Climate Watch: Nigerian upcycler converts waste to art for environment preservation

Despite directly impacting our communities, health and livelihood, climate-related reports usually take a back seat to dominant news beats like politics and business. Climate Watch aims to ensure you never miss important stories on climate change and actions being taken towards limiting its impact.

Here is a round-up of last week’s climate stories:  

• In a world where people discard materials they no longer need as waste, John Edom has decided to be “a friend of waste” instead — picking and making them into beautiful materials. Edom is an artist and an upcycler who expresses his artistry prowess through converting waste into art works. He said he is on a journey to rid the environment of waste and hopes everybody can join him. Find out more here.

• Similarly, 175 countries aiming to end plastic pollution have committed to sign a global treaty on plastics. Inger Anderson, executive-director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), said the world is set to triumph over single-use plastics with the global commitment to the treaty. She added that it is the most significant deal since the Paris accord that will insure the lives of this generation and the future ones. Read more here.

• Speaking on this development, President Muhammadu Buhari commended the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) for its efforts and role in the fight against climate change and biodiversity loss. He also congratulated them in commemoration of the UN body’s 50th anniversary, adding that UNEP has made environmental action a global priority but more needs to be done to achieve more success. Read further here.

• Climate change is worsening extreme weather events, and Africa is among the regions most vulnerable to its impacts — this was part of the findings of the recent report by the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a UN body. In view of this, Nigerian climate activists have asked the federal government to begin the implementation of the climate change act to address climate concerns in order to insure livelihoods. Find out more here.

• Amid the fuel scarcity and electricity problems besieging the country, a lot of Nigerians have cried out on the negative effect of the situation on their lives, work and businesses. Meanwhile, most of them desire to use renewable energy but lament the exorbitant price of buying and installing one. Experts called on the federal government to subsidise renewable energy instead of petrol to encourage easier adoption and use of the products by Nigerians. Read more here.