Towards making energy available and affordable to all and sundry by Tina Armstrong Ogbonna

A recent study by the International Centre for Energy and Environmental Development ICEED has called on the Federal Government to put a policy in place establish a national cooking energy programme and new national rural electrification programme under the power sector reform. Funding for rural electrification and cooking energy for poor people has declined over the years, and called on the Federal Government to Shown that without a new national programme on rural electrification and clean energy stoves the number of poor people in Nigeria will grow exponentially.
The Executive Director of ICEED Mr. Ewah Eleri made this known recently during a programme, on Financing Pro-Poor Energy Access in Nigeria. Mr. Eleri said lack of clean energy for cooking in rural communities has continued to increase the level of deforestation in the country as rural dwellers depend largely on firewood for cooking.
He noted that "ICEED and its partners are on a campaign that focuses on the silent energy crisis and the silent energy crisis is that of household not having access to save and affordable cooking energy.
We have a situation where government has no plans and
programmes or policies on cooking
energy". This is not acceptable, he
added.
The over dependence of rural dwellers on firewood for cooking energy has continued to increase the level of deforestation in Northern Nigeria. According to a World Bank report, Nigeria has the largest number of death due to indoor air pollution from cooking with firewood.
Mr. Eleri explained that the pro-poor energy financing campaign is calling on the Federal Government to provide adequate budget lines to expand rural electrification, significant resources to different agencies of government in the 2013 budget. Furthermore, he pointed out that Nigeria export more gas than is being used in the country. Nigeria is one of Africa's largest exporters of cooking gas but the usage is poor at home due to poor distribution channel, lack of awareness about proper use of gas cylinders that have created fear and apathy and also high upfront cost of cylinders. The Federal Government should enlighten the people about safe usage of gas cylinders; it should also put in place standard safety measures and regulations and also subsidize the price of cylinders. According to him, Lagos state government has started that and the Federal Government can follow suit. The use of cooking gas should be encouraged by making available smaller mass of cylinders because not everyone can afford the 5kg gas cylinders. In line with what has been done with recharge cards, where you can purchase as low as #100 to #1,500. Cooking gas is environment friendly.
The Federal Government should stop the flaring of gas in the country and utilize it for household energy use for cooking. Mr. Eleri believes that the Vision 20:20, Millennium Development Goal (MDG's) and the transformation agenda of the present administration would be far from been achieved if the energy poverty in the country is not aggressively tackled with the right programmes and policies in place.
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Drought fears loom in India as monsoon stalls

Meteorological department predicts at least 10 per cent less rain this year affecting millions of farmers across nation.

As millions of farmers in India continue to wait for the season's monsoon rains, vital for the country's agriculture and power sector, the Indian Meteorological department says that it expects at least 10 per cent less rain this year.

In a statement released late on Thursday, the department said that the rains between June and August 1 have been 19 per cent below normal levels, and that the remaining month of the monsoon will also be drier, owing to the impact of El Nino.

El Nino is the phenomenon of the warming of the Pacific Ocean.
The shortfall is expected to swell electricity demand in an power-starved country, as farmers turn to irrigation pumps to keep fields waters.
Earlier this week, three of India's regional electricity grids failed for hours in a blackout that affected more than 600 million people.

"If the government doesn't help us we will die of hunger. There's no water to drink and no food to eat."

- Bharat, a farmer from Gujarat state
Several states have already declared near-drought conditions, and are demanding extra federal funds or announcing large subsidies to help farmers to purchase diesel fuel for electricity generators.
Officials in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh - India's most populous - fear that a drought is around the corner.
Farmers in the state say that if rain does not come in the next few days, they will be forced to forego this year's rice crop.

In the eastern state of Bihar, at least eight of 38 districts have received rains that are 70 per cent below normal, said Anil Kumar Jha, the deputy director of the state's
agriculture department. Jha said the state is spending 6.19 billion rupees($112m) on subsidising diesel so that farmers could generate electricity to draw up ground water.

Cascading effect on economy.
Several other states - Haryana and Punjab in the north, Maharashtra in the west and the southern state of Karnataka - have all recorded poor rainfall.
These states grow a large amount of the country's rice, wheat, oilseeds and cereals.

A poor monsoon has a cascading effect on the Indian economy, because about 60 per cent of the population works in agriculture and more than half of the country's farmlands are rain-fed.

The sector contributes up to 20 per cent to India's gross domestic product.
A lack of adequate rainfall in this period can also worsen inflation of food prices.

While the government is yet to declare a drought, it has already offered 19 billion rupees ($340m) in cash and subsidies to tens of millions of farmers.

It has also rolled out contingency plans to ensure seeds are available to farmers and adequate fodder is supplied for livestock, as well as prioritizing drinking water from low-level reservoirs.

Overall this year, there has been a reduction of around eight million hectares (19.7 million acres) in the crop area sown compared to last year, when the rains were normal.
"If the government doesn't help us we will die of hunger. There's no water to drink and no food to eat," said Bharat, a farmer from Gujarat, in western India.
"We are tired of looking at the sky, but the rain just doesn't fall," he said.

Culled from aljazeera.com

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Win With Voices4Climate

Are you between 18 and 35? Want to wow the world with your creativity? Join the Voices4Climate 2012 global photo, video and music competition and win cool prizes.

Let the world know how climate change is affecting your country, your community, your friends or your family.

http://unfccc.int/cc_inet/cc_inet/information_pool/simple_search/items/3522.php?displayPool=1491
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European Offshore Wind Energy Continues to Grow by Leaps and Bounds - unfccc

The European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) assessed the offshore wind capacity in Europe over the last six months. They found that at the end of the first half of 2012, the continent's offshore wind capacity grew by at an astonishing rate from a year ago. A new report by the EWEA shows that there are 132 new offshore wind turbines, providing an additional 523 megawatts of power, and that these new turbines were fully connected to the power grid during the first half of 2012. Last year, Europe added only 348.1 megawatts from offshore wind during the same time period, making it an increase of about 50 percent.
These findings were printed in the EWEA's "Key Trends and Statistics" report. Of the 132 new turbines, 103 were erected in five large wind farms since January. They also found that the average size of the wind turbines grew up to 4 megawatts, up 14 percent from last year.
The chief executive of the EWEA, Christian Kjaer, championed the news, stating that it is a triumph in the face of harsh economic times.
"Offshore wind power is increasingly attracting investors, including pension funds and other institutional and corporate investors," Kjaer said in a statement. "But it would be good to see more activity in southern Europe where jobs, investments and growth are desperately needed."
The country leading the way in the current offshore wind boom is the United Kingdom. From January to July, Britain added eight new wind farms. Both Germany and Denmark installed two new wind farms. Belgium also brought one wind farm online.
Total amount of offshore wind energy in Europe now stands at 4,336 megawatts as of June 30, 2012. That figure in June of 2011 was only 3,294 megawatts, which provided electricity to the equivalent of 4 million households.
There are an additional 13 wind farms under construction during the first half of 2012. When completed, these will add an extra 3,762 megawatts of capacity.
At a time when the United States is struggling to build just one offshore wind farm, Europe is plowing ahead at an accelerating rate. Amazingly, this has been occurring at a time of financial crisis in the Eurozone. It demonstrates the strong European commitment to phasing out fossil fuels and expanding renewable energy.

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Residents of Makoko besiege Lagos Governor by Don Abiodun Odedeyi

Residents of Makoko whose community is under bulldozer as a result of shanties clearing exercise by the Lagos state government took their plight to the office of the Lagos State governor today.

The peaceful protest took off at the Alausa Shoprite mall with about 2000 residents. At the governor's office, Yussuf Jejelaiye, Baale (Head) of Makoko highlighted how the community has been marginalised by different administrations.
"We have no government school, no hospital yet we perform our civil right each time there is election."

He reiterated that the community has being existing since the time of his fore-fathers and an evacuation action now is like a death sentence.

Responding to the address of Mr. Yussuf Jejelaiye, Governor Raji Fashola explained that the exercise is not meant to dislodge the community rather, it is to check mate the continuous encroachment of the sea by the activities of the community.
"Where we have sawdust today is not the same place ten years ago. The community, through their activities, is encroaching on drainage channels, the lagoon and the nearby economic interest of the state. You all are witness to the continuous flood that the state has been subjected to."

He noted that some members of the Makoko communities have fallen victim of fraudstars who took their money with the promise that their area will not be touch."

In his address, Prince Adesegun Oniru said the exercise was embarked on with the best interest of the Makoko community at heart.
"There is a power-line directly above the community, in case of any accident, the whole community will go up in flame so, this exercise is a check on a disaster that may happen anytime."

When the meeting was over, protesters who came to the governor's office with venom seems to have lost their voices. One begins to wonder where they kept their voices even when the governor made it clear that demolition will continue.

ℓ̊ spoke with some protesters, one of them, Rev. Samuel Adewale, a resident said, "we are disappointed even though we've envisaged this yet we are disappointed."

Don: so, what is the next line of action?

Rev. Adewale: Court of course, we are heading to court for an injunction on this criminal act.

In a swift reaction to the governor's response, the executive director of SERAC, expressed his disappointment and the resolution of the governor to continue the demolition despite letters for dialogue and amicable solution to the matter.

"Aside from a 72-hour notice given to the community, police and other security agents, without justification shot and killed a citizen, Timothy Azinkpono.
"In the notice to quit, Lagos State government accused the residents of developing shanties on the waterfront and impending economic and gainful utilization of the waterfront.
"This community is well documented and globally recognized as an ancestral fishing settlement that has flourished since 1860s, where else will they lay claim to if the government evacuate them?"

Mr. Felix accused the government of dancing to the tune of World bank with a warning, "Makoko and Iwaya are two of nine communities targeted for upgrading under the $200million World Bank funded Lagos Metropolitan Development and Governance Project (LMDGP).
"Notwithstanding it's contractual commitments under the LMDGP and it's legal obligations to respect the rights of all the citizen under the constitution and international law, the state government has continues to treat residents of impoverished communities as expandable people."

Mr. Felix who is also a member of LMDGP expressed his disappointment by the betrayal of the lofty goals for which the project was designed. He, at the press briefing, said he will not continue with the committee.

As at today, Monday, the total number of death recorded due to the exercise stood at six. The latest being three children who were drown in the early hours of monday when the boat in which they slept capsized, three other people were fell by security bullets during scuffle with residents of the community.

From the Governor's Office, Alausa-Ikeja, Lagos, Don Abiodun reporting
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‘Early Warning System, a key to surviving natural disasters’ - Dr Neville Sweijd

From Cape Coast to Cairo, Moscow to Malabu, the year 2012 will go down in history as one of those years that the world saw a glimpse of nature's fury. It is a year filled with large scale natural disasters than any year in the new millennium. Most devastating are flash flood incidents that caught many unaware leading to hundreds of dead.
Presently, three people are on trial in Russia for failing to trigger early warning system during a similar incident (flood) that claimed many lives.

What faith then await countries, especially in Africa and Asia, without early warning systems? In this short but straight to point presentation, Don Abiodun Odedeyi presents to you, excerpt of Doctor Nevile Sweijd's presentation at the 4th Lagos Climate Change Summit in Lagos, Nigeria..

"Most of climate change effects such as flood, heat wave, and bush fire have common areas and season of occurrence. What needs to be done', he said, 'is to put in place projects that will combat this challenges. In South Africa, drainages are build in flood prone areas while residents are move to safer locations prior to the beginning of raining season.

"A major challenge in the fight against climate change is poverty, look at the situation in some parts of Makoko and Ajegunle here in Lagos where dirts and wastes reign. Such place gives room to common natural causes to become a national disaster.

"Government should be more proactive in the area of environmental management, identifying of harms way, shifting of baselines among others."

In his closing remarks, Dr. Neville emphasis on the need to build early warning systems along national coastal areas, Sahel regions as well as areas known to be prone to climate change effects.

"Makeshift accommodations will not be out of place, we have similar projects in South Africa. In the case of impending disaster, people living in affected areas are evacuated. They return to their homes when the authority are sure things are safe."

**********

Dr Neville Sweijd (Phd) has worked at the University of the Western Cape and the International Ocean Institute.

He was a one of the speakers at the 4th Lagos Climate Change Conference, (April 2012). You can reach him via E-mail:

nsweijd@access.ac.za- Don

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‘Early Warning System, a key to greater surviving natural disasters’ - Dr Neville Sweijd

From Cape Coast to Cairo, Moscow to Malabu, the year 2012 will go down in history as one of those years when the world saw a glimpse of nature's fury. It is a year filled with large scale natural disasters than any year in the new millennium.

Most devastating are flash flood incidents that caught many unaware leading to hundreds of dead. Presently, three people are on trial in Russia for failing to trigger early warning system during a similar incident (flood) that claimed many lives.

What faith then await countries, especially in Africa and Asia, without early warning systems? In this short but straight to point presentation, Don Abiodun Odedeyi presents to you, excerpt of Doctor Nevile Sweijd's presentation at the 4th Lagos Climate Change Summit in Lagos, Nigeria..

"Most of climate change effects such as flood, heat wave, and bush fire have common areas and season of occurrence. What needs to be done', he said, 'is to put in place projects that will combat this challenges. In South Africa, drainages are build in flood prone areas while residents are move to safer locations prior to the beginning of raining season.

"A major challenge in the fight against climate change is poverty, look at the situation in some parts of Makoko and Ajegunle here in Lagos where dirts and wastes reign. Such place gives room to common natural causes to become a national disaster.

"Government should be more proactive in the area of environmental management, identifying of harms way, shifting of baselines among others."

In his closing remarks, Dr. Neville emphasis on the need to build early warning systems along national coastal areas, Sahel regions as well as areas known to be prone to climate change effects.

"Makeshift accommodations will not be out of place, we have similar projects in South Africa. In the case of impending disaster, people living in affected areas are evacuated. They return to their homes when the authority are sure things are safe."

**********
Dr Neville Sweijd (Phd) has worked at the University of the Western Cape and the International Ocean Institute.
He was a one of the speakers at the 4th Lagos Climate Change Conference, (April 2012). You can reach him via E-mail: nsweijd@access.ac.za
- Don
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