A new theory of Environmental Ethics has been propounded by an Academic from Rivers State, to check the damaging effects of man’s activities that shorten lifespan.
It is ‘The Okanaa theory of Environmental survivability ‘ propounded by a Professor of Geomorphology, Hyginus Oku while Delivering the 65th inaugural lecture of the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Rivers State.
Professor Oku said damaging Environmental activities of man are highly responsible for why most of ecosystems are not meeting up due to interruptions and disruptions by pollutants.
” I went to the United Nations report on ogoni people and by extension the Niger Delta region, so I went to my Ogoni native land to…and I now captioned the theory ‘ The Okanaa theory of Environmental survivability’. And why should we talk about the Okanaa theory? It’s because at every point, there’s something you do which you ought not do. And the Okanaa is only but saying ‘ don’t do it’, if cutting down tree will affect the ecosystems, don’t do it.”
” The significance of the Okanaa theory lays emphasis on our individual action not regulatory agencies, because our individual actions pollute our environment, create a crisis for living. So as a result of that, every member of the ecosystem is sitting on a life machine to see how he will survive. So when you have a chemical oxygen deficiency in the food Web, it affects whosoever eats such food.
Professor Oku listed such activities as illegal bunkering, minning, threats of carbon mono oxide poisoning from industrial areas and generator sets as harmful stating that we may not see the harm coming because it is odourless but gradually destroying the cells and tissues.Professor Gilbert Lucius who represented the Vice Chancellor, Professor Oke onuchukwu hailed the new theory of Okanaa urging everyone to embrace personal ethical behaviour that would protect the environment an increase life span.
And according to him, he used that theory to buttress and explain his presentation that life is about the quality of the ecosystem where we leave.
“The quality of your environment is what will determine the quality of life you and I are going to live here on earth. Again, he postulates that what you do we do affects how long we live. So if you’re that person that used to destroy your environment, you’d better learn something. Think of ‘the Okanaa theory’, do not do anything that will destroy your environment.”
The Academics said ‘the Okanaa theory’ is a call to end most products and pollutants that get into the air we breathe and will boost sustainability and ethical value for peace.
