Until recently, not so many efforts were in place to raise awareness of the problem of methane pollution dominant in the oil and gas industry, as well as the agricultural and waste management sectors. Mayowa Adebote, a Lagos-based environmental photographer, has embarked on a photo documentary to compliment the growing set of tools that will go on to underpin smart policies needed to efficiently eliminate methane pollution.
“Unlike other well-talked-about climate change contributors, Methane as a key source of emission has been neglected. Nigeria being an oil-producing country cannot be silent on this, especially considering the fact that regulating methane emissions from this sector is one of the fastest, most cost-effective, and most impactful actions governments can take to achieve their climate goals,” says Adebote.
“I believe that, with these captivating images that make clear methane and climate change connections, more people will become aware of methane emissions globally and improved technologies to manage these emissions can be institutionalised.”
It is believed that Methane has more than 80 times the warming power of carbon dioxide over a 20-year period and is responsible for 0.5°C of the warming the earth has experienced since pre-industrial times. Considering its potency, science has agreed that cutting methane pollution is the fastest way to slow the accelerating rate of global warming.
A documentary photographer, film-maker and environmentalist, Adebote’s works are focused on using images and videos to capture humanitarian and development-related projects. He currently provides visual content for EnviroNews and the International Climate Change Development Initiative.
