Policy Drivers; Wake up!
Africa contributes the least of global warming but it is the most vulnerable to the impact. Why? Africa does not have sufficient resilient capacity to mitigate that impact.
It is not about demanding financial resources from the West (who are the biggest contributors of green house emissions) like Nigeria’s President Buhari once solicited. It is about applying urgent strategies to pass all pending legislative bills that can cause significant mitigation, resilience and adaptation. It is about taking urgent actions, not mere talking.
For more than 16years, such bills as Tobacco Control Bill, The Petroleum Industry, and The Climate Change Bill are principal legislative frameworks that can end gas flaring, control smoking in public places and provide a national guideline for control and management of climate change. These bills are yet to be considered for enactment. This should be the first priority before calling on the West for help.
The discovery of deadly soot pollution in Portharcourt is a result of failure of government to do the right thing at the right time. Since that report in October 2017 and the public outcry 3 weeks ago, there has not been concrete action from the government.
Remember, soot is the excessive emission of black carbon into the atmosphere; it can cause severe health complications. If unchecked, a potential epidemic of stroke, lung cancer and asthma looms in Portharcourt. This is the time for activists to wake up and ACT. Time to pass the law and stop the death is NOW!
How Generator Fumes Kills
Tuesday 19, Edo State Nigeria, police confirm death of family of 7. Cause of death – Noxious carbon emission from electric generating set. This is one of many reported and most times unreported cases of sudden death through exposure to fumes from generating set.
Exposure to electric generator fumes, especially within enclosed areas can cause sudden death. When carbon dioxide is inhaled, it poisons the body by displacing the oxygen level in the blood, starving vital organs of oxygen.
Generator fume is one major source of greenhouse gas, followed by fumes from vehicles. Research proved that electric generating set predisposes one to higher chances of cancer, stroke, heart attack and stroke.
Reuters reports that generator fumes kill scores of people in Nigeria every year.