Environment

Pollution watch: the solvable problem of home wood burners

n 2010, air pollution scientists from three of Europe’s biggest cities – Paris, Berlin and London – sat down together. Our data showed a new and consistent pattern. Air pollution from wood burning had returned to our cities.

Biomass energy schemes were subsidising new wood burners in schools and offices and wood was being burned in power stations, too, but the additional air pollution in our cities was coming from homes. We wrote a paper warning that biomass subsidies to reduce climate emissions may be leading to increased acceptability and popularity of home wood burning in stoves and fireplaces too.

By 2016, home wood burning was the second-largest source of particle pollution emitted in London. By 2018, it was responsible for nearly half the emissions across Europe.

Now an Australian study has calculated the health cost of home wood burning. It took place in Armidale, a city of about 25,000 people, midway between Sydney and Brisbane, known for its two cathedrals and elegant 19th-century buildings. Frosty nights are a feature of winter here and these are frequently polluted by the 40% of homes that use wood heaters.

Researchers estimated that the air pollution from wood heating was responsible for up to 14 early deaths each year, an annual health cost of between A$5,000 and A$11,000 for each wood-burning home(about £3,000-6,000). A similar study in Tasmania valued the annual health harm at about A$4,200 for every wood-burning home.

The problem is solvable. Stopping burning wood works for health. An earlier programme in Launceston, Tasmania, incentivised homeowners to switch from wood heating. It reduced wintertime respiratory deaths by 28% and heart deaths by 20%.

Prof Fay Johnston at the University of Tasmania, who was involved in the Armidale and Launceston studies, said: “Wood heaters really punch above their weight when it comes to polluting the atmosphere. Any scheme that replaces wood heaters with less polluting forms of heating will pay for itself within a year and provide ongoing savings from the avoided additional disease and death associated with woodsmoke.”

On the eve of Cop26, research from Chatham House has provided more evidence that the UK’s subsidised large-scale burning of wood for energy, such as wood chips burned at Drax power station, results in more carbon dioxide in our air, not less, for decades to come. If the government and homeowners had spent the past 10 years investing in insulation and non-combustion renewables, instead of wood burning, we would have healthier air in our cities today and less carbon dioxide in our atmosphere.

Environment

NiMet forecasts 3-day thunderstorms starting Thursday

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has forecast thundery weather conditions nationwide from Thursday to Saturday.

In its weather outlook released on Wednesday, NiMet predicted morning thunderstorms in the northern region on Thursday.

The agency expects thunderstorms to affect parts of Taraba, Adamawa, and Kaduna states, as well as areas in Zamfara, Gombe, Bauchi, Taraba, Adamawa, and Kebbi states later in the day.

In the North Central region, morning thunderstorms are expected in parts of the Federal Capital Territory, Niger, Plateau, Nasarawa, Kogi, Kwara, and Benue States, with thunderstorms anticipated over most areas later in the day.

In the southern region, NiMet forecasts morning thunderstorms in parts of Ebonyi and Enugu States, with widespread thunderstorms expected later in the day.

“For Friday, in the northern region, thunderstorms are expected over parts of Taraba State in the morning hours. During the afternoon/evening hours, thunderstorms are anticipated over parts of Kaduna, Kebbi, Taraba and Adamawa States.

“In the North Central region, there are prospects of thunderstorms over parts of the Federal Capital Territory, Niger, Kwara, Benue and Nasarawa States during the morning hours.

“Also in the afternoon into evening hours, thunderstorms are expected over most parts of the region,” it said.

According to NiMet, thunderstorms are expected in parts of Abia, Imo, Enugu, Oyo, Ebonyi, Delta, Rivers, Cross River, and Akwa Ibom States during the morning hours, with widespread thunderstorms anticipated later in the day.

On Saturday, the agency predicts morning thunderstorms in parts of Taraba and Adamawa States in the northern region, followed by thunderstorms over parts of Kaduna, Katsina, Kano, Taraba, and Adamawa States later in the day.

In the central region, NiMet forecasts thunderstorms in the morning for the Federal Capital Territory, Niger, Kwara, Benue, and Nasarawa States, with additional thunderstorms expected over parts of Plateau and Nasarawa States later.

Overall, the agency anticipates thunderstorms across most areas in the southern region during both morning and evening hours.

“High likelihood of urban flooding in major cities due to heavy downpours. Residents are advised to avoid flood-prone areas.

”Strong winds may precede the rains in areas where thunderstorms are likely to occur, public should take adequate precaution.

“Adhere to safety advisories issued by relevant authorities. Public and Airline operators are advised to get updated weather reports and forecasts from NiMet for effective planning in their operations.”

The agency urged residents to stay informed through weather updates from NiMet and visit the agency’s website www.nimet.gov.ng.

Environment

300 environmental offenders sanctioned by Kwara Govt

About 300 environmental offenders were sanctioned on Saturday by the Kwara State Government for violating the environmental law of the state.

They were arrested and prosecuted before various mobile courts during the monthly sanitation exercise held at the weekend across the state.

The state government, however, commended residents of the state for compliance towards the successful monthly sanitation exercise held on Saturday, within and outside the state capital.

The Commissioner for Environment, Hajia Nafisat Musa-Buge, gave the commendation in Ilorin while fielding questions from journalists, at the check point, along Lagos road, immediately after the exercise.

“Let me use this medium to express our delight with an increase in the level of compliance, by the good people of Kwara State, towards the successful sanitation exercise, most especially, the metropolis. I urge you all to sustain the tempo.”

The commissioner, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Alhaji Abubakar Ayinla, appreciated the mobile courts Judges, monitoring and security agents, transport unions and relevant bodies, for their steadfastness in the discharge of their duties.

She implored the people, to strictly adhere to the three hours sanitation exercise, scheduled for the cleaning their residential and business environments, in order to sustain clean and safe environment, for a healthy living, according to a statement by the press secretary of the ministry, Kamaldeen Aliagan in Ilorin on Sunday.

Environment

NiMet predicts 3-day thunderstorms from Monday

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency, NiMet, has predicted thunderstorms from Monday to Wednesday across the country.

NiMet’s weather outlook released on Sunday in Abuja envisaged localised thunderstorms over parts of Kebbi and Zamfara states in the northern region during the morning hours.

According to NiMet, localised thunderstorms are anticipated over parts of Zamfara, Kaduna, Bauchi, Kebbi, Adamawa, and Taraba states during the afternoon and evening hours.

In the North Central region, the agency said localised thunderstorms are expected over parts of Niger and Kwara states during the morning hours.

It added that later in the day, localised thunderstorms are anticipated over parts of the Federal Capital Territory, Nasarawa, Plateau, Kwara, Kogi, and Plateau states.

NiMet further stated that localised thunderstorms are expected over parts of Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Lagos, and Ondo states in the southern cities during the morning hours.

The agency anticipated localised thunderstorms over parts of Oyo, Ondo, Osun, Ogun, Imo, Enugu, Ekiti, Edo, Ebonyi, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Cross River, Lagos, and Akwa Ibom states later in the day.

For Tuesday morning, NiMet said localised thunderstorms are expected over parts of Taraba, Adamawa, Kano, Katsina, and Jigawa states in the northern region.

It forecast localised thunderstorms over parts of Adamawa, Taraba, Kaduna, Zamfara, Kebbi, Sokoto, Bauchi, Borno and Gombe states later in the day.

According to NiMet, localised thunderstorms are anticipated over parts of Plateau and Nasarawa states during the morning hours.

In the afternoon and evening hours, it predicted localised thunderstorms over parts of the Federal Capital Territory, Plateau, Nasarawa, and Niger states.

In the southern cities, localised thunderstorms are expected over parts of Delta, Edo, and Ondo states during the morning hours.

Later in the day, localised thunderstorms are anticipated over parts of Ogun, Edo, Ekiti, Ondo, Imo, Enugu, Anambra, Lagos, Delta, Rivers, Bayelsa, Cross River, and Akwa Ibom states.

The agency predicted morning localised thunderstorms over parts of Kaduna, Zamfara, and Kebbi states in the northern region on Wednesday.

It envisaged localised thunderstorms over parts of Taraba, Adamawa, Borno, Bauchi, Kaduna, Zamfara, Kebbi, Jigawa, and Kano states.

In the North Central region, localised thunderstorms are anticipated over parts of the Federal Capital Territory, Plateau, Nasarawa and Kogi states in the morning hours.

Later in the day, localised thunderstorms are expected over parts of Niger, the Federal Capital Territory, Nasarawa, Plateau, and Benue states.

Localised thunderstorms are expected over parts of Cross River and Akwa Ibom states in the southern cities during the morning hours,” the agency said.

According to the agency, localised thunderstorms are expected over parts of Oyo, Osun, Ekiti, Ondo, Lagos, Enugu, Abia, Ebonyi, Cross River, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Delta, and Bayelsa states later in the day.

NiMet urged residents to avoid flood-prone areas as there could be a high likelihood of urban flooding in major cities due to heavy downpours and strong winds might precede the rains in areas where thunderstorms are likely to occur.

It urged the public to stay informed through its weather updates.

It also advised airline operators to get airport-specific weather reports (flight documentation) from NiMet for effective planning in their operations.