Environment
No More Room For Illegal Wildlife Trade -FG
The Conservator General, National Park Service, Dr Ibrahim Goni, says there is no more room for illegal wildlife trade in the country as offenders will be prosecuted.
Goni, made this known in Abuja when the Nigerian Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS) handed over a confiscated parrot to the parks service for keeps and management.
He noted that the confiscation of the bird and its hand-over to the park’s management was a welcomed development, adding that Nigeria would continue to fight against wildlife trafficking.
Goni said Nigeria had been accused by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) as a transit root and source of illegal animal trafficking.
“This has given our country a bad name. We are here to redeem that image. Mr President in 2016 reviewed the CITES Act for this reason.
“Based on the Act, most agencies like the National Park Service, NAQS, National Environmental Standard and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) and the Department of Forestry in the Ministry of Environment were given additional powers.
“This has made us to work as a team and as a result led to the confiscation of the parrot,’’ he said.
he further said that in the convention Act, the parrot was clearly stated as an endangered bird and must be protected.
“Parrots are beneficial to man in several ways as they serve as stress buster due to their talking nature and help in guarding in homes.
“When well-trained, parrot would be able to pass information to the owner of the house especially if a trespasser comes around.
“A parrot can also tell time about one’s environment. It is highly trafficked because the feathers and inner organs serve as medicine,’’ he said.
Dr Vincent Isegbe, Director General, NAQS, also noted that one of his organisation’s mandate was‘ to track the in and out of illegal animals’.
Isegbe, who was represented by Dr Yunisa Dakat of NAQS, said that the confiscated parrot was arrested and detained in Lagos for lack of document.
“If our officers discover you don’t have the right documents attached to the animal to travel with, they will confiscate the animal.
“This parrot was seized at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos. The people don’t have the document of the bird so we confiscated it and brought it to the parks for keeps,’’ he said.
Also, Yohanna Saidu, Wildlife Conservation Service, commended NAQS for doing its job and taking the pain to move the parrot from Lagos to Abuja for proper management.
According to him, such gesture and collaboration among relevant agencies would help Nigeria to redeem her image globally.
Dr Muhtari Aminu-Kano, Director-General, Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF), said the gesture showed that government enforcement agencies were working.
“It sent a message to the would be perpetrators that they will be caught and prosecuted. It will reduce wildlife crime in the nation.
“CITES is an international treaty drawn up in 1973 to protect wildlife against over-exploitation.
“It also has the mandate to prevent international trade from threatening species with extinction. Endangered species is a species of animal or plant that is seriously at risk of extinction,” he said.
Environment
MOSOP Dissociates Self From Protest At HYPREP …Says Clean-Up On Course
The Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MoSOP) has condemned the recent protest by Ogoni Youth Federation led by one Legborsi Yaamaabana at the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) office in Port Harcourt.
It also denied involvement in the protest.
MOSOP President,Letam Nkpoka who spoke to newsmen on the issue, said those protesting might be sponsored to tarnish the good works and reputation of the present management of HYPREP as well as the leadership of the organisation.
According to him, his attention was drawn to this protest by the leaders of HYPREP who according to them said they thought the protesters were MOSOP because they were dressed in MOSOP emblem.
“And as it was observed, that as a result of the group wearing the face of Ken Saro-Wiwa printed on a T-shirt to cause trouble at HYPREP office.
“We want to state it clearly that our leader, Ken Saro- Wiwa was an advocate of non-violence struggle/protest and not the sort we are witnessing.
“We also want to use this medium to warn all the perpetrators of the crime to desist from doing so again”.
He said HYPREP is a Mosop project designed for the benefit of the Ogoni people and is highly monitored by MOSOP international, adding that the movement will have nothing to do with those who want to tarnish the good name of MOSOP.
According to him,”Besides, the project coordinator is our son, whom we can approach but we should not be selfish in our demand.
“However, for Legborsi Yaamaabana to wear the face of Ken Saro-Wiwa and be carrying a pot in his hand filled up with fire in the heart of Port Harcourt in a phantom protest is highly condemnable.
“That incident is even an embarrassment to himself,” he said.
He urged Ogoni people to be patient as the clean-up exercise is ongoing.
“We want to appeal to our people to be patient as the clean-up of our land is ongoing..
“We may not have gotten what we want yet, but in due time, we hope to get there”.
Environment
Group Wants Climate Change Courses In Schools Curriculum
A non-governmental organisation, Light Hope Succour World Wide Initiative, has called for the inclusion of climate change courses in school curriculum.
Executive Director of Light Hope Succour World Wide Initiative Miss Evelyn Williams said this at a climate justice training workshop held for students of Quality Concept international Secondary school Rumuolumeni Obio /Akpor local Government Area of Rivers state.
Williams said inclusion of climate change courses in school curriculum will enable pupils and students become aware of those practices that contribute to climate change.
She said time has come for every segment of society to be educated on the effects of climate change, adding educating children at their early years will help them to avoid practices contributing to Climate change.
Evelyn told journalists at the training that the workshop was aimed at educating the pupils about climate change, climate justice, and the role they can play in addressing these issues.
According to her climate change is affecting the Earth, including agriculture leading to food shortages natural disasters including heat wave being experienced in some parts of the world.
She said time has come for humanity to consider some of its activities inorder to reduce the impact of climate change
Evelyn encouraged the students to educate their peers and community members on the impact of climate change.
According to her educating Communities on the impact of climate change and climate justice will enable them take action against every unfriendly environmental activities in their domain.
Recommendations
It is recommended that the school continue to provide climate justice education for its students.
This could include incorporating climate justice into the school curriculum, organizing guest speakers, and providing opportunities for students to participate in climate justice initiatives.
By: John Bibor
·
Environment
‘Nigeria, 19 Others To Double Fossil Fuel Production By 2030’
Report has indicated that Nigeria and 19 other oil producing countries are planning to produce more fossil fuels by the year 2030 as against global demand to limit same as a way of checking global warming.
According to The Tide’s source, this comes despite/ 151 national governments having pledged to achieve net-zero emissions and the latest forecasts, which suggest global coal, oil, and gas demand will peak this decade, even without new policies.
When combined, government’s plans would lead to an increase in global coal production until 2030, and in global oil and gas production until at least 2050, creating an ever-widening fossil fuel production gap over time.
The report noted that given risks and uncertainties of carbon capture and storage and carbon dioxide removal, countries should aim for a near total phase-out of coal production and use by 2040, and a combined reduction in oil and gas production and use by three-quarters by 2050 from 2020 levels, at a minimum.
While 17 of the 20 countries featured have pledged to achieve net-zero emissions and many have launched initiatives to cut emissions from fossil fuel production activities none have committed to reduce coal, oil, and gas production in line with limiting warming to 1.5°C.
Governments with greater capacity to transition away from fossil fuels should aim for more ambitious reductions and help support the transition processes in countries with limited resources.
The 2023 Production Gap Report: “Phasing down or phasing up? Top fossil fuel producers plan even more extraction despite climate promises” is produced by Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), Climate Analytics, E3G, International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). It assesses/ governments’ planned and projected production of coal, oil, and gas against global levels consistent with the Paris agreement’s temperature/ goal.
July 2023 was the hottest month ever recorded, and most likely the hottest for the past 120,000 years, according to scientists. Across the globe, deadly heat waves, droughts, wildfires, storms, and floods are costing lives and livelihoods, making clear that human-induced climate change is here. Global carbon dioxide emissions — almost 90 per cent of which comes from fossil fuel — rose to record highs in 2021–2022.
The/ 2023 Production Gap Report provides newly expanded country profiles for 20 major fossil-fuel-producing countries: Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Germany, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Mexico, Nigeria, Norway, Qatar, the Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the United States of America.
These profiles show that most of these governments continue to provide significant policy and financial support for fossil fuel production. “We find that many governments are promoting fossil gas as an essential ‘transition’ fuel but with no apparent plans to transition away from it later,” says Ploy Achakulwisut, a lead author on the report and SEI scientist.
“But science says we must start reducing global coal, oil, and gas production and use now — along with scaling up clean energy, reducing methane emissions from all sources, and other climate actions — to keep the 1.5°C goal alive.”
Despite being the root cause of the climate crisis, fossil fuels have remained largely absent from international climate negotiations until recent years. At COP28 in late 2021, governments committed to accelerate efforts towards “the phase down of unabated coal power and phase-out of inefficient fossil fuel subsidies”, though they did not agree to address the production of all fossil fuels.
“COP28 could be the pivotal moment where governments finally commit to the phase-out of all fossil fuels and acknowledge the role producers have to play in facilitating a managed and equitable transition,” says Michael Lazarus, a lead author on the report and SEI US Centre Director.
“Governments with the greatest capacities to transition away from fossil fuel production bear the greatest responsibility to do so while providing finance and support to help other countries do the same.”
“Governments’ plans to expand fossil fuel production are undermining the energy transition needed to achieve net-zero emissions, throwing humanity’s future into question,” said UNEP Executive Director, Inger Andersen. “Powering economies with clean and efficient energy is the only way to end energy poverty and bring down emissions at the same time.”
“Starting at COP28, nations must unite behind a managed and equitable phase-out of coal, oil and gas — to ease the turbulence ahead and benefit every person on this planet,” she added.
“Governments are literally doubling down on fossil fuel production; that spells double trouble for people and the planet,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
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