The effects of climate change was described as one of the main causer of poor crop yielding, communal, farmers/herders crisis and the current global warming the world is going through currently.
This was revealed by an environmental activist, Barrister Iliya Yame Kwache during an annual conference of the Lutheran church of Christ in Nigeria (LCCN) in Yola.
While addressing over six hundreds Pastors who attended the conference across different parts of the country said tree planting is one of the major ways the environment can be protected.
He reminded them that in the beginning of creation God himself planted trees in the garden of eden hence the choice of his paper tittled; ” The Church and Climate Change, the Way Forward.”
The activist through his foundation, Iliya Yame Kwache Foundation said they have taken the issues of environment serious and planted over 25,000 tree this year.
He said Global Warming due to climate change is the greatest enemy and threat to humanity at the moment, and it is a mass killer and mass destroyer if they can recalled the effects in Libya, Greece, America, Germany and even here in Nigeria.
Yame told the Church leaders that everyone’s hands must be on deck to combat climate change and global warming, knowing the fact its effect is on an alarming and catastrophe destroying the planet at an ever-increasing rate through wildfires and torrential floods.
“Our world, our planet is in an alarming emergency. Now is the time to act, fast and quickly.” Yame said
Yame continued to say that :”human activities have been the main driver of climate change, primarily due to the burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil, gas and of course cutting down of trees as source of fuel and human use.
He revealed that UN specifically mentioned human activities such as burning coal, oil and gas products of carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide, Cutting down forests (deforestation) as causes of climate change.
He said one of the reasons of planting over twenty five thousands trees annually to help regulate the climate by absorbing Carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
“Trees when they are cut down, that beneficial effect is lost and the carbon stored in the trees is released into the atmosphere, adding to the greenhouse effect, Cows and sheep produce large amounts of methane when they digest their food and Fertilisers containing nitrogen produce nitrous oxide emissions.
“Fluorinated gases are emitted from equipment and products that use these gases. Such emissions have a very strong warming effect. Global temperatures are raising at an alarming rate.
“The worrying thing about climate change is that we will see more extreme weather events like wildfires, drought, late arrival of rain, and extreme heavy rains when they eventually do come.”
Yame enjoined the church leaders to take individual and corporate actions to mitigate the effects of climate change as people with chain of grassroots influence with LCCN with over 2000 churches and a membership population of over 2.2 million.
He said LCCN has been a pioneer in many developmental projects in Education, Agriculture in Adamawa State and Nigeria like the Lutheran University of Nigeria (LUN) Demsa.
Yame advised that all National Youths Corps (NYSC) members as part of their national service must plant trees as part of their service year community service,all public servants must plant trees as part of their promotion in the public service, and the military, the police and the paramilitary organizations should be encouraged to key into tree planting.
He further advised that Nigeria seems to be a religious country and various religious organizations should be encouraged to participate in mass tree planting after the Juma’at service and church services.
“We suggest the Federal government of Nigeria creates a Ministry for Tree planting and declare a “National Tree Planting Day” annually and all institutions and organizations whether public or private should be encouraged to plant trees annually as their civic duties.
“All university graduates of agriculture at 1st Degree, MSc level, and Ph.D. must have tree planting incorporated into the academic programs,” he added
While stating the numerous advantages of Tree planting, he said trees are our main survival means by providing more oxygen, blocking sunlight removing heat from the atmosphere, and providing cooling in streets and cities.
Yame in his conclusion said It is no doubt the earth’s system is now altered as many things are influenced by humans, and to meet this need, the United Nations General Assembly created the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals to improve life quality.
In this regard, he called on the LCCN church leadership to use the Lutheran Church University and start an academic department of renewable energy as a course of study, and capture studying solar and wind energy as core modules.
“Plant a tree today and save the planet for your grandchildren. And remember, “Blessed is he who plants trees under whose shade he will never sit.” Know this the lifespan of a mahogany tree is 350 years and above.
“When it comes to food, eat more vegetables, more fish, and less meat, especially beef. The fight against climate change is a fight for lives and our world.
Speak up! “Yame concluded