HOW TO PRESERVE OUR ENVIRONMENT. By Akande Iyiola Adeniyi

HOW TO PRESERVE OUR ENVIRONMENT

By Akande Iyiola Adeniyi

In the past decades in Nigeria, virtually every State in the country has realized the importance of preserving the environment. This was in the realization of the dangerous increase of environmental problems associated with activities of the citizens and accrued problems emanated from the mismanagement of interference of the growth in our technology and our environment. For example, the emergency of digital telecommunication system in Nigeria.

Wikipedia defines environmental protection as a practice of protecting the natural environment on individual,organisation controlled or governmental levels, for the benefit of both the environment and humans. Due to the pressures of over consumption, population and technology, the biophysical environment is being degraded, sometimes permanently. As such there is always a threat to human health, natural resources and the ecosystems in general. 

To human health, it has been discovered that environment has a significant impact on the human health either directly or indirectly. It can expose individual to some harmful or dreadful agents which can result to the temporal or permanent damage to the health of the individual. For example, the incessant outbreak of Lassa fever in the Northern part of the country has been attributed to invasion of Rats which if controlled can be stopped. In a real fact, the World Health Organisation has estimated that thirteen death annually are attributable to preventable environmental causes. The report also estimates that 24% of the global disease burden (healthy life years lost) and 23% of all deaths (premature mortality) are attributable to environmental factors, with the environmental burden of diseases being 15 times higher in developing countries than in developed countries, due to differences in exposure to environmental risks.

Non-preservation or improper preservation of environment can also cause greater damages to our ecosystems. This can be inform of pollution, erosion/flooding, radiation from telecommunication mast, and so on. These are common hazards from poor management of technology growth in Nigeria. Pollution of any form, be it air, water, sound, or thermal is dangerous to human health. Many poor Nigerians have experienced health set back as a result of their exposure to one or more of these pollutions. The fossil fuels used in the factories across the nation, emission of smokes from vehicles on our highways can be regarded as the major cause of the air pollution, Oil spillage in our coastal regions across the nation especially in Niger-Delta region of the country contributed to water pollution in Nigeria. Contact with unsafe drinking or bathing water can impose serious risks (both acute and delayed) to human health. Microbe contamination of groundwater due to sewage outfalls and high concentration of nutrients in marine and coastal waters due to agricultural runoff are among the most serious threats. Also, burning of grass and deforestation are another harm been done to our environment. All these reduces the concentration of Oxygen which thereby resulted to the rise in the temperature of the earth which is known as Global Warming. In Oyo state, virtually all the straight trees in Old Oyo National park, Iseyin axis have been felled which endangered the preservation of natural resources.

In March 2010, there was an acid rain that fell in some areas of Lagos including Ogba/Ikeja axis. The heavy rain left cream-coloured dusty deposits on vehicles.  There was a similar experience in Port-Harcourt, where it was reported that the rainwater smelled like a disinfectant, and whitish in colour. All these can be harmful to human health.

Nigeria should be steadfast in the preservation of the environment, and it as a result of this that I have streamlined area of concentration to the following:

      1. Every home should have a tree in their compound. This can be achieved by an enacted law of the government. Lagos state is one of the Nigeria states that is fully adhere to this. Oyo state is also partially adherent to this campaign.

22. Nigerians should be encouraged to make use of Train, this will reduce the rate at which they use their vehicles which will drastically reduce the emission of toxic waste from their cars. People should be encouraged to use public transport.

3 3. Separate your solid waste and send it for recycling and avoid dumping refuse into the canal/gutter.

44.There should be a legislation and penalty attached to any oil company responsible for oil spillage in our coastal region.

55. When going for shopping, always go with your bag as this will reduce the carriage of nylon or other packaging.

66. Create a compost heap in your garden or use a compost bin. This helps recycle food waste and other biodegradable materials.

   7.Grow Your Own Food. Having your own garden is a great way to eat organically, avoid genetically modified foods, and reduce the need for polluting farming equipment and substandard irrigation methods.

   8.Skip the sachet Water. Opt for a reusable water bottle to save money and help the environment. Besides, tap water is already stringently monitored by the government, so sachet water isn’t necessarily safer.

   9. Companies should manage the emission of fossil fuel combustion. It will reduce the global warming currently experiencing in the country.

   10. Do not buy products with lot of packaging. You will always end up throwing away the waste material in the bin, which then will help in filling landfill sites and pollute the environment. You should also discourage others as well.