Tina Amanda
An Environmental expert in Rivers state, Dr Babatunde Bolaji, says the excessive heat wave being experienced across the country is caused by fossil fuel which has resulted in climate change.
Dr Bolaji, a lecturer in Department of Animal and Environmental Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Portharcourt, stated this while fielding questions from our reporter Tina Amanda.
He added that the continuous use of fossil fuel for the nations economic development will only aggravate the consequences of climate change.
According to him, fossil fuel also known as “crude oil” has the capacity to increase the greenhouse gases, stressing that the greenhouse gases envelope is a natural envelope which is supposed to trap some of the excessive heat generated.
“Since the industrial, evolution we now produce a massive amount of greenhouse gases to emitting carbon dioxide and they all go up and thicken the envelope that is suppose to have taken a serene amount perhaps 15% of the heat going out and return it here. When the envelope is thickened, we will be having probably up to 45% of heat returned to us resulting to increase in global warming.
“As long as we continue to use fossil fuel, we will continue to experience this consequences of climate change and heat wave is one of them”
He called on the government to focus on other sustainable ways of creating energy rather than concentrate more on fossil fuel.
“We don’t have to rely on fossil fuel to be able to industrialize. There are so many alternatives to fossil, the emphasis on government turning away from fossil fuel or crude oil as a major source of revenue has been over-emphasised. Look at the mining industry. Our precious stones are being mined by foreigners.
“Recently in Zamfara the police IGP have to ban people from mining precious stone. Solid minerals are mine and exported in some countries. Our government should as a matter of urgency move away from fossil fuel”
He called on the public to avoid too much exposure to the sun and drink more of water as heatwave can lead to death.
