The Global Environmental Development Platform

 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 renewable energy system. An

  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 into bil

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 last two

 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 roads. Open du

  The next category of pollution we are going to be looking at or considering this time around is land misuse and land pollution. A lot of  current environmental problems have been caused or aggravated by the careless use of land and natural resources.  Overgrazing Of ranch-land has led to erosion. Draining and dredging wetlands has also led to the disappearance of coastal wildlife. Dams which are structures erected to obstruct the flow of water solely for the purpose of generating electricity prevents rivers from carrying sediments to the ocean and as a result beaches are disappearing and are being degraded.  In times past, strip mining carried out in the United States has been less expensive, faster and more efficient than underground mining. But this activity has transformed large pacts of land in Pennsylvania, Ohio,Virginia, Kentucky, and other states into a maze of deep pits and huge soil mounds. Once the land has been altered and exposed by strip miners, it is ugly and vulnerable

  Air pollution can be detected, measured and analyzed using a number of methods. First of all, in order to detect gases, a sample of air can be analyzed chemically. Electronic devices make rapid and continuous monitoring. The degree of visibility is another indication of pollution.  The Ringelmann chart can be easily used to determine the quantity of smoke in the air. This chart bears a series of numbered shadings ranging from zero which is white, then to five, which is black. An observer simply matches the smokiness of the sky with the shading on the chart that corresponds most closely to what he sees. Major areas around the world have established monitoring systems that provide readings of pollution levels at various places within these cities.  A global network of monitoring stations has thus been established to this effect. This has made extensive use of ground weather stations, earth satellites, computing, the internet and social media to help identify potentially dangerous pollu

  Particulate matter causes the frequent painting of houses, cleaning of clothes and washing of cars. Particulate matter, nitrogen oxide and sulfur oxide are all contributing factors to decreased visibility.  This however, presents a hazard to operators of aircraft, automobiles and boats. A study revealed that levels of harmful microscopic particulate matter known as PM 2.5 and the pollutant which is smaller than PM 2.5 micrometers in diameter is considered particularly dangerous as it can lodge deep into the lungs and pass onto other organs and the blood stream, causing serious health risks.  The effects of air pollution on weathers and climate aren’t far fetched. Scientists have definitely established a relationship between air pollution and weather. Each can affect the other in numerous ways. Wind and temperatures for instance affect the quantities and extent of pollutants in the air. Strong winds are air currents which may scatter pollutants in both vertical and horizontal directio