Abstract
Background: human beings engage in a number of activities such as extractions and mining, manufacturing, transportation, agricultural cultivation (e.g., bush burning), food and mineral processing, as well as other anthropogenic activities that exert significant impact on the environment. The adversative consequence of environmental emission on human habitation, food production, human migration and human health is significantly felt through the decline in average life span of humans. Objective and methodology: This study evaluated the effects of environmental emissions on life expectancy with particular emphasis on Nigeria. The autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) and bounds testing approach was utilized in analyzing the data to be employed in this study. In addition, the study employed annual data set for a period of fifty (50) years spanning 1970 to 2019. Similarly, data on Carbon (iv) dioxide emissions in Nigeria (million tonnes), Methane emissions (million tonnes) in Nigeria and Nitrous Oxide emissions (million tonnes) in Nigeria were derived from the Global Carbon Project (2020), while data on per capita income was obtained from World Development Indicators of the World Bank (2020). Similarly, data on Life expectancy at birth (years)
was sourced from the United Nations World Population Prospects (2019). Results: The coefficient of Carbon (iv) dioxide emissions was negative in the short run estimated results. However, it was positive in the long run. similarly, Carbon (iv) dioxide emissions was statistically significant at 1% critical level in the long run and short run estimation results respectively. Similarly, the coefficient of Methane emissions was negative and statistically significant at 1% critical level in the short run estimation results. Also, the result indicated that Methane emissions was negative and statistically significant at 1% critical level in the long run estimation results. Furthermore, the coefficient of Nitrous Oxide emissions was positive both in the short run and long run estimation results. The result further established that while the coefficient of Nitrous Oxide emissions was statistically significant at 10% critical level in the short run, it became statistically significant at 1% critical level in the long run. Similarly, the coefficient of real GDP per capita was positive both in the short run and long run estimation results in the period of assessment. The result further established that while the coefficient of real GDP per capita was statistically insignificant in the short run, it was found to be statistically significant at 1% critical level in the long run estimation results. Recommendations: It was recommended that the Nigeria should adopt a stringent environmental control measures that will help reposition the country’s environment through enhanced carbon control policy. Specifically, it is recommended that Carbon Taxes should be introduced to help reduce the unwarranted industrial processes contributing a large volume of the total greenhouse gas emissions increase in the country. To mitigate the negative effects of Methane emission gases, there is an urgent need to draft relevant policies to regulate all human activities that trigger the release of methane gases into the ecosystem especially in the area of production and transport of coal, natural gas, and oil, livestock and other agricultural practices, land use and by the decay of organic waste in municipal solid waste landfills. The moribund environmental regulations should be reactivated to ensure the reduction of Methane emissions across the 774 local government areas in Nigeria. it was also recommended that the government and all relevant stakeholders in the agricultural and industrial sectors to work collaboratively in ensuring that policy effort are implemented to limit the frequent release of Nitrous oxide (N2O) emission in the course of agricultural, land use, industrial activities, combustion of fossil fuels and solid waste, as well as during treatment of wastewater.
