Plastic waste has become a pressing environmental concern, and one area where we can make a significant impact is in our kitchens. By adopting simple yet effective practices, we can reduce plastic use and contribute to a healthier planet. In this article, we’ll explore ten practical ways to reduce plastic waste in your kitchen.

1. Embrace Reusable Containers:

One of the easiest ways to reduce plastic waste is to swap single-use plastic containers for durable, reusable alternatives. Invest in glass or stainless steel containers for storing leftovers, snacks, and beverages. These containers are not only eco-friendly but also safer for your health.

2. Choose Cloth over Paper:

Replace disposable paper towels and napkins with washable cloth alternatives. Cloth towels and napkins can be laundered and reused, reducing the need for constant repurchasing and preventing unnecessary plastic packaging.

3. Ditch Plastic Bags:

Plastic bags are a major contributor to pollution. Replace them with reusable cloth bags for grocery shopping and produce storage. Keep a few bags in your car to ensure you’re always prepared.

4. Explore Farmers’ Markets and Bulk Stores:

Shopping at farmers’ markets and bulk food stores can significantly reduce plastic packaging. Bring your own reusable produce bags and containers to fill with fresh produce, grains, nuts, and other pantry staples.

5. Opt for Glass & Metal – Reduce Plastic Debris:

When purchasing kitchen tools and equipment, prioritize glass and metal options over plastic. Glass storage containers, metal straws, and stainless steel utensils are durable, long-lasting alternatives that won’t leach harmful chemicals into your food.

6. Filter Your Water – Avoid Plastic Wa:

Instead of relying on single-use plastic water bottles, invest in a high-quality water filter. You’ll have access to clean, fresh water without contributing to the plastic bottle waste problem.

7. Homemade Cleaning Products:

Reduce your reliance on plastic-packaged cleaning products by making your own. Use simple ingredients like vinegar, baking soda, and essential oils to create effective and eco-friendly cleaners.

8. Compost Organic Waste:

Organic kitchen waste, such as fruit peels and vegetable scraps, can be composted instead of being thrown away in plastic bags. Composting reduces landfill waste and produces nutrient-rich soil for gardening.

9. Mindful Meal Planning:

Plan your meals to minimize food waste, which often leads to excessive plastic packaging. When you plan your meals, you’ll buy only what you need, reducing the amount of plastic-wrapped items in your kitchen.

10. Educate and Advocate About Plastic Pollution:

Spread awareness about the importance of reducing plastic waste among your family, friends, and social circles. Participate in local initiatives and advocate for plastic-free policies to create a positive impact on your community.

In conclusion, reducing plastic waste in your kitchen is a powerful step toward a more sustainable lifestyle. By implementing these ten practical strategies, you’ll not only contribute to a cleaner environment but also inspire others to make eco-friendly choices. Let’s work together to create a plastic-free future for generations to come.

Adopting a zero-waste lifestyle has become increasingly important in today’s society as environmental concerns grow. A fundamental component of this lifestyle is developing a zero-waste grocery shopping routine. You can reduce waste, save money, and contribute to a more sustainable future by making deliberate decisions and using simple tactics. This article will lead you through realistic steps for developing a waste-free grocery shopping routine that meets your budget.
Before getting into the intricacies, it is critical to understand the core ideas of the zero waste philosophy. Zero waste aims to reduce waste generation, enhance resource consumption efficiency, and create a circular economy. Some of the 5 R’s are Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Rot.
You can build a zero waste food shopping habit using these suggestions as a guide.

A zero waste food buying habit can be created with proper planning and preparation.

Make a grocery list:

Make a detailed list of what you need so that you only buy what you need and avoid impulse purchases.

Meal preparation:

Plan your meals for the following week to avoid food waste and ensure you buy the correct quantities. Find creative ways to repurpose leftovers to reduce waste.
Investigate Local Bulk Stores and Farmers’ Markets: Look for unpackaged, regionally made foods at local farmers’ markets and bulk stores. These alternatives are typically less expensive.

Adopt the following procedures at the grocery shop to reduce waste and stay within your budget:

Please bring reusable bags: Carry reusable bags to avoid using single-use plastic bags. Choose bags made of natural fibers that are machine-washable and long-lasting.

Carefully select fresh produce: Choose loose produce over pre-packaged produce. Also, choose organic and locally farmed produce whenever feasible, and avoid excessive packaging.
Likewise, purchase dry items in bulk to save packing waste. Grains, beans, and spices are a few examples. Fill your own canvas bags or reusable containers.
In addition, avoid single-use items such as straws, plastic water bottles, and disposable cutlery. Reusable options such as metal straws, bamboo utensils, and stainless steel bottles are available.

Following your supermarket shopping, it is critical to efficiently manage waste.

Start a composting system at home to recycle food scraps and create nutrient-rich soil for your plants. Composting keeps organic waste out of landfills.
Recycling correctly: Dispose of your recyclable items in accordance with your local recycling standards. Rinse the containers and discard anything that cannot be recycled.

Budget-friendly zero-waste food buying necessitates careful planning, decision-making, and minor lifestyle changes. Therefore, by following the standards of the zero waste philosophy and putting the ideas offered into reality, you may substantially reduce waste, save money, and help create a more sustainable future. In effect, every step you take to decrease your waste count, you will inspire others to follow your example to join the struggle to make the planet greener and cleaner.

The Green Bond project in Lagos is set to begin.

A Green bond is a type of fixed income instrument. Governments, banks, municipalities, and corporations use green bonds to raise money for new or existing climate and environmental projects. They are aimed at encouraging sustainability and supporting climate and the environment.

Recently, the Lagos State Government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Financial Market Dealers Quotations and Financial Sector Deepening Africa (FSD Africa) to raise funds for the Lagos Green Bond Market Development Programme. The government hopes to use the bond to address climate change and environmental challenges in the state.

Governor Sanwo-Olu

Earlier, Governor Sanwo-Olu lamented that climate change is expected to hit developing countries the hardest. Unfortunately, low-lying states such as Lagos are expected to fare the worst.

Despite the devastating effects, the governor noted that investors increasingly viewed climate change as a gateway to new business opportunities. Investors now have an opening to profitably protect the planet – Green Bonds.

Typically, green bonds are commonly used to finance projects like energy efficiency projects, renewable energy projects, and pollution prevention.  Other considerations include Clean Transportation projects, wastewater, and water management projects. Also, green bonds offer tax incentives, such as tax exemptions and tax credits, in order to attract investors to the projects.

As such, the government expects to raise between N25billion and N100billion from the bond issue. This is according to the Special Adviser to the Governor on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Mrs. Solape Hammond.

Accordingly, the Chief Executive of FMDQ Group, Bola Onadele-Koko, noted that the project is in line with the Governor’s THEMES agenda. The agenda hopes to achieve the SDGs as highlighted by the United Nations, which includes job creation, economic growth, etc.

Interestingly, the project will tackle goals 6 – clean water and sanitation, 7 – Affordable and clean energy, 8 – Decent and economic growth. More specifically, however, the bond will directly impact goal 13 – climate action of the SDGs.

What does jollof rice have to do with government policy on LPG use? Well, the Federal government is making efforts to encourage citizens to utilize Nigeria’s huge gas reserve and discourage the use of firewood in Nigeria.

Meet Mrs. Koffo, a smoked-fish monger at Ibeju lekki. Her husband is a fishnet maker while her son is a fisherman. We came across them during the Zenith Bank-sponsored LPG awareness and empowerment campaign at Ibeju Lekki.

LPG For The Home, Not For Business

Mrs. Koffo, was excited and welcomed the idea of LPG, which she soon started using to make meals at home. However, she frowned at it when she was told that it could also be used to smoke fish. At the time, She dried fish in an enclosed space. Here, she inhales a huge amount of smoke on a daily basis, thus jeopardizing her health.

Team members were quick to observe that Mrs. Koffo looked many years older than her stated age. In every likelihood, her many hours of “smoking” were responsible for this.

Yet, according to her, “the look, feel and taste of the fish will be different if she uses gas”. In the same way, some people would always opt for “firewood rice”(Jollof rice made with firewood), claiming it had a better taste.

Firewood Jollof vs LPG Jollof

The “look and feel” of smoked fish, and the taste of firewood Jollof, are but 2 of the many challenges still to overcome in the drive for LPG use in Nigeria. Policymakers and in this case, policy drivers, must be well aware of the cultural nuances in the country as the campaign progresses. Typically, these age-old norms are hard to change. And when change comes at a seemingly high financial cost, it is even more difficult to effect.

Although we had achieved moderate success during this campaign, we noticed that some traditional practices could hinder the use of LPG in many communities in Nigeria.

 

 

Gender equality refers to a situation where women and men have equal conditions for realising their full human rights and potentials; are able to contribute equally to national, political, economic, social and cultural development and benefit equally from the results. Furthermore, it entails that the underlying causes of discrimination are systematically identified and removed in order to give men and women equal opportunities. Equality is therefore understood to include both formal equality and substantive equality, and not merely simple equality to men.

According to the UN, “gender equality is not only a fundamental human right, but a necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world.

Providing women and girls with equal access to education, health care, decent work, and representation in political and economic decision-making processes will nurture sustainable economies and benefit societies and humanity at large. A record 143 countries guaranteed equality between men and women in their constitutions as of 2014. However, another 52 had not taken this step. In many nations, gender discrimination is still woven into the fabric of legal systems and social norms. Even though SDG5 is a stand-alone goal, other SDGs can only be achieved if the needs of women receive the same attention as the needs of men. Issues unique to women and girls include traditional practices against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, such as female genital mutilation.

According to the United Nations Development Programme statistics

• Globally, women earn only 77 cents for every dollar that men earn doing the same work.
• 35% of women in the world have experienced physical and/or sexual violence in their lifetime.
• Less than 20 percent of the world’s landholders are women.
• Worldwide, almost 750 million women and girls alive today were married before their 18th birthday.
• Two thirds of countries in the developing world have achieved gender parity in primary education.
• Only 22.8 percent of all national parliamentarians were women as of June 2016, up from 11.3 percent in 1995.

Nigeria like other countries in the world is responding to the clarion calls made variously by the United Nations to rid societies of all forms of discriminations especially gender based discriminations.

In fact in the year 2000, Nigeria took a bold step adopting and passing into law the National Policy on women guided by the Global Instrument on the Convention of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).

The country indeed has tried to respond to this development from the international arena by articulating policies and programmes that seeks to reduce gender inequalities in socio economic and political spheres, however, the success of bridging the gap between men and women is far fetched. All efforts made to attain gender equality in Nigeria seems like a charade.

Politically, Nigerian women are negligible and undermined force, with little political involvement. Economically, they constitute the majority of the peasant labour force in the agricultural sector, while most of the others occupy bottom of occupational ladder and continue to be channelled into service and domestic occupations. The consequence of the unequal status between men and women is high level of economics and political powerlessness among women, powerlessness in turn retard development of any level, politically, economically and socially.

A critical analysis of the political system of Nigeria casts a huge doubt on the achievement of the sustainable development goal 5: gender equality.

 

Political Issues

In Nigeria, there are prevailing concerns such as religious and cultural bias against women participation in politics; low membership in political parties and party structure. Even the hostile political environment does not stimulate the right response in women, nor does it pique their interest; and creates imbalance in the political sphere.

Women who constitute about half of the population have been continuously sidelined in public life to the extent that they never held more than 15% of elective offices (see table for statistics of elective positions) compared to what obtained in other nations of the world, particularly in developed nations.

Prof. Olayiwola Olurode noted that Nigeria lags far behind in women political participation index on the African countries saying, “Nigerian women have about the worst representation of 5.9% in the national legislature when compared to most other African countries example Uganda (34.6%), South Africa (43.2%), Ethiopia (27.7%), Cameroon (20%), Niger (12.3%) and DR Congo (8.0%)”.

 

	1999		2003		2007		2011		2015
Office	Seat Available	Women	Seat Available	Women	Seat Available	Women	Seat Available	Women	Seat Available	Women
President	1	0	1	0	1	0	1	0	1	0
Vice President	1	0	1	0	1	0	1	0	1	0
Senate	109	3(2.8)	109	4(3.7)	109	8(7.3)	109	7(6.4)	109	8(6.4)
House of Reps	360	12(3.3)	360	21(5.8)	360	23(6.4)	360	26(7.2)	109	19(5.3)
Governor	36	0	36	0	36	0	36	0	36	0
Deputy Governor	36	1(2.8)	36	2(5.5)	36	6(16.7)	36	3(8.3)	36	4
State House of Assembly	990	12(1.2)	990	38(3.8)	990	52(5.3)	990	62(6.3)
SHA Committees Chairpersons	829	18(2.2)	881	32(3.6)	887	52(5.9)	887
L.G.A. Chairpersons	710	9(1.2)	774	15(1.9)	740	27(3.6)	740
Councilors	8,810	143(0.02)	6368	267(42)	6368	235(3.7)	6368

 

The issue being that women in Nigeria face a lot of odds when they contest against men. For instance

i. The issue of the chauvinistic traditional system

The following are notorious facts in Nigeria

1. It is an abomination for women to claim equality with men especially in decision making programme such as politics or wanting to head a man under any circumstance, it’s a taboo.
2. A woman does not take a separate decision apart from her spouse.
3. The idea of women in politics is a rude agenda in Nigeria and an abomination to most men. Naturally, there is stiff opposition from even educated men politicians to women.

ii. Women conception of politics

In Nigeria, there is a belief that Nigerian politics is based on high political virility, those who have all it takes to compete in the turbulent environment, and those who can match violence. It is assumed that men possess superiority, strength, competitiveness and self reliant and are preferred to tussle in political endeavour, whereas, women are considered too passive to engage in politics and governance. This consensus is also constructed by societal norms and values which through socialization has defined different gender roles according to biological differences. Their perception of politics as a dirty game and continued fright at the thought of violence has alienated them from mainstreaming politics.

iii. Funding and high cost of election

Although equality affects men but the rate at which it affects women is more pronounced in Nigeria. The cost of financing political parties and campaigns is a big obstacle to women. The minimum cost of gubernatorial election could go as high as 200 million naira and how many men can mobilize such huge amount of money for women? Which political party would nominate a woman for that post considering her very small contribution to party finance and formation?

Women are said to be amongst the poorest people in the world and a poor person can not play significant role in politics. Over 90% of women live below the poverty line in Nigeria. Those that are educated are not rich and the rich ones are uneducated or are not politically inclined. Therefore this disadvantage position cannot allow women to match naira for naira in Nigeria monetised politics. This partly explain why they are reluctant about active participation in politics.

iv. The place of the women participating in politics

Although women actively participate in the membership of political parties, the only serve as supporters for male to acquire political positions. Politics is said to be game of members yet women’s numerical strength has not impacted positively on the political life and decision making structure of the nation. Men constitute a large percentage of the party membership and this tends to affect women when it comes to selecting or electing candidates for elections. Men tend to dominate the party hierarchy and are therefore at advantage in influencing the party’s internal politics. Women usually constitute a smaller percentage of political party membership because of the social, cultural, religious attitude of different Nigerian societies.

v. The general perception of politics in Nigeria

It is generally believed that politics is a dirty vocation; one that is reserved for unrefined people who have little scruples with bending the rules and subverting due process. Female politicians are therefore seen as accomplices of vile male politicians who are bent on manipulating the popular will of the people. They are treated as deviant male politicians. Politics is time consuming and it demands great attention. Juggling their traditional ascribed roles with an interest in politics without a supportive spouse could result in needless conflict.

Female politicians are often perceived to be divorcees and marital failures. Also, violence and threats, the do-or-die nature of politics in Nigeria has had its own fair share of women who have to pay the ultimate price for venturing into politics. Alhaja Kudirat Abiola, Suliat Adedeji and many others are easily recalled as helpless victims of the sanguinary predilection of Nigeria’s politics. These issues highlighted have gone along way to affect women’s participation in politics and has therefore lead to a very low level of political interest.

 

CONCLUSION

In order to have women, gender equality initiatives, the government needs to work towards changing the structures which produces gender inequalities in our society.

Building on the premise of the existence of a clear inexorable interconnection between women’s deprivation and some socio-economic and political factors, it therefore follow that, to address women gender equality on any front, effort must be made to address the aforementioned gender issues.

Nigeria cannot afford to continue to treat half of its population and a significant part of the productive force as inferior being. We need to give our womenfolk the full chance to participate in all sectors of society. The roles of women as house makers cannot be downplayed. Women touch anywhere, cannot be matched. To ensure and achieve gender equality in Nigeria, economic and political powerlessness of women must be addressed. But that does not seem likely, does it?

Quality education is one that provides all learners with capabilities they require to become economically productive, develop sustainable livelihoods, contribute to peaceful and democratic societies and enhance individual well-being.

Remarkably, major progress has been made in access to education, specifically at the primary school level, for both boys and girls. Still, at least 22 million children in 43 countries will miss out on pre-primary education unless the rate of progress doubles.

According to the United Nations Development Programme statistics

• Enrollment in primary education in developing countries has reached 91 percent.
• Still, 57 million primary-aged children remain out of school, more than half of them in sub-Saharan Africa.
• In developing countries, one in four girls is not in school.
• About half of all out-of-school children of primary school age live in conflict-affected areas.
• 103 million youth worldwide lack basic literacy skills, and more than 60 percent of them are women.
• Globally, 6 out of 10 children and adolescents are not achieving a minimum level of proficiency in reading and math.

There is little doubt that the failure of countries like Nigeria to attain real appreciable progress towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) was what led to the adoption of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGAS) in New York on September 25, 2015.

With this in mind, the SDG 3 is designed to achieve inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all by 2030.

 

THE STATE OF NIGERIAN EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM

Long before the adoption of the SDGs in 2015, Nigeria’s educational system had variously been rated poor by many analysts.

In the early 2000s, a lecturer in the Department of English Language at the University of Abuja, argued that contrary to what many people think, the standard of education in Nigeria had not fallen as there is only one excellent standard. He posited that what had gone bad were things that ought to sustain that standard. Controversial may be but the remark is not far from the truth.

One of these ‘’things’’ is facilities, many of which, as at the early 2000s, were moribund in many tertiary institutions, secondary and primary schools across the country. It was so bad that the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) embarked on a six-month strike to protest, among other matters of concern, the poor state of education in Nigeria’s universities.

Clearly, little was achieved by the strike, as 12 years later, ASUU again called its members out on strike to protest what it called “the abysmal state of Nigerian Universities. In embarking on the fresh strike, ASUU said that the Federal Government had failed to honour the agreement on improving the university system that it had reached with the union in 2009. The strike also lasted six months and in order to resolve it, the government agreed to release the sum of N200 billion per annum to be disbursed to Nigerian Universities over a five-year period.  But issues surrounding the 2009 agreement remain unresolved, and ASUU has again threatened to go on strike. Nor is ASUU the only body to do so, as associations of Polytechnic and College of Education lecturers had also embarked on strike action over the government’s failed promises or breaches of contract.

This negative trend is even more disheartening at the basic level.

The Universal Basic Education (UBE) Programme is key to achieving development goals. Established in 1999, UBE’s primary objective is to eradicate illiteracy, ignorance and poverty as well as stimulate and accelerate national development, political consciousness and national integration. For such a critical agency, it is surprising that even by its own admittance, since it was set up, its progress was hampered by lack of an enabling law to execute certain aspects of the programme. This issue was addressed on the 26th of May 2004, when President Obasanjo signed the Universal Basic Education Act into law. The results achieved, however, has been less than satisfactory.

In 2016, the management of the Universal Basic Education Commission released a distressing statistics on the state of education at the primary level in Nigeria. It was revealed that Nigeria had the highest number of out-of-school children in the world which was estimated to be around 10.5 million, something UBEC considered a worrisome trend and remains a major challenge in the delivery of basic education in the country.

A high percentage of these out-of-school children are in northern part of Nigeria, and in this regard, the report states that over the last decade, Nigeria’s exponential growth in population has put immense pressure on the country’s resources and on already overstretched public services and infrastructure. With children under 15 years of age accounting for about 45 percent of the country’s population, the burden on education and other sectors has become overwhelming. Forty percent of Nigerian children aged 6 -11 do not attend any primary school with the Northern region recording the lowest school attendance rate in the country, particularly for girls. This statistics was compiled by UNICEF in 2005.

By 2015, the situation had not changed, as another UNICEF report revealed that 10.5 million children are out of school in Nigeria, with more than 60 percent of them girls.

These, however, are just a tip of the iceberg as there are a plethora of other underlying problems at the various levels of the educational system in Nigeria. These issues have dealt a crippling blow to the system through poor funding, discriminatory practices, decayed infrastructure, weak and obsolete legal and regulatory regimes, wanton and wilful breach of agreements as well as serial and sustained cases of impunity in the sector.

 

THE WAY FORWARD

It is not all doom and gloom for the Nigerian educational system even if the stats confirm that it is indeed a herculean task. The government has a major role to play in reversing this ugly trend.

The introduction of incentives like nutritious and delicious school meals could go a long way to get children back into school. A feeding programme as has to introduced and sustained by the federal government. A hungry child cannot concentrate in school.

The State Universal Basic Education Board has an essential action plan that must be seen through by the government. The cardinal points are enumerated below.

• SUBEB works to ensure unfettered access to nine years of formal basic education.
• The provision of free Universal Basic Education for every Nigerian child of school going age.
• The drastic reduction of the incidence of drop-out from the formal school system, through improved relevance, quality and efficiency.
• Ensuring the acquisition of appropriate levels of literacy, numeracy, manipulative, communicative and life skills.
• Ensuring the acquisition of  ethical, moral and civic values needed for laying a solid foundation for lifelong learning.

Alas, all these cannot be achieved if billions of naira meant for improving the quality of basic education continue to be misappropriated and unaccounted for.

Attaining progress on education and meeting the SDG 4 goal will go beyond planning without effective implementation. As the experts have said, amongst other things, it will also require improved funding of the sector, the political will to curb corruption and mediocrity, and partnership with the private sector. While the Federal Government has collaborated with the private sector, including foreign agencies, on education matters in the past two years, it needs to deepen such engagement.

Also, it is of utmost importance to put an end to strikes and ensure uninterrupted academic sessions; the government should – as a matter of urgency – establish a statutory body that must meet periodically to dialogue and negotiate with stakeholders on issues affecting the education sector.

Beyond such collaboration, direct private sector involvement could go a long way towards improving not only the quality of education but also providing less privileged children with the opportunity to go to school. In February 2017, a foundation established by Nollywood actress, Tonto Dike, pledged to renovate some schools in Warri and provide items such as books, whiteboard and school uniforms. Clearly, all hands must be on deck if we are to run this race to the finish line.

 

Quality education is a human right and a public good. Governments and other public authorities should ensure that quality education service is available freely to all citizens from early childhood into adulthood. Quality education provides the foundation for equity in society.

The benefits of quality education in a society cannot be overemphasized. Education liberates the intellect, unlocks the imagination and is fundamental for self-respect. It is the key to prosperity and opens a world of opportunities, making it possible for each of us to contribute to a progressive, healthy society. Learning benefits every human being and should be available to all.

Despite the pessimism expressed by many Nigerians, the country would do well to be part of the successful group that achieves Quality Education status come 2030.

This incredible solar and water powered trash cleaner is the rising star of Baltimore’s Inner Harbour, known to locals as Mr. Trash Wheel. It is a garbage gobbler that clears debris before it enters the river. Built with $720,000 in public and private funds, the voracious device once filled 12 Dumpsters with trash in the 48 hours. Since its debut in 2014, it has pulled in more than a million pounds of trash and debris from the Jones Falls River’ [read more]

Bamboo Production to Boost Ecosystem and Create Jobs

The Federal Ministry of Environment has said as part of the diversification process, it will partner with the private sector and other organisations in the development and utilisation of bamboo for the growth of the nation’s economy.

The Permanent Secretary, Dr Shehu Ahmed, said bamboo production and management had enhanced the economic growth of many nations and thus, would contribute immensely to Nigeria’s ecosystem and help in creation of employment’ [read more]

Kogi Pledges Closer Ties with NESREA on Secure Environment

The Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, has pledged closer cooperation with the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) with a view to creating a safe and secure environment in the state.

The governor made the pledge when the Director-General of NESREA, Dr Lawrence Chidi Anukam, paid him a courtesy call in his office in Lokoja, recently.

A statement from the agency stated that the governor described his government as “environmentally friendly” while lamenting the non-implementation of the original master plan of the state which, according to him, has allowed land speculators to embark on unnecessary defacement of the environment’ [read more]

Earthquake-hit Farmers in Italy Rest Hopes on Fields of Lentils

Over seven months after a devastating earthquake hit the central parts of Italy, farmers from the Umbria region are hoping that their fields of lentils can help revive local agriculture and tourism.

Italy’s main farming association Coldiretti has estimated at 2.3 billion euros ($2.4 billion) the cost of the direct and indirect damage done to rural areas, barns, machinery, mills, storehouses and infrastructure and the destruction of animals and crops’ [read more]

Kogi Trains Forestry Officers in Afforestation, Mapping

The Kogi State Government has embarked on a four-day training programme for its forestry officers on afforestation and forestry mapping techniques.

The Commissioner for the Environment and Natural Resources, Mrs. Rosemary Osikoya, disclosed this to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lokoja today Thursday, April 13, 2017.

She said that the training started on Monday, April 10, and ended on Wednesday, April 12, 2017 with the launch of a Forestry Tariff Plan, which was approved by the State Executive Council.

She also, said that the training was designed to expose the officers to the techniques of preparing and planting tree seedlings and how to measure the volume of trees for prospective buyers’ [read more]

 

 

Globally, 3 billion people rely on solid fuels to cook, causing serious environmental and health issues which affects women and children. Every year, smoke inhalation from these fires and indoor air pollution kills over 4 million people and sickens many others.

The Wonderbag was developed to ease the social, economic and environmental impacts of these circumstances by providing them with a simple cooking device.

Wonderbag is a simple but revolutionary, non-electric heat retention cooker. It continues to cook food that has been brought to the boil by conventional methods/on a stove or fire for up to 12 hours without the use of additional electricity or heat.

There is no smoke inhalation especially for those that make use of firewood and charcoal.

Cooking in the wonderbag keeps the moisture inside your food, and nutrients don’t boil away promoting healthy food.

Wonderbag uses less water, food doesn’t burn and neither should you or your family.

Please note:before placing the pot into the wonderbag, make sure you use the right size of pot for the amount of food you wish to cook. Use only copper, steel, aluminium, enamelled cast iron, cast iron and glassware pots.

If you use cast iron, clay or ceramic, you must put a stand under the pot (inside the bag) to avoid damaging the fabric from the heat of the bag.

In addition, do not place lukewarm food in the wonderbag.

Wonderbag is cost effective and good for the environment.

It doubles up as a cooler box, to keep your groceries cold and frozen.

Type of Food	Boil Time	Wonderbag Time
Chicken and meat on the bone	15-30 minutes	At least 2 hours (the longer the more tender)
Boneless/skinless chicken and meat	10-15 minutes	At least 1 hour (the longer the more tender)
Rice (white, brown)	5 minutes	At least 45 minutes
Pre-soaked dried beans	15 minutes	Small beans: 2-3 hours Large beans: 4-5 hours
Root vegetables	15 minutes	At least 1 hour

Note: salt your meat a day in advance of cooking to get the meat tender and moist.

Pre-cook your beans in the Wonderbag. Do not put salt into your pre-soaked dried beans until after they have completed cooking. Only open your Wonderbag when you are ready to serve to avoid losing any heat.

Below is a video to show you how it works and please follow the link for more details.

http://www.wonderbagworld.com/