ISLAMABAD: Capital Development Authority (CDA) is planning to launch Carbon Credit Project to make Islamabad a carbon neutral city.
The project is aimed at decreasing carbon emissions in the city and controlling global warming. The CDA has identified some sources to utilise them for carbon credits, said Sajjad Shah, CDA Environment Wings deputy director.
He said the number of vehicles was increasing in the city with each passing day, which were emitting carbon. He said CDAs Environment Wing would suggest installation of catalytic converters in the vehicles and use of zero lead petrol and compressed natural gas (CNG).
Landfill: He said development of a landfill at Kurri village was in process. As the landfill could produce greenhouse gases, CDA would install equipment at the site to reduce emissions of these dangerous gases, he said.
Sewerage treatment plant: Shah said CDA would also install equipment to control greenhouse gases emission from sewerage treatment plants. He said they would suggest replacement of ordinary bulbs with solar energy bulbs to reduce concentration of carbon dioxide. Tree plantation also play a vital role in reduction of carbon in the air, therefore the CDA would also conduct huge plantation in the city, he said.
Greenhouse gases: He said carbon and other five greenhouse gases including Methane, nitrous oxide, hydro fluorocarbon, per fluorocarbon and sulphur hexafluoride cause global warming. Under the Kyoto Protocol (KP) 51 developed countries agreed to reduce greenhouse gases emission by 52 percent in 2008-09, he said.
Global warming: Talking to Daily Times, Dr Qutabuddin Marwat, a senior taxonomist, said greenhouse gases warm the atmosphere which cause global warming. Greenhouse gases are essential to maintain the temperature of the earth, as without them the planet earth would be so cold as to be un-habitable, he said, adding, however excess of greenhouse gases could rise the temperature of a planet to a lethal level.
He said global warming had many predicted effects for the environment and human beings. The main effect centres around an increase in the global average temperature. For human beings these climatic changes are dangerous, particularly for those who live near the oceans and those who are already suffering from droughts, flooding and poverty, he said.
Impact on Islamabad environment: He said due to CDAs poor planning the effect of the global warming in the city would increase with each passing day. He said carbon emission would further increase in the city as the CDA had chopped millions of paper mulberry trees, which were the only source of oxygen in the city.
The environmentalists had informed CDA several times to cut only male paper mulberry trees which were producing pollen and causing pollen allergy, but the authority indiscriminately chopped all these trees, he said. He said paper mulberry tree had big leaves and had the capability to produce a good amount of oxygen. He said cutting of these trees would directly increase temperature in the city.
By Fazal Sher
Sourced From Daily Times
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