Journal of Earth Science & Climatic Change
Open Access

Abstract

C limate change, often referred to as global warming, is considered to be one of the greatest environmental threats facing the world today is caused by the emission of green house gases (GHGs) into the atmosphere. The principal green house gas is carbon dioxide. One prominent source of carbon dioxide emission is the transportation sector. Not much was known about the emission levels of carbon dioxide, the primary greenhouse gas from the road transportation in the study area. Therefore, this study assessed the levels of carbon dioxide as a green house gas emission from road transportation in the south eastern part of Niger State. The three major south eastern cities investigated are; Minna, Bida and Suleja. The database shows the carbon dioxide data collected and their sampled junctions Gasman carbon dioxide gas meter was used to take the carbon dioxide emission readings in parts per million for the peak and off-peak periods of vehicular movement at the selected sample road junctions with their Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates in the Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM). Bar chart graphs were plotted by plotting the emissions level of carbon dioxide as recorded on the field against the scientifically established internationally accepted safe limit of 350 parts per million of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to curb global warming. Further statistical analysis was also carried out on the data recorded from the field using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software to show the variance of the emission levels across each of the locations of interest in the study area. The results established that emissions? level of carbon dioxide from the road transportation in the study area exceeded the internationally accepted safe limits of 350 parts per million needed in the atmosphere. The study also shows the variations in the average emission levels of CO2 between the three study areas. Suleja is having the highest average emission level of 2856.458 PPM followed by Minna with 2731.146 PPM while Bida is having the least 2518.125 PPM. In the light of the conclusions, recommendations made for climate change mitigation via carbon dioxide emissions reduction from transportation are; introduction of the urban mass transit, the use of vehicles using renewable sources of energy like solar, electric and biofuel should be encouraged, urban afforestation should be promoted by tree planting especially along road transport corridors to help salvage the environment by absorbing CO2 being emitted from vehicles on the roads.

Biography

Okelola Olumayokun Francis is a TWAS.BVA fellow young scientist. He is a member of the African Youth Forum for Science and Technology (AYFST). He is also a post graduate Google Student Ambassador and faculty of the Federal University of Technology, Minna, Nigeria. His interest is be a foremost connoisseur in Environmental cum Climate Change studies and contribute significantly to the institutional academic excellence by teaching, researching and fostering partnerships towards advancement on environmental sustainability. He has participated in series of the World Bank Institute courses. His interests straddle applied science development in the actualization of the Millennium Development Goal number 7 (Environmental sustainability). He served at the highest decision making organ of Model UN sessions representing the Japan Ambassador in the Security Council and the South Africa Ambassador in the General Assembly. He has held many leadership responsibilities including the highly coveted President of the General Assembly of the Model UN sessions where he led the assembly to pass resolutions on the subject of Climate Change as a global concern. He was nominated for the 2010 UNEP Champion of the Earth Award and Semi -Finalist of The Future Awards for his initiative projects on Climate change. He recently received the 2009 LEAP Africa national youth Leadership award, supported by the International Youth Foundation (IYF), USA and sponsored by NOKIA. He was listed among the youngest and brightest Nigerians in 2010 by The Future Project. He presently leads a team of researchers on a pilot climate change innovation research for the African Technology Policies Study (ATPS) network.