Why we need more trees
Making 'Green Living" a Must
| In the UK each year, Oxford University offers a conference on green economics (which we've dubbed "geonomics"). There the author, who is fluent in several languages, has presented his research into ways to restore Nigeria's environment. |
by Chidi Magnus Onuoha
“Making green living a must” is not because the world nowadays is going green . Far be it. It is because there is something that is making the world go green which at the end of the day is economic.You may ask me, why green? Green of course is one of the primary colors of the rainbow. In natural science, the presence of green in any living thing signifies life. Green has many sheds from very light green to very deep green and in introductory stage, it may be necessary to understand green as vegetables, plants, aquatic life, and so on. But, essentially in contemporary times, green is a word that connotes high absorption of harmful rays from the sun.
And it has great capacity to absorb carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. This is highly demonstrated in the life of a plant which makes use of carbon dioxide (dangerous green house) in its photosynthetic processes. This action which can also be called carbon sequestration (carbon sink) demonstrates and /or support the need for urban forestry. In view of the above, the need for aforestation and reforestation especially in degraded and desert encroached areas has become imperative.
There is also the need for the creation of alternative fossil fuel energy (renewable energies) such as bio-fuel, bio-diesel, which can be achieved by creation of plantation with species such as jatropha and cactus opuntus. The advantages of greening (plantation of trees) are quite numerous.
* They include supporting carbon sequestration (carbon sink), serves as windbreaks, that is, the branches of trees check the wind speed and prevent its harmful or adverse effect on the soil and human properties.
* Greening also supports the structure of the soil. The roots of trees support the structure of the soil and keep it intact and hence prevent erosive forces. Even trees prevent direct rain drops, that is, the trees prevent soil erosion by not allowing the rain drop make direct contact with the soil. Once it does it makes the soil loose its texture.
* Trees have recreational values such as creation of parks, relaxation centres etc.
* Apart from the aesthetic values they add to the environment and the landscape, trees are also of economic value in terms of medicine and industrial purposes.
Greening also supports additional values such as people reading under the trees. It does not support pollution. Revenue accruing from fossil fuels from flora is enormous. Flora are dead trees/logs that got hardened beneath the ocean for so many years.
In a nutshell, greening is the art of planting and replanting of trees in the streets, compounds, management of plantations, creation of urban forestry and photosynthetic abilities of plants. But there are unwarranted and unsustainable human activities that affects greening, that is, destabilizes the ecosystem. They are called the browning.
For instance in Nigeria, we have such browning issues as gas faring and oil spillage/pollution in the Niger Delta, drought/ desertification and degraded lands in the North, erosions, landslides and massive deforestation in the South East and South West. One may ask, what are the actions that can lead to browning? Bush burning, grazing, deforestation, gas flaring, environmental pollution (air, water, and land). Siltation also eliminates greening in the water bodies. Winds advances sand dunes into existing oasis or other water bodies in the desert, causing siltation, which leads to the drying up of the water their in and the consequent death of flora species.
As a panacea to browning, we should discourage overgrazing. There is the urgent need to quarantine these goats and cattle. We should make environmental laws that could guide animal husbandry or control the wild rearing of animals.
We should also make laws that will regulate gas flaring. Last but not the least, there is the need to encourage aforestation and reforestation so as to ensure massive carbon sink. As we make concerted to go green be rest assured that our collective healthy living, no doubt, is assured.
Now the ultimate question: What is it that makes a State to go CLEAN and GREEN? I know your answer is as good as mine… Find out soonest, as we continue to be in the vanguard of promoting resource –efficient, low carbon economy.
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Also see: Africa Roundup
A cost benefit analysis of trees vs logs
Poor farmers who buy basic tech become entrepreneurs |
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