Enkindle

Title: Things Fall Apart Genre: Fiction, Historical Fiction Reviewer: Michael Dabi Audience: General readership, students of literature, history enthusiasts   Summary Set in the late 19th century, "Things Fall Apart" takes readers to the Igbo village of Umuofia in Nigeria. The novel's protagonist, Okonkwo, is a highly respected warrior and wrestling champion who is determined to uphold the traditional values and customs of his people. Okonkwo's father, Unoka, was considered a failure and a lazy man, which drives Okonkwo to distance himself from any associations with his father's reputation. The novel begins by painting a vivid picture of Igbo society, showcasing its tightly knit familial and communal bonds, religious practices, and reverence for ancestral spirits. Central to Igbo life is their belief in a pantheon of gods and spirits that govern various aspects of existence. The author, Chinua Achebe, skillfully introduces readers to the vibrant cultur...

On the afternoon of Saturday, July 8, 2023, in the lovely township of Ho, nestled amidst the gorgeous hills of Ghana's Volta Region, a disastrous event occurred. A three-hour rainstorm turned the picturesque valley into a flooded environment, causing major property loss and structure damage. As a flood risk enthusiast and environmental scientist, I am profoundly concerned about the risks of constructing on hills. In this blog post, we will look at the risks, look at case studies, and talk about how local and national governments, as well as individuals, can react proactively to avoid disasters in the face of rapid population increase and urbanization.   The Risks of Building on Hills Due to the geological and hydrological characteristics of hillside terrain, there are inherent dangers associated with hillside construction. Among the principal threats are: Increased Flood Vulnerability Hills serve as natural drainage channels, directing rainwater downhill. As evidenced b...

Introduction Welcome back to our Climate Change Series! In the previous post, we discussed the natural greenhouse effect and its function in maintaining a habitable temperature on Earth. Today, we will look deeper into the human-caused enhancement of the greenhouse effect and its relationship to global warming. We will explore the major greenhouse gases, the effects of rising concentrations, and the effects of global warming. Now, let's dive in!   Understanding the Enhanced Greenhouse Effect The enhanced greenhouse effect is an imbalance in the natural greenhouse effect resulting from human activities. Over the past century, human activities, especially the burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas, have been releasing vast volumes of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. These additional greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), methane (CH 4 ), and nitrous oxide (N 2 O), increase the greenhouse effect by trapping more heat and producing a temperature ...

Introduction Welcome to our new climate change and global warming blog series! Over the course of these blog postings, we will delve into the science behind these occurrences, their influence on our planet, and our joint efforts to resist them. Today’s post provides a full introduction to the natural greenhouse effect. What is the Greenhouse Effect? A greenhouse The term " greenhouse effect " may stir up pictures of a lush, sunlit garden surrounded in glass, and this is not entirely incorrect. Our planet has a natural system for maintaining a habitable temperature, similar to a greenhouse . However, instead of glass walls and a ceiling, Earth relies on its atmosphere, a thin blanket of gases that envelops our globe. Diagrammatic representation of the greenhouse effect.  Source: Enclopedia Britannica. When solar energy reaches Earth, a portion of it is reflected back into space, while the remainder is absorbed by the land and oceans. As this absorbed energy warms the Earth, i...

  Written by Michael Dabi (PhD Candidate),  Institute for Environment and Sanitation Studies ,  University of Ghana Introduction The  Conference of the Parties (COP)  is an essential series of annual global conferences convened under the  United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) . These conferences provide a platform for governments to engage in discussions, negotiations, and strategic planning to address the challenges posed by climate change. Summary of the Conferences COP1 , held in Berlin, Germany, in 1995, laid the foundation for future climate negotiations and agreements by establishing a comprehensive framework convention on climate change. The UNFCCC now serves as the primary framework for international climate change negotiations, recognizing human-induced climate change and assigning a significant responsibility to industrialized nations in combating it. COP2 , hosted in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1996, aimed to build upon the g...