Abstract
Within 1950 - 2004 the earth recorded a considerable increase in its average ambient temperature. This was however due to increase in anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions resulting from high consumption of fossil fuels. Flaring been a source of anthropogenic carbon dioxide, is a concern to skeptics and local oil producing communities as a significant contributor to global warming, environmental degradation, health risk and economic loss. The purpose of the study was to ascertain the impacts of gas flaring on global warming and the local oil producing communities. The study adopted the quantitative and qualitative methods of analysis. The quantitative method involved using results complied by researchers of the Carbon Dioxide Information and Analysis Center showing the total anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions (1950 -2004) from various sources to determine the impact carbon dioxide from flaring has had on global warming. The determination was done using a computer software (excel). The qualitative method on the other hand involved the use of case study literatures to examine and review the impacts gas flaring has on the local oil producing communities. The quantitative method of analysis showed that carbon dioxide from gas flaring constitute 1% of the total anthropogenic carbon dioxide which was considered insignificant, whilst the case study review of the qualitative method showed that gas flaring cause environmental degradation, health risks and constitute financial loss to the local oil producing communities. The research went ahead to refute the argument that gas flaring causes global warming, however acknowledging that it causes environmental degradation, health risks and economic loss to the local oil producing communities.
Highlights
Global warming is the increase in the average measured temperature of the earth's near-surface air and oceans since the mid-twentieth century, and its projected continuation (IPCC, 2001)
According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the average global air temperature near the earth's surface has increased by 0.74 ± 0.18 °C
The IPCC says the warming of the earth since the
Summary
Global warming is the increase in the average measured temperature of the earth's near-surface air and oceans since the mid-twentieth century, and its projected continuation (IPCC, 2001). 0.32 °F) during the hundred years ending in 2004 and most of the observed increase in average atmospheric greenhouse concentration since the mid-twentieth century is very likely due to the observed increase in anthropogenic (man-made) greenhouse gas concentrations via an enhanced greenhouse effect (IPCC, 2007). Natural phenomena such as solar variation combined with volcanoes probably had a small warming effect from pre-industrial times to 1950 and a small cooling effect from 1950 onward (Hegerl et al, 2007; Ammann et al, 2007). According to the researchers of the Carbon Dioxide Information and Analysis Center, anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions results from burning of fossil fuels (liquid, solid and gas), cement production and flaring (Marland et al.,1998)
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