Renewable Energy for a Safer Earth – The Green Force Vision

Ololade Adeniji

The clarion call for a cutback in our carbon emissions have been amplified in the past few years, and cannot be overemphasized. Testament to this is the heightened global call to save mother earth by reducing carbon emissions into our atmosphere. 

Undoubtedly, the dreadful consequences of global warming in our world today cannot go unnoticed, as various continents across the globe continue to experience extreme weather conditions, with no exceptions to the present year. 

In the previous months, the media was awash with dozens of deaths recorded in New York City, United States of America and several cities around the globe due to extreme cold weather conditions or what was known as ‘the snow storm blizzards’ and ‘flash floods’. Nigeria was not immune to these disasters, as there were numerous incidents of homes that were destroyed and submerged due to similar natural disasters. These disasters are bound to persist and permeate communities in all nooks and crannies of the world if we refuse to play our part in proactively rationing carbon emissions to its barest minimum today.

One of the ways to save our planet and mitigate these natural disasters is to seek alternative sources of energy that do not threaten mother earth or its inhabitants. According to experts, renewable sources of energy are one way by which our environment can be saved from plummeting deeper into the grave existential crisis that is not far-fetched if things are left the way they are..

In Africa, eco-friendly and green energy sources of energy are neither accessible nor affordable, hence why global organizations have lent their voices to champion the need for countries to adopt sustainable sources of energy. They have also influenced policies to endorse this cause — and it’s all with the intention to avoid graver consequences in Nigeria and Africa.

During the last World Climate Summit held in November 2022 in Egypt, 197 nations, civil societies and institutions assembled, and recommended strategic initiatives, while prominent financial institutions were called upon to support African governments, as they embark on the journey to migrate from carbon-driven energy sources to green energy sources. Asides awareness, the significance of this stride for African nations is the sense or urgency it creates, which implies that it won’t be long before green energy sources are adopted on a full scale.

For organizations like Green Force Energy the renewable energy initiative makes up the core of its existence, especially within underserved, rural communities with abysmally low consciousness of green energy sources, and high-level contribution to the rate of carbon emissions.  Green Force is one of the fastest growing renewable energy service providers in Nigeria, and is an eco-friendly energy company, with a mission to provide green energy solutions across Africa. 

It currently has a portfolio of several launched initiatives that intend to curb carbon emissions. With initiatives like the ‘Rural Electrification Agency’ and the ‘Nigerian Electrification Project’, its objective is to empower rural communities that lack electricity due to their lack of connection  to the national grid.

These initiatives are imperative because rural dwellers rely on charcoal and firewood as sources of energy for cooking and household survival, thus are unaware that their continual reliance on these sources of energy contribute immensely to carbon emissions that destroy the ozone layers and lead to extreme weather conditions which kill people en masse. The rural electrification project championed by Green Force Energy will help set up mini-grids that go as high as 100KW to provide electricity for cover in 100 homes in a rural community, as well as helps their compliance with adopting greener sources of energy for the good of their lives and that of their environment.

The continuous use of appliances that are not eco-friendly, renewable energy compliant, emmit high CO2 into the atmosphere, electricity generation from non-renwable sources will only lead to destructionof our planet. Albeit, the crux of the matter is that the entire Nigerian populace must begin to invest in renewable energy that is safe and affordable for the people. Although this seems private sector-driven, the government must put its weight behind the mission to give it its desired push.

Global warming is the cause of the drought being experienced in Africa and has given rise to food shortage, coupled with the high-level of insecurity in the country. There is fear that famine looms in Africa, which will lead to hundreds of deaths in the continent. If all of this can be averted with the adoption of green energy sources, why do we hesitate?

Fortunately, Africa possesses a great amount of sunlight and experts say we are in a better position to leverage its natural element to explore the solar energy option. There are numerous companies who are already on the path to solar energy adoption, which has made it quite popular. It is not uncommon to see solar panels on the rooftops of houses in urban cities, and it would be advantageous to see more of that. In some western countries for instance, making the choice of adopting renewable solar energy, makes you eligible for compensation by the government, which is a great way to encourage the adoption.

Some industry critics have debated about the impact of renewable energy on e-waste and recycling as these processes also impact the environment. For instance, the chemicals mined to produce batteries and the waste that come from them impacts the environment. The Managing Partner of Green Force Energy, Chidera Ejiofor, however posits that the waste from these batteries are recycled and reused to reduce e-waste and it remains more advantageous than burning fossil fuel.

“The end game is to reduce the burning of fossil fuel, which ultimately reduces the effects it has on our environment. At Green Force Energy, we strive to be at the forefront of the elimination of factors that militate the consumption of affordable and clean energy in a way that represents equity, cost-effectiveness and zero emissions,” Ejiofor said.

If there is anything that 2022 displayed, it’s the effects of carbon emission on the planet. From the blizzards, the floods, the drought, the increased ocean levels and all the extremities that shook the earth to its roots, it is more than enough indication that drastic, urgent and different efforts should be implemented in forthcoming years, or we risk having some parts of earth disappear. Let us promote green renewable energy for a greener earth and keep the world safe, rather than sorry.

* Mrs Adeniji writes from Lagos