Categories: Food & Drink

Oyo Govt Warns Residents Against Illegal Tree Felling

The Oyo State Government has warned members of the public to desist from illegal tree felling and indiscriminate bush burning across the state.

Commissioner for Agriculture, Natural Resources and Rural Development in the state, Mr Oyewole Oyewumi, who gave the warning, noted that offenders would be punished accordingly.

He spoke during the week while declaring open the 2018 International Day of Forest (IDF) at the Methodist Grammar School, Bodija in Ibadan, the state capital.

Oyewumi, who was represented at the event by the Special Adviser on Agriculture to Governor Abiola Ajimobi, Professor Adetokunbo Adekunle, stressed that the importance of trees in the society cannot be overestimated.

According to him, an environment that is devoid of trees is prone to hazard and it is advisable for all to plant at least a tree so as to ensure a greener environment.

The commissioner stated that the state government has restored all depleted forests through collaboration with local and foreign investors to improve afforestation.

He decried that the degraded forests were as a result of illegal felling, noting that government has placed surveillance on the forest reserves to apprehend those who are involved in the illegal act.

Oyewumi, however, called on all and sundry to support tree planting, stressing that it has become necessary to achieve greener, healthier, happier and sustainable environment.

The Patron of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) Forest Centre, Dr David Oladiipo, also delivered a lecture with the theme “Forest for Sustainable Cities” at the event.

He explained that the United Nations has set aside March 21 to commemorate IDF because of the importance of tree to humanity.

Dr Oladiipo also lamented that the rate of deforestation in Africa, as a result of inadequate sensitisation and awareness, was already harming the environment.

He, however, pointed out that afforestation is a collective responsibility as the government cannot do it alone and consequently called on the Oyo State government to implement a policy in which approval must be given before land can be cleared.

He further appealed to principals of various schools to inaugurate ‘Young Forester and Tree Clubs’ in their institutions to save the environment.

The Director, Federal Comptroller of Environment in the state, Mrs Aina Adetola, also called on the state government to place more priority on the forest reserves

World’s Carbon Emissions On The Rise Again – IEA

Harmful carbon emissions from energy rose in 2017 for the first time in three years, the International Energy Agency said Thursday, proof that the world’s efforts to fight climate change are falling short.

Strong economic growth pushed global energy demand up by 2.1 percent last year, the Paris-based IEA said in a report.

Some 70 percent of those additional needs were met by fossil fuels oil, gas and coal, pushing global energy-related carbon dioxide emissions up by 1.4 percent, after three years of remaining flat.

The rest was covered mostly by renewables.

“The significant growth in global energy-related carbon dioxide emissions in 2017 tells us that current efforts to combat climate change are far from sufficient,” IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said in a statement.

“For example, there has been a dramatic slowdown in the rate of improvement in global energy efficiency as policy makers have put less focus in this area,” he said.

But the overall increase in CO2 emissions masked major improvements in some individual countries, including the United States, a big polluter.

In fact, the US saw the biggest drop in emissions, helped by a higher deployment of renewables.

Emissions also declined in Britain, Mexico and Japan, the IEA said.

The 29-nation IEA provides analysis on global energy markets and advocates policies enhancing the reliability, affordability and sustainability of energy.

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