ENDING GAS FLARING IN NIGERIA: OUR COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY
In 2019, I was walking through the city of Port-Harcourt, as I fixed my gaze at the horizon, I saw flames shooting from the top of vertical pipes and black soot all over the beautiful city. The atmosphere was saturated with emitted gases — carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and other pollutants. These gases result from gas flaring, a technique where oil producers burn associated gas that is a product of pumping oil from the ground, gas faring has adverse effect include contributing to climate change and poor air quality. Gas flaring in Nigeria is a multi-billion-naira waste, a local and global environmental catastrophe that has persisted for decades since the discovery of oil in 1956. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), Nigeria is the 7th largest gas countries for gas flaring, with an estimated flared up to 7.4 bcf of gas and releasing 16.5metric tonnes of CO2 with an economic loss of over N233 billion. In addition to the economic, the environmental, health and social impacts of gas flaring in Nigeria, it has inflicted untold hardship on inhabitants of the oil-rich Niger Delta and disrupted agricultural productivity. To addressing this existential threat a wholistic and pragmatic intervention by individuals and the government is critical.
What are some of the Impacts of Gas Flaring
Environmental Impacts
Gas flaring releases greenhouse gases (GHGs) as CO2 and CH4, into the atmosphere further adding to the problem of climate change and global warming. Of the well know GHGs, CH4 is 21 times more potent than CO2, gas flaring also releases a cocktail of other atmospheric toxins such as oxides of Nitrogen, Carbon and Sulphur (NOx, CO2, CO, SO2), particulate matter, hydrocarbons and ash, photochemical oxidants, and hydrogen sulphide (H2S). This portends danger for Nigeria considering the high vulnerability and limited adaptability of our environment. For example, SO2 and NOx combine with atmospheric moisture to form sulphuric and nitric acid which gives birth to acid rain. Acid rain is known to acidify the soil and lakes, thereby depleting the soil nutrient, affecting agriculture productivity, and the food security of Nigeria. Acid rain also accelerates the decay of buildings, sculptures, paintings, and affecting the aesthetic beauty of the environment.
Health Impacts
The constituents of the flared gases are highly toxic with significant health impacts. The Canadian Public Health Association postulated that gas flaring release over 250 different toxins. Some of the identified toxins are particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and well-known carcinogens such as benzo(a)pyrene, dioxin, benzene, toluene, and xylene. According to USEPA, breathing particulate matter leads to breathing diseases such as aggravated asthma, coughing, chronic bronchitis, decreases ling function and painful breathing. A world bank study conducted in Bayelsa suggests that particulate matter is likely to cause 49 premature deaths, 4960 respiratory illnesses and 120 asthma attacks. Exposure to Benzene is known to cause acute nonlymphocytic leukaemia and a variety of other blood-related disorders in humans. Research tells us that some health conditions caused as a result of gas flaring include respiratory disease, skin rashes, certain reproductive health challenges, and food poisoning (some oil compounds bioaccumulate in aquatic organisms and may become concentrated across the food chain). The lethal effects of gas flaring affect humans and the aquatic flora and fauna.
What can individuals and the government do?
To address these unspoken dangers individuals as well as the government must work synergistically. Individuals and the public must hold the government accountable: As citizens, we must hold government accountable by raising our voices through advocacy on the negative impacts of gas flaring in our communities. We also need to report any unwholesome activities happening in our communities.
The government has the responsibility to build infrastructure that will convert Associated Gas (AG) to Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG), compressed natural gas (CNG), this requires that the petrochemical industry have a steady supply of natural gas-powered. The combusted gas may also be used to produce steam and then steam turbines can be installed to produce electricity. An infrastructure enabled system will ensure it is more expensive to flare gas. The government must as of a necessity increase the low tariff on defaulters which stood at N10/mscf (about $0.03) because it serves as an incentive for companies to flare more gas. To curb this, the government needs to introduce a strategy that will involve the local communities being responsible for monitoring and reporting cases of suspected gas flaring to avoid underreporting and help reduce the occurrence of gas flaring. The government must be committed to monitoring and implementing Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) studies, and laws on gas flaring in Nigeria. Further studies on CO2 capturing and CH4 conversion during combustion can be sponsored by the government.
In conclusion, Gas flaring is a global problem; however, if these alternative solutions are given careful considerations, it will convincingly reduce gas flaring and create room for innovation and development that will ultimately stop gas flaring. In the nearest future, I hope to look at the horizon of our beautiful Niger-delta region without seeing flames shooting from the top of vertical pipes or black soot all over the beautiful city; until then, let us continue to work collectively for a greater nation.
