Pollution: Nairobi is gasping for clean air
A polluted Nairobi River
What you need to know:
- In Nairobi, initiatives like the Green Nairobi Project transform barren landscapes into vibrant green spaces.
- The project, launched in 2020, aims to plant over 20 million trees across the city, creating a network of urban forests that act as natural air filters.
Burning coal, oil and gas releases harmful gases, including the notorious carbon dioxide (CO2). This invisible villain, the main driver of climate change, traps sunlight like a greenhouse blanket, warming the planet and disrupting weather patterns.
The fight against this invisible threat demands a multi-pronged attack. We must embrace nature-based solutions while exploring technological options. Nature remains our first line of defence against air pollution.
In Nairobi, initiatives like the Green Nairobi Project transform barren landscapes into vibrant green spaces. The project, launched in 2020, aims to plant over 20 million trees across the city, creating a network of urban forests that act as natural air filters.
Trees act as lungs for our towns, filtering pollutants, reducing temperatures and improving overall well-being. Scientists are exploring artificial solutions like carbon capture and storage (CCS).
CCS acts like a giant air vacuum cleaner, sucking andCO2 from its source – factories, power plants even the very air itself – before it can wreak havoc.
This captured CO2 is then compressed and safely stored underground in geological formations, like depleted oil wells or saline aquifers, effectively locking it away. This technology sparked a heated debate at the recent COP28 climate conference.
Proponents see it as a vital tool, allowing us to mitigate emissions while still using fossil fuels. They argue that CCS can buy us time to develop renewable energy sources and transition to a cleaner future. But opponents are wary.
They raise concerns that CCS might mask our dependence on fossil fuels, delaying the inevitable shift away from these harmful sources.
They question the effectiveness of capturing only a fraction of CO2 emissions, highlighting the risk of methane leakage from oil and gas infrastructure, another potent greenhouse gas.
Additionally, doubts linger about the scalability of emerging technologies like Direct Air Capture (DAC), which directly extracts CO2 from the atmosphere.
While CCS tackles emissions at the source, DAC extends its reach beyond smokestacks, capturing CO2 directly from the atmosphere through a giant air filter.
The captured CO2 can be stored or reused for industrial purposes.
While still in its early stages, DAC has the potential to scale up and mineralise CO2 into rock formations. As with CCS, DAC is not a replacement for reducing emissions at the source but another weapon against climate change.
However, experts argue that CCS is not a silver bullet but a complex tool. We must use it cautiously and transparently to avoid further dependence on fossil fuels.
While nature-based solutions and renewable energy are the ultimate goals, CCS can be a valuable ally.
However, it should not be relied upon as the sole solution.
