Environmentalist warns against indiscriminate felling of trees

An environmentalist, Mr Samuel Buoye, has identified indiscriminate felling of trees as one of the major impediments in the fight against environmental degradation and deforestation.

Buoye, who is attached to Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara, said removing trees deprived the forest of portions of its canopy that was a major component of environmental protection.

“This canopy is meant to block the sun’s ray during the day and hold in heat at night. “This disruption leads to more extreme temperature swings that can be harmful to plants and animals,” he said.

Buoye said trees are noted for playing a critical role in absorbing the greenhouse gases that fuel global warming.

According to him, fewer forests mean larger amounts of greenhouse gases entering the atmosphere.

The development, he said, increases the speed and severity of global warming.

Buoye listed the growing urban sprawl, agricultural activities, and logging for commercial purpose, as factors fuelling indiscriminate felling of trees.

He also identified the increase in charcoal usage occasioned by the rise in prices of electricity, kerosene and gas as another factor. “Charcoal usage in Nigeria is becoming a big business which long term impact could prove disastrous. “Wood fuel means around a tenth of the world’s energy demand, with its users overwhelmingly found in Sub-Sahara Africa,” he said.

Buoye said careful management of forest resources by eliminating clear-cutting would assist forest environment to remain intact. He also suggested an aggressive tree planting campaign by the three tiers of government to curb the menace of deforestation.