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Use of artificial over natural plants …experts express worry
Artificial grass
There is a new phenomenon of artificial plants and trees briskly taking over restaurants and bars.
In an interaction to know the motivation for this trend, two reasons run through most of the conversations which was “easy to maintain and the little or no stress in keeping them.”
The natural plants must be watered sometimes twice a day, pruned from time to time and have fertilizers applied to them occasionally just to mention a few.
A Restaurant Operator who spoke on condition of anonymity to The Spectator on Monday said the use of natural plants was a drain on their finances.
“We pay a gardener and spend so much on watering them, especially, the grass. We hire experts to advise us and several others but with the artificial plants, we do not give them much attention except that we dust them and when very necessary, we re-spray to maintain their colour and appeal,” she disclosed.
She said in place of grass, they had also resorted to the use of carpets which were very economical.
A Florist at the Adjei-Kojo Underbridge area, Yaw Kissi said as a person with a lot of passion for natural plants, the development breaks his heart.
“Aside taking our jobs from us because they don’t buy our products anymore, they are not helping our society to combat climate change. Fake plants also attract a lot of dust as compared to natural plants and trees so it is not good for us,” he said.
He said there was the need for an all-hands-on deck approach to address the development urgently to take steps to change the situation “before it got out of hand because we need oxygen.”
Meanwhile, a Research Scientist with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Dr. Gordon Akon-Yamga has expressed concern about the development.
He said it was a clear indication that much was not known about the benefits of natural plants on the health of people.
He said it was worrying that in an environment which supports the growth of natural plants even if they were placed indoors, the replacement of natural plants with artificial ones leaves much to be desired.
He said aside providing colour to the facility, there was nothing more to it and so it should be discouraged and persons in the hospitality industry educated to use natural plants.
Dr. Akon-Yamga admitted that as compared to natural plants, artificial plants needed little or even no attention and hardly needed a replacement but natural plants have enormous health benefits.
He said in terms of carbon sequestration, the trees take up the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and make it safe for humans.
He said natural plants purified the air around us as they absorbed a lot of pollutants and also reduces dust into such premises.
He called on regulatory bodies of the hospitality industries to educate the operators to replace the artificial plants with natural ones.
From Dzifa Tetteh Tay, Tema
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Traders, ‘Okada’ riders take over Circle pavement
• Korle-Bu CEO with staff of Nivaansh MediQas
Activities of traders and drug addicts are contributing to make the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange (Circle) area very uncomfortable and unsafe for commuters.
Day in and out, pedestrians are ‘ejected’ from the pavement created for their safety as traders preferred to sell their wares on that space.
That hinders the free movement of the pedestrians.
The small space left for the pedestrians are also shared with ‘Okada’ riders.
As if these woes are not enough for a commuter on a single day, they also have to navigate carefully to avoid clashes with drug addicts and the mentally challenged.
These people have turned the pavements into their places of abode, covering every inch of space with their wares.
Our photographer, Lizzy Okai, captures some of the unfriendly scenes the authorities must try and deal with to restore sanity to the area.
By Lizzy Okai
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NDC outlines demands before committing to Peace Pact
The National Chairman of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia, has set forth specific conditions that the party insists must be met before considering signing the Peace Pact advocated by the National Peace Council in anticipation of the December 7 elections.
Mr. Nketia expressed scepticism about the effectiveness of past Peace Pacts, highlighting that they had not achieved their intended outcomes, particularly referencing the 2020 elections, during which eight NDC members were allegedly killed by national security operatives without accountability.
During an August 20 meeting with the National Peace Council at the NDC headquarters, Mr. Nketia detailed the certain conditions for the NDC’s participation in the Peace Pact.
The NDC is demanding that the recommendations from the investigation into the violence during the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election be fully implemented.
They also want those responsible for election-related violence in the last election to be prosecuted, stressing the importance of justice and prevention.
The party is calling for accountability regarding irregularities in the printing of ballot papers and insists that visible measures be taken to prevent such issues from happening again.
They are also pushing for a thorough investigation into the missing IT equipment from the Electoral Commission’s (EC) warehouse, expressing concerns about the integrity of the EC’s systems and the potential bias of its staff.
Furthermore, the NDC is urging the President to publicly commit to respecting the results of the 2024 elections. Lastly, the party insists that the Peace Pact should be signed by key figures, including the Inspector General of Police, the Chief Justice, the Attorney-General, and the National Security Coordinator, before they will consider signing it themselves.
Source: Citinewsroom.com
