  Secondly, the #energy and electricity can be evenly distributed across the country in such a way that the use of  generating

We all know that the #atmosphere has become unbearably hot during summer and the dry season. Those in the western world who are just coming out of the summer season can attest to that. While those of us in Africa are gradually approaching the dry season again in a very short while. These drastic #weather changes are a result of the green house effect. Now, the #green house effect is the warming of the earth’s surface and the air above it. This is caused by gases in the air that trap radiant energy from the sun. The #gases which trap heat are called green house gases. Water vapor is one of the  most common type of green house gas. Others are carbon dioxide and #methane. These #green house gases absorb and emit radiant energy within the thermal infra red rays. Also there are #ozone and nitrous oxide gases. The rest are emitted as a result of human activity. #Global warming is a long term rise in the temperature of the earth’s climate system which is an aspect of climate change shown by

The rains have increased their intensity and it’s a blessing to have the sky break up and pour back water on the earth from which it evaporated from. But when the water doesn’t sink back into the ground like it should, but it runs freely and rapidly, gathering profusely on the earh’s surface, thereby causing flooding and erosion, it can then be called a ‘menace’.  Flooding in most parts of the world today has been caused by man-made activities. Although environmental hazards such as tornados and hurricanes also contribute largely to it. Recently, in the Warri Metropolis, both major and minor streets have been seen to be acutely flooded after every downpour that people often have to wade through the flooded streets in dirty and murky waters, often times ankle deep just to get to their destinations. Why is this so? I would think that the answer is obvious!  Like I mentioned in the last article, which I wrote on June 3, 2019, two days before World Environment Day, June 5, the nonchalant a

For a while now my concerns about my immediate environment has hiked feverishly a 100 degrees or   a 100 percent which ever way you want to call it, that my world has been plagued with sleepless nights concerning issues and grave matters of the environment. I often wonder how a full grown man or woman can litter their environment with used recharge card bills, already eaten corn cobs, empty water sachets, empty food packs etc.  It beats my imagination sometimes at the crude manner in which    people pollute the very land God gave them for peaceful habitation, work and play. How can one find peace in a dirty, smelly and littered environment? How can one appreciate God’s ingenuity, creativity, and blessings in the same environment He gave you to dwell in, when you with your own hands destroy it? This is beyond politics now for real; or who is and isn’t in power. The average Nigerian needs to wake up and smell the coffee, and accept responsibility for the wrongs we find done to the envir