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Environmental Science Project Topics

Air Pollution Control Within an Industrial Environment (a Case Study of Port Harcourt Refinery Rivers State)

Air Pollution Control Within an Industrial Environment (a Case Study of Port Harcourt Refinery Rivers State)

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Air Pollution Control Within an Industrial Environment (a Case Study of Port Harcourt Refinery Rivers State)

CHAPTER ONE

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The main objective of this study is therefore to find answers to the following pertinent research questions:

  1. To determine how effective the air pollution damage function regulation and implementation of the Port Harcourt refinery and the Federal Government in managing environmental problems/conflicts Nigeria oil and gas industry region have been.
  2. To determine if the Port Harcourt refinery and the Federal Government have employed adequate two-way communication in relating with the oil-bearing community publics.
  3. To ascertain whether the air pollution damage function regulations so far in addressing air pollution Nigeria oil and gas industry are enough.
  4. To find out whether qualified and competent public relations managers are being used by the port Harcourt refinery in fashioning-out and or executing those Air pollution damage function regulation .

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Air pollutionย 

Air pollution hasย  to do with dangerousย  contamination of the atmosphere , which reducesย  the qualityย  of the airย  weย  breatheย  and which sustainsย  other on earth (Nwosu, 2003).

AIR POLLUTION

Air pollution has to do with dangerous contamination of the atmosphere, which reduces the quality of the air we breathe and which sustains other lives on earth (Nwosu, 2003) And the atmosphere has been described as the thin envelope of life- sustaining gases surrounding the earthโ€Ÿโ€Ÿ (Miller, 1998: 1860).

Air pollution can be caused by nature and can be man- made.ย  Some of the natural causes include volcanic eruption, whirl Windsor wind storms, earth-quakes and others, while the man-mad causes include wrong solid waste disposal, gas flames, oil exploration, production and use, industrial pollution, and many other such factors which also havedamaging effects on both aquatic and terrestrial lives and contribute to biodiversity loss (Uchegbu, 1998).They also have serious negative effects on human health and materials. Other air pollutantsย  like cigarette smoke, radioactive random- 22 gas, asbestos, aerosol sprays, some room deodorants, gasoline etc. cause dizziness,headaches, coughing, sneezing, burningย  ofย  eyes, flu- like symptoms that is knownย  as theย  sick- building syndrome.

To change the adverse effectsย  ofย  theseย  air pollutantsย  on man, experts advise, the regular changes ofย  airย  fillers, cleaning our air condition system, exchangingย  humidifierย  waterย  trays frequently, not storingย  insideย ย  our roomย  gasolineโ€Ÿs, solvents or otherย  volatile and hazardousย  chemicals. Inย  addition, itย  is advisedย  thatย  we do notย  useย  roomย  deodorizersย  orย  airย  freshenersย  andย  aerosol sprayย  products, controlย  ourย  smoking habitsย  andย  makingย  surerย  that our wood-burning, gasย  orย ย  keroseneย  cookersย  orย  stovesย  andย  fireย  placesย  are properly installed, ventedย  an maintained.

We cannot talk about air pollution without discussion the GREEN HOUSE and its effects. Weย  have definedย  theย  greenย  houseย  as a place, whichย  trapsย  heatย  in theย  atmosphereย  areย  haveย  explained howย  itย  is actualizedย  orย  formed in the concluding section of chapterfiveย  of thisย  book. Weย  needย  to giveย  moreย  detailsย  aboutย  the green houseย  becauseย  of itsย  importanceย  andย  effectย  on the environment. First, weย  mustย  noteย  that withoutย  the trappedย  heatย  in the green house , theย  earthย  wouldย  beย  tooย  coldย  for human survival . second, that variousย  human survival activitiesย  haveย  increasinglyย  andย  negativelyย  pouredย  intoย  the atmosphereย  gasses that captureย  tooย  muchย  heat or; carbon dioxideย  fromย  burningย  ofย  wood, coal, oil and natural gas, producesย  mostย  of the green houseย  gasย  whileย  trace gases likeย  methaneย  nitrousย  oxideย  andย  chloroflour carbons (IFCS) continueย  toย  rise (Newswatch, 1990).

Expertsย  haveย  warnedย  thatย  if- the build-upย  ofย  these greenย  houseย  gases in theย  atmosphereย  isย  notย  halted, it will result inย  what weย  knowย  today as GLOBAL WARMING which will bringย  about adverse drasticย  climaticย  changesย  that includeย  the following : shiftย  in rainfall pattern changesย  which disruptsย  agricultureย  in many areas ofย  the world; riseย  in seaย  levels, which resultsย  in the floodingย  of theย  coastalย  or littoral areas (e.g the Lagosย  bar beach or Victoria Island, Lagos) shift in oceanย  current s which affects theย  climateย  andย  which will resultย  in the extinction ofย  many plantย  and animal speciesย  (e.g in Madagascarย  andย  many parts of Nigeria or African) riseย  in heat waves, droughts, hurricanesย  andย  other weather anomaliesย  that would definitelyย  harmย  man, animals, crops, forests, etc. (GuesSpeth, in Miller, 1998).

 

CHAPTER THREE

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY

RESEARCH DESIGN

In carrying out this research, the researcher employed descriptive research procedure.ย  This procedure was used because descriptive research gives a picture of a situation and it serves as a basis for most researches in assessing the situation as a prerequisite for drawing conclusion.ย  Descriptive research also involves collecting data in order to test hypotheses or ensure questions covering the study.

RESEARCH METHOD

The method applied in this research is the survey method.ย  The study however, made use of primary and secondary data to elicit the necessary information required to achieve its objectives.

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SOURCES OF DATA

As noted above, both primary and secondary data were considered pertinent in solving the research problems. A.

Primary Sources:

  1. Questionnaire: The researcher used a structured questionnaire to obtain information from the respondents. Questions were formulated to generate relevant information to the study.
  2. Oral Interview: This involves the asking question researcher asking questions which were formulated to elicit relevant information from the respondents. The responses were also recorded on the spot. This method became necessary, as the researcher had the opportunity of explaining everything to the respondents as well as making on the spot assessment of the situation.

Secondary Sources:

Relevant information were also obtained from textbooks, records of the three television stations, journals, magazines and other published and unpublished works on the subject matter.

POPULATION OF THE STUDY

The population of this research comprises of the Management and Staff of Port harcourt refinery Development Company. The second population studied were the selected residents of Port harcourt in Rivers state.ย  The population is regarded as an INFINITE POPULATION, because the exact population could not be determined.

CHAPTER FOUR

DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS

INTRODUCTION

The researcher devoted this chapter to the presentation and analysis of the data collected mainly through interviews and questionnaires administered on the relevant target respondents.

The chapter is divided into three parts.ย  Part โ€žAโ€Ÿ is concerned with the demographic variables of the respondents.

Part โ€žBโ€Ÿ treats the sociographic, psychographic and economic variables of the respondents with regards to the subject matter.

Finally, part โ€žCโ€Ÿ is on the tests of hypotheses earlier formulated.

ALLOCATION OF QUESTIONNIARES AND RATE OF RETURNS

Two hundred and forty-five (245) questionnaires were administered on the respondents.

CHAPTER FIVE

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, DISCUSSION, AND CONCLUSION RECOMMENDATIONSย 

This chapter is devoted to a summary presentation of the findings of our study.ย  This would be followed with an in-depth discussion on those findings and other issues raised, then some suggestion and recommendations for the way forward, and finally, the conclusion.

Summary of Findings

After a statistical analysis and testing of the data collected and hypotheses formulated for this study, the following results were obtained:

  • That the Air pollution damage function regulation and implementation of the And its suitability in the control of air pollution/crisis/conflicts Nigeria oil and gas industry have not been effective.
  • That the port harcourt refinery operating Nigeria oil and gas industry have not been employing adequate two-way communication in relating with their host community Publics.
  • That the relations strategies/media/techniques employed so far by the oil companies in addressing air pollution Nigeria oil and gas industry have not been adequate and right.

DISCUSSION

As clearly depicted by all the three findings of this study,ย  the Air pollution damage function regulation and implementation of the Oil companies operating Nigeria oil and gas industry. In the context of the broad criteria of considerations in this study leaves much to be desired.

Firstly, our number one finding explicitly shows that the air pollution damage function regulation and implementation of those companies Nigeria oil and gas industrys of our country have not been effective.ย  No wonder then, we have been having the cycle of crisis characterized by vandalisation of oil pipelines and other facilities, kidnap of oil workers, killings, arson, fire outbreaks just to mention but a few.

Secondly, we were told by our number two findings here that the oil companies operating Nigeria oil and gas industry have not been employing adequate two-way communication in relating with their host community publics.ย  In Public Relations practice, adequate two-way communication is considered a portentous solution to many relationship problems of man.ย  In fact, communication is taken, not to be complete, except there is a feedback.

Hence, the attitude of communicating to the best community publics, without giving them enough avenues/opportunities to air their own views, feelings and perception on the issues at stake, could certainly be one of the factors finalling the Niger Delta crisis

Then, the number three findings tells us that neither the strategies, nor the media nor the techniques used in executing the air pollution damage function regulation and implementation Nigeria oil and gas industry are adequate or right.

For Air pollution damage function regulation and implementation to be effective, the right strategies appropriately tailored to the right issue/problem at the right time must be fashioned out or packaged.ย  Such strategies, must as be blended with the right techniques and finally dished out to the target public through the right media, that are suitably amenable and accessible to the socio-cultural backgrounds of the target publics.ย  If the right message is disseminated through the wrong media, the result is going to be negative.

Hence, the practice by the oil companies of mainly using opinion leaders and or traditional rulers in communicating to the publics in their host communities is not acceptable to most of those publics, especially the youths, who always accuse those opinion leaders/traditional rulers of serving their own selfish interests and not the interest of the entire community.ย  They believe either rightly or wrongly that the oil companies โ€œsettleโ€ those traditional rulers or opinion leaders to stand against or work against the common interest of their people.ย  Hence, the killing of the โ€œOgoni 5โ€ by aggrieved Ogoni youths.

CONCLUSION

All said and done, it is then our earnest belief that if the findings, revelations, discussions, suggestions and recommendations of this study are given due consideration, it would go a long way in arresting tensions, conflicts and crisis Nigeria oil and gas industry and restore the much desired climate of peace, friendship and cordial relationship between oil companies and their host communities there.

RECOMMENDATIONS

In view of the foregoing, we hereby proffer the following suggestions/recommendations for improving the air pollution damage function regulation and implementation of the oil companies operating Nigeria oil and gas industry:

  • Effort should be geared towards fashioning out grassroots oriented air pollution damage function regulation and implementation that are tailored to the socio-cultural lives, needs and perceptions of the Niger delta people, who are mainly agrarian and riverine fishermen.
  • Adequate Public relations research should be employed to clearly appreciate the needs, feelings and perceptions of host communities before dispensing social responsibility goodies to them.
  • Adequate two-way communication mechanisms should be instituted between the oil companies and their host community publics.
  • The right public relations communication media/techniques which are amenable and suited to the socio-cultural and traditional realities of the Niger Deltans should be employed in communicating to/with them.
  • Selected enlightened people from the Niger delta areas, should be involved in packaging incentives, development projects and even communication messages to the people.

REFERENCES

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  • Ajala, V. (1993):ย  Public Relations in Search of Professional Excellence;ย  Ibadan: Afrika Link Publishers.
  • Ajala, V. (2000): โ€œManaging Community Relations in the Oil Industryโ€ NIPR Public Relations Journal, vol.2, No 1., April.
  • Anyaefiena I. B. (1976): โ€œA Study of the Public Relations Department of the Nigeria Airways Limitedโ€, An unpublished project work submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Mass Communication, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, June.
  • Berneys, E. (1936):ย  Engineering of Consent, New York: Ballatine Books Inc.
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  • Chisnall, P.M. (1981): Marketing Research Analysis and Measurement; USA: Illionis Press Ltd.
  • Commoner, B. (1972): The Closing Circle: Compounding the Environmental Crisis; London:ย  Jonathan Cape Publishers.
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  • Drucker, P. (1973): Top Management; London: Heinemann Publisher.
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  • Enyia, N.T. (1999): โ€œThe Imperative of Panned Interactive Community Relations for Prevention of Anarchy in Oil Producing Communities: Port harcourt refinery Company Experienceโ€ NIPR Journal of Public Relations.

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