Truly, Nigeria has no business with global warming (1)

Now I have your attention. Good. But I mean it. I may be partly wrong, but I know I’m mostly right. Nigeria has no business with climate change, global warming and these new lovely problems that the world is concerned with these days. I have my reasons for thinking so and I will explain.

One person posted on social media that President Buhari has attended about ten of these climate change conferences and went to Morocco during the week to attend another. The person believed it is a waste of time. I will not join in attacking Buhari, but I wish to state something very important here; that indeed we are not yet ‘ripe’ for these discussions on climate change and global warming. For one, which Nigerian is really complaining at this moment that Nigeria is certainly ‘warmer’ than it used to be several years back? Do we have that level of attention to detail; to measure and be so concerned that the earth has warmed up by 1 or 2 degrees Fahrenheit over so many decades and we need to do something about it? Nigerians are concerned more with existential issues, and many of the environmental problems we have presently are man-made. We caused them ourselves. We’ve been running our society with so much dissonance and absentmindedness, it’s unbelievable.

I believe we don’t have to jump on every bandwagon, or attend everything these global bodies invite us to because it could distract from solving our own problems. I see nothing wrong though, if from time to time, the president seeks a change of scene or needs some fresh air. He is the president. He’s an old man. It’s his time on his hands. I will not even task him to perform any magic for us here. He should spend his time on the saddle as he deems fit. I have great respect for elders. If Nigerians vote for him again in 2019, he should also spend his time and enjoy himself to the fullest. No harm in that.

But we must examine this issue of climate change. Even the westerners who promote it are divided on it. Some of them allege that the earth is too vast for the kind of panic that some people are whipping up. However, for those who agree that there is global warming, the trigger they point to is the activity of manufacturers as well as what is called ‘carbon footprint’. They are concerned with the waste that countries spew into the air and waters and believe these are what causes the world to be warmer. It is important to note that the average westerner, more than the easterner, is more used to very cold climate and so can probably sense the change more than those of us from the tropics. Many of these western countries have however been able to take care of basic things. Their problem right now is that their manufacturing companies are producing and must continue to produce for their people’s needs, and for export to the rest of the world. And in so doing, these companies continue to emit waste.

For that reason, they have started looking for alternative sources of energy, drilling down to cleaner and cleaner options. Nigeria is only a victim of this search, because all of a sudden, the demand for crude oil - still the world’s major source of energy - dipped in the last two years as a result of innovation in the energy sector. These countries are also concerned about the type of products that people use. They have researched and found the effect of non-biodegradable products on planet Earth and Nigeria is a careless country on many matters. But one that greatly irks me is the way we have treated our environment. I speak as a prophet to this country. Until we fix this nonsense with our environment we will go nowhere as a country. If we like we can borrow $300trillion worth of ‘interest free’ loans, and sell off all sellables. We shall not make progress. The environment holds the key for Nigeria our existence here. They are very keen-minded and pay immense attention to details. For this reason, many supermarkets have since been banned from issuing out cellophane or polyethylene bags. Many now use mere brown paper, or even jute. I remember that even in Rwanda, supermarkets don’t use the kind of nylon bags we use here. They use mostly brown paper bags. Those are forward-thinking countries.

So why are we not worthy of sitting among these countries, at least on this issue and for now?

Again, our problems are man-made. One of our biggest contributions to ‘global warming’ - for those who are sure it exists - is gas-flaring. In spite of all the promises by government and oil companies, gas-flaring still goes on unabated in Nigeria’s delta area. The oil companies say capturing the gas is too expensive, but the long term effect - and cost - of flaring, on health and environment is not considered. Meanwhile, if we take a trip to Ghana next door, we would see that for over a decade, many cars there now use liquefied natural gas (cooking gas), as alternative fuel; following after the United Kingdom to which they are a keen protégé. This cooking gas is what Nigeria flares anyhow, yet even the cooking gas for us to cook here, is terribly expensive. So this problem is man-made. Can we fix this problem before sitting with countries talking global warming? Or are we there to receive knocks? Even if they knock us for our tardiness, do we understand diplomatese; the language of diplomacy by which they call you an idiot and make you clap for yourself?

Nigeria is a careless country on many matters. But one that greatly irks me is the way we have treated our environment. I speak as a prophet to this country. Until we fix this nonsense with our environment we will go nowhere as a country. If we like we can borrow $300trillion worth of ‘interest free’ loans, and sell off all sellables. We shall not make progress. The environment holds the key for Nigeria. It is the trigger point from where everything will be set right. Our treatment of the environment will show that attention to details. For now, we do not possess that attribute and it’s a pity.

Our real problem here is the unbridled use of cellophane and polyethylene and other products of crude oil. Even if global warming does not exist, the rate at which we use these products is shrinking our available farmlands. With growing millions to feed, what are we thinking of? Who has to tell us that we aren’t doing right? I know that until a white man tells us, we will never listen to anyone else. Our waste disposal strategy all over the country is pathetic. I drove towards Bonny Camp in Victoria Island the other day and the Lagoon beneath the bridge had cleanly swept plastic bottles onto a strip of concrete that was built into the waters. The waters had clearly sent a message to us that those vast numbers of plastic bottles don’t belong inside it, but we are not listening. We are looking for money. That is all that gets a Nigerian’s attention; money. Until a major disaster comes along we are oblivious of the results of our actions and inactions. More next week.