Tuesday, 19th March 2024
To guardian.ng
Search

Experts charge Nigerians on cleaner cooking alternative

By Victor Gbonegun
01 July 2019   |   3:25 am
Faced with the effects of biomass-based fuel such as, firewood in cooking at homes and other commercial purposes, environmentalists have advocated the use of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) to mitigate air pollution and save lives.

A woman cooking with firewood

Faced with the effects of biomass-based fuel such as, firewood in cooking at homes and other commercial purposes, environmentalists have advocated the use of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) to mitigate air pollution and save lives.

Chairperson, Friend of the Environment (FOTE), Mrs. Joanna Maduka, who made the call at a campaign to mark the 2019 World Environment Day in conjunction with the Conservation Club of Federal Science and Technical College (FSTC) and support of Ajino-Moto seasoning in Lagos.

She expressed concern that in spite of health challenges posed by the use of charcoal and firewood, the use of such cleaner alternative hasn’t been massively deployed in the country.

Maduka observed that the use of firewood and kerosene increases air pollution and impacts negatively on the health conditions of people, especially women.

“Using firewood to fry Garri and for domestic cooking among rural women has led to the release of more dangerous gases and deforestation. Trees are cut down more than they are planted. We need to increase campaign against the use of fuel wood and fast track transition to 100per cent cleaner energy solutions”.

The Director, FSTC, Yaba, Mrs. Ogochukwu Ufoegbune, explained that the occasion attended by pupils of secondary schools is an opportunity to encourage the youths, the world at large to unite and reduce yearly deaths from air pollution.

Addressing the gathering, the Managing Director, Chimos Gas Limited, Baylon Duru, who spoke on the advantages of cleaner energy solutions explained that the carbon emission of gas was about 50 per cent to 20 per cent lower than coal, heating oil or wood fuel and kerosene.

Speaking further, a senior environmental consultant, Abbas Agbaje lamented that breathing of clean of clean air, especially in the cities has become a luxury due to high rate of industrialization compounded by emissions. He warned that failure to transit from dirty fuel might cost Nigeria more lives and resources.He urged the government to consider subsidising LPG, which is a sustainable cooking solution that wouldn’t endanger the lives of the people

In this article

0 Comments