…as School of Engineering, Federal Polytechnic Ado-Ekiti holds International Conference on climate change
By Precious Oham
Participants at the International Conference on Climate Change have called on the Federal Government to introduce climate change as a subject into the educational curriculum.
They made this known on Tuesday at the 1st International Conference of Engineering and Earth Sciences, ICEES, organised by the School of Engineering, Federal Polytechnic Ado-Ekiti with the theme: “Climate and Environmental Changes: Emerging Advances in Engineering and Earth Sciences Management.”
Presenting a keynote address titled “Using Engineering, Science and Technology to Combat Climate Change: the Journey so far,” Dr. Isaac Oladipo said climate change education in school curriculum will enable everyone adapt and engage in practices that will mitigate the consequences.
The Specialist in Water Resources and Environmental Engineering called for the reduction in consumption for effective waste management and the need for sustainable policies to manage our energy.
He said: “Our curriculum should contain climate change education. Let out education continue to monitor what we have achieved so far. We are encouraged to reduce our consumption where they dump waste and unused items. We should manage our energy in a sustainable way through sustainable policies, planting of trees and need to correct our social values.”
A don from the Federal University of Technology Akure, Prof. Philip Oguntunde in a Lead Paper presentation titled “Climate and Environmental Changes: Emerging Advances in Engineering and Earth Sciences for Appropriate Response,” proffered solutions to checkmate climate change.
According to him, government should incorporate applications of emerging technologies in climate studies such as modern machine learning techniques.
“Solving climate change problems demand the use of Engineering/Earth science tools including emerging technologies in the areas of big data analytical artificial intelligence (AI), remote data transfer, computing.
“These tools must be incorporated into our curricular in order to make our training relevant in the 21st century.”
Earlier in his opening remarks, the Rector of the Federal Polytechnic, Ado-Ekiti, Engr. Dr. John Alake urged the participants to explore, discover and deploy engineering technologies in order to proffer lasting solutions to the devastating climate change challenges.
On his part, Dean, School of Engineering in the institution, Engr. Rasheed Adebimpe said the theme of the event was carefully selected to address the world-wide issues plaguing the planet.