LASU urges joint effort in mitigating global climate change

The Lagos State University , Ojo, has called for a joint effort in mitigating global climate change.This call was made during a seminar organised by the Centre for Environmental Studies and Sustainable Development.

The seminar titled, ‘Lagos climate crisis perspective and activities of the leaders and the led,’ explained that global climate change was not an unusual occurrence of nature or climatically engineered phenomenon by some secret scientists or aliens from outside the solar system. It stated that it was rather a phenomenon caused by human activities.

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Research Professor, Michael Ahove, recommended that “Trees should be planted as a mitigation technique, drains should be cleaned to avoid flooding, and there should be clean energy for electricity and transportation. Everyone must also be encouraged to exhibit environmentally friendly behaviour.”

What is climate change?

According to the United Nations, climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns. Such shifts can be natural, due to changes in the sun’s activity or large volcanic eruptions. But since the 1800s, human activities have been the main driver of climate change, primarily due to the burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas.

Burning fossil fuels generates greenhouse gas emissions that act like a blanket wrapped around the earth, trapping the sun’s heat and raising temperatures.

The main greenhouse gases that are causing climate change include carbon dioxide and methane. These come from using gasoline for driving a car or coal for heating a building, for example. Clearing land and cutting down forests can also release carbon dioxide. Agriculture, oil and gas operations are major sources of methane emissions. Energy, industry, transport, buildings, agriculture and land use are among the main sectors causing greenhouse gases.