Minister of Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation, Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, has stated that COVID-19 has taught the human race an invaluable lesson about pollution.
According to him, the drastic reduction of pollution during the lockdown is a strong message that nature does not need humans because it can restore itself.
“When there was a lockdown and factories, airplanes and cars were not operating there was a significant change in the environment. Pollution went down.”
“This tells us that we need nature but nature does not need us because it can restore itself,” he stated.
The Environment Minister, during an interview in Parliament on Friday, noted that concerted efforts should, therefore, be made to protect the environment from degradation following the eye-opening message from CCOVID-19.
The environment and human existence
According to him, the external environment holds the key to life while plant matter is the answer to human existence.
He noted that destroying trees and other plant matters on land and in the oceans is indicative of a person destroying parts of their lungs.
Mr. Frimpong-Boateng who also read a statement on the floor of the House to commemorate World Environment Day, which is observed annually on 5th June stated that forests provide food, farmlands, and drugs for human consumption, and also produce the oxygen for human existence.
“We have to protect our sea and forests. That is the essence of World Environment Day; for people to pay attention,” he said.
Green economy
Dr. Frimpong-Boateng observed that pursuing a green economy is the modern panacea for addressing environmental degradation.
Ghana, he said, is also pursuing this trend and cited government’s engagement in carbon training with Switzerland and South Korea supplying communities with improved cookstoves in exchange for Ghana’s carbon credits as an example.
According to him, green economy is a future for circular economies to ensure materials such as plastics would be designed, utilized, and recycled.
“We create a secular economy for our people so we can use our resources sustainably.
“It is important we all come to terms that whatever we do must be done with the environment in mind; the water we drink, planning our farms, cities, cemeteries, and disposing of our waste.”
World environment day
World Environment Day is an important day set aside by the United Nations and has been celebrated every 5th June since 1974.
The day offers nations and citizens of the world opportunity to ponder about the environment and the threats some human activities pose to it.
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Frontpageghana.com/Ghana/Uthman A. Marani
