The issue of Global warming as a result of the high volume of combustible energy used mostly in Nigeria and Africa has been a major topical issue in recent times.
Many have predicted that in 2030 the earth will be hotter.
Several research and experiments have been carried out with the bid to find greener sources of energy that are affordable. Over the last decade, there has been headway with solar, electrical and biological sources of energy.
According to Ejikeme Patrick Nwosu of Lumos Laboratories Limited, Abuja, Energy gotten from crude oil and coal which is mostly used in the African region have high carbon contents, and when they are used, a lot of carbons are being released into the atmosphere causing global warming.
Over the years, crude oil which has carbon as its end product has been a major source of energy both for domestic and public use, in industries and in major mediums of transportation like trains and cars. Unfortunately, carbon emissions contribute to both air pollution and massive global warming.
The newest source of energy which happens to be human waste can replace both crude oil and coal if maximized adequately will save Africa from global warming and its consequent effects.
Nwosu said; “If you see the kind of high temperature we are having now, it is abnormal in many parts of the world, including where I am in Federal Capital Territory (FCT). It’s not normal. And it is caused chiefly by releasing high carbon-content petrol products and energy.”
This abnormal change in temperature has been the rationale leading to the research and discovery of the new energy that is derived from the said urine.
Nwosu and his team at Lumos Laboratories found a solution after working for years on efficient methods of refining the energy from urine and human faeces.
“So in our study, we developed a process of generating hydrogen and ammonia in a single process, from urine. Why it is so important is that hydrogen is the best source of fuel, because hydrogen doesn’t have carbon, doesn’t have anything that pollutes the environment.
“And while hydrogen is used, it generates a lot of energy, and the byproduct is water vapor. Just hydrogen and water vapor, no carbon, no pollution,” Said the science major.
When the rate of carbon pumping into the air is reduced, global warming is also reduced as well as air pollution.
Nwosu opined, “Then ammonia also doesn’t have carbon. When you use ammonia, you get water vapor, you also get nitrogen which also doesn’t have a negative impact on the environment. You know we have nitrogen in our environment. The air we breathe has nitrogen, oxygen and other articulate matter.”
“So the two gasses we get from urine: hydrogen and ammonia, are the best fuel of the future because they have no carbon contents. They don’t contribute to global warming, and have a very wonderful use.”
“So we’re putting our all in this area of research because we know it has a local and global impact,” Nwosu added.
The research with both local and international impact has been likened to a similar project in the United Kingdom which has caused the UK Government to invest more than 10 Million Euros in training people on how to blend Hydrogen and cooking gas for home use.
“We are the one also producing the other methane, ammonia, from waste, We are the one blending them, We are the one using them to produce electricity and also as cooking gas.” The Nigerian Scientist revealed.