News Rider

Improved Agriculture 'll Reduce 5bn Tons Of CO2 Annually- Willson  BY CHIKA OKEKE, Abuja                     Willson  The executive director of Energy Institute at Colorado State University (CSU) Dr. Bryan Willson has revealed that improved agricultural practices could reduce over five billion tons of Carbon dioxide (CO2) annually, which is 10 percent of the global CO2 emissions since the topmost part of the earth's soil contains three times as much carbon as the world’s atmosphere.  He stated this over the weekend while briefing newsmen in Colorado at the just concluded Virtual Reporting Tour (VRT) on "Combatting the Climate Crisis Through US Innovation", organised by Washington Foreign Press Centre (FPC), an arm of the US Department of State in collaboration with Meridian International Center.  Willson said that CSU is a land grant institution with strong agricultural heritage and its scientists understand the amount of carbon uptake by soil, a situation

PMB Appoints Maj Gen Yahaya As New Army Chief BY CHIKA OKEKE, Abuja President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed Major General Farouk Yahaya as the new Chief of Army Staff.  He replaced Lt Gen Attahiru who died last week Friday alongside 10 other officers  in a plane crash involving a military Beachcraft 350 at the Kaduna International Airport.  Prior to his appointment, Maj Gen Yahaya was the General Officer Commanding 1 Division of the Nigerian Army.  A statement made available to newsmen in Abuja yesterday by the acting director of Defence Information, Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu indicated that Yahaya was also the theatre commander of the Counter Insurgency operation in the Northeast, Hadin Kai.  Below is the statement: PRESIDENT BUHARI APPOINTS NEW CHIEF OF ARMY STAFF  The Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,  President  Mohammadu Buhari has appointed Major General  Farouk Yahaya as the new Chief of Army Staff.  Prior to his appo

SolarTAC Technologies Will Be Replicated In Other Countries- Smith BY CHIKA OKEKE, Abuja                                                       Smith The executive director of Solar Technology Acceleration Centre (SolarTAC) Colorado, Mr Dustin Smith said though the company is dominant in the United States that the technology would be replicated in countries willing to invest in renewable energy.  To this end, he disclosed that the parent company, MRIGlobal that co-manages the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) for the Department of Energy would collaborate with countries interested in installing the technology.  He revealed this while briefing newsmen in Colorado yesterday at the ongoing Virtual Reporting Tour (VRT) on "Combatting the Climate Crisis Through US Innovation", organised by Washington Foreign Press Centre (FPC), an arm of the US Department of State in collaboration with Meridian International Center.  SolarTAC is the largest test facility for s

Renewable Energy: US Institute Wants Nigeria To Adopt Auction, PBR BY CHIKA OKEKE, Abuja                                      Logan The Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute (RASEI), University of Colorado, Boulder (CU) United States has encouraged Nigeria to adopt techniques like auction and Performance-based Regulations (PBR) to cut-down the cost of renewables and enhance patronage.  Associate director of energy, policy and analysis at RASEI, Mr Jeffrey Logan hinted this while briefing newsmen in Colorado yesterday at the ongoing Virtual Reporting Tour (VRT) on "Combatting the Climate Crisis Through US Innovation", organised by Washington Foreign Press Centre (FPC), an arm of the US Department of State in collaboration with Meridian International Center.  RASEI is a joint institute between the University of Colorado, Boulder and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), aimed at expediting solutions on  renewable energy science, engineering, and anal

US Prioritising Energy Efficiency In Poor Communities - Strong BY CHIKA OKEKE, Abuja    Strong  The Environmental Justice Public Advocate at Michigan department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy, Regina Strong has stated that the agency is priortising energy efficiency in poor communities in the United States.  She hinted this in Detroit, Michigan over the weekend while briefing journalists during the Virtual Reporting Tour (VRT), organised by Washington Foreign Press Centre (FPC), an arm of the U.S. Department of State in collaboration with Meridian International Center.  Strong revealed that the agency would soon access funds to implement its mandate in the affected communities, stating that the COVID-19 pandemic placed many residents in a disadvantaged position.  In her presentation titled, "Advocating for Environmental Justice", the environmentalist disclosed that past administrations made several attempts to address environmental justice by setting up ta

How Nigeria's Army Chief, 10 Others Died In Plane Crash Late Attahiru  It was a tortuous moment for Nigeria and the entire armed forces when the number one citizen in the military cadre, Chief of Army Staff (CoAS), Lieutenant General Ibrahim Attahiru and 10 officers died in a plane crash. CHIKA OKEKE writes.  Nigerians were again thrown into mourning as the Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Attahiru and 10 officers died on Friday evening in a plane crash involving a military Beachcraft 350.  His trip to Kaduna was to grace the Passing out Parade (PoP) of 80RRI in Depot Nigerian Army on May 22 before he died in the ill-fated crash. The incident, which was blamed on bad weather, occurred as the aircraft conveying COAS, 10 other officers including the crew was landing at the Kaduna International Airport.  Though the military didn't provide further details on the intricacies surrounding the incident at the time of the crash,  but a statement obtained from the @HQNigerianArmy

Detroit Issued 283 Building Permits Worth $2.1m Since 2019 - Lilley  BY CHIKA OKEKE, Abuja  Lilley The director for Detroit 2030 District program, Connie Lilley has disclosed that Downtown Detroit issued 283 building permits worth over $2.1million since January 2019, adding that over 48 major building development or redevelopment projects had taken place since 2014.  She stated this yesterday in Detroit, Michigan while briefing journalists during the Virtual Reporting Tour (VRT), organised by Washington Foreign Press Centre (FPC), an arm of the U.S. Department of State in collaboration with Meridian International Center.  Detroit 2030 District is a Public Private Partnership (PPP) program for building owners and managers, professionals and other stakeholders, aimed at reducing energy, water usage and greenhouse gas emissions from transportation by 2030.  Speaking on, "Utilising Public Private Partnership (PPP) to Reduce Emissions in Detroit", she said that about 4

Electric Vehicles: US Coy To Unveil 30 Models By 2025 BY CHIKA OKEKE, Abuja As part of its commitment towards achieving zero emissions, a United States-based automobile company, General Motors (GM) has disclosed plans to unevil 30 models of Electric Vehicles (EVs) by 2025. Pix Caption: General Motors headquarters (Renaissance Center) on the Detroit River, Pan city of Detroit, Michigan, United States of America. The vice president of Global Public Policy at GM, Mr Tom Cooney disclosed this yesterday in Detroit, Michigan while briefing journalists during the Virtual Reporting Tour (VRT), organised by Washington Foreign Press Centre (FPC), an arm of the U.S. Department of State in collaboration with Meridian International Center.  GM, with four core automobile brands such as Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac commenced the designing, manufacturing and distribution of vehicles, and vehicle parts since September 16, 1908, about 113 years ago, with a renewed commitment to power 1

FG Moves To Restore Mangroves In Niger Delta BY CHIKA OKEKE, Abuja The federal government has taken cogent steps towards the restoration of mangrove ecosystems in the Niger Delta region.  A mangrove is a shrub or small tree that grows in tropical deltas, estuaries, lagoons or islands that serve as a buffer between marine and terrestrial communities and protect shorelines from damaging winds, waves, and floods. Minister of Environment, Dr. Mohammad Mahmood Abubakar stated this over the weekend while declaring open an international expert meeting on mangrove restoration, organised by the ministry in Ogoniland, Rivers State, with support from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). With participants drawn from more than 20 different institutions, the meeting is expected to pave the way for the unveiling of a conservation plan towards mangroves restoration.  According to Abubakar, "The meeting is a turning point for the restoration of mangrove ecosystems in Ogonil

22m Job Loss: US Plans $2trn Investment On Clean Energy, Others  BY CHIKA OKEKE, Abuja  Biden Determined to create alternative employment for 22 million Americans that lost their jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States government has planned $2trillion investment on clean energy, infrastructure and automobiles.  The White House National Climate Advisor, Gina McCarthy stated this yesterday in Washington, DC while briefing journalists during the Virtual Reporting Tour (VRT)", organised by Washington Foreign Press Centre (FPC), an arm of the U.S. Department of State in collaboration with Meridian International Center.  Speaking on the, "Biden-Harris Administration's Domestic Climate Policy Goals", she said the American job plan would revamp the economy and address climate change issues, which was why the government created a national climate task force. McCarthy stated that the investment would lead to the creation of millions of jobs, adding th

US Climate Reporting Tour Begins With 49 Journalists  BY CHIKA OKEKE, Abuja The United States climate change reporting tour commenced today with 49 journalists selected by the U.S. Embassies and Consulates across the geographic region including Nigeria.  The 3-week programme, with the theme, "Combatting the Climate Crisis through U.S. Innovations Virtual Reporting Tour", is organised by Foreign Press Centers (FPC), an arm of the U.S. Department of State in collaboration with Meridian International Center.  A statement by the FPC revealed that the virtual programme would enable journalists to examine the US efforts towards promoting international cooperation in developing and expanding the diverse traditional and alternative sources of energy.  President Buhari Scientists had projected that by 2050, climate stressors such as hurricanes, wildfires, drought, extreme heat and flooding from rising seas could compel between 25 million and 1 billion people ar

New Lease Of Life For Edo Community  Recently, the federal government provided a new lease of life for Uromi indigenes and students in Edo State through the unveiling of erosion and flood-control projects. CHIKA OKEKE writes.  The Uromi community is known as the most populated area in Esanland. Sited in Esan North local government area of Edo State, the mainstay of the indigenes are commerce, cottage industry, agriculture, furniture making and wood processing. Given the menace of gully erosion in the community, some areas were almost cut-off, a situation that created hard life for the locals.  This prompted one of the residents of Okhele in Uromi community, Engr Godwin Ugheghele to solicit the intervention of the Ecological Fund Office (EFO) towards ending the environmental degradation caused by decades of gully erosion. However, President Muhammadu Buhari (PMB) approved the project as one of the 16 ecological interventions for the third quarter of 2018, which was awarded to Messers N