THE IMPACT OF PRICE HIKES IN LIQUEFIED PETROLEUM GAS (LPG) ON THE ENVIRONMENT

STACKED FIREWOOD

COAL POT WITH CHARCOAL BURNING

GAS CYLINDER

Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) is increasingly becoming the preferred choice of fuel in the world. Before the inception of LPG, the world‘s principal energy source for homes was wood fuel (i.e. firewood and charcoal). Even though firewood and charcoal have not been completely eliminated, their use globally has declined massively. In the urban settings, the use of charcoal and firewood is relatively becoming scarce. The world in all aspects has actually embraced the use of LPG in their homes.

The swift acceptance of Liquefied Petroleum Gas in Ghana and in the world at large has to do with its affordability, efficiency, and environmental friendliness. Notwithstanding the other reasons for this paradigm shift, the affordability of LPG is a major factor, more or less the leading factor especially in Ghana.

The rapid decline in the use of wood fuel has contributed immensely to the restoration of the environment. Forest is the main source of trees for charcoal and firewood production. In effects, as the demand for charcoal and firewood rises, the destruction of forest trees also increases. Prior to the introduction of LPG, the demand for charcoal and firewood had become irrepressible and destructive, degrading the world’s forests. The unmanageable demand for them was highly due to the ever increasing human population globally. The forest trees were greatly spared when the focus was turned to LPG.

In Ghana, the introduction of LPG was a government policy executed by the Ministry of Energy as an intervention to the fast destruction of the country’s rich forests. Gas cylinders were inexpensively sold and LPG was the cheapest fuel at the time of introduction because the government was hugely subsidizing. The intent of the subsidy was to serve as incentive for people to use it. The only hold back in the use of LPG at the time was the perceived risk involved as in explosion or outbreak of fire. However, with time, Ghanaians became used to and that fear was eroded. The use of LPG for domestic chores has now been well accepted by Ghanaians, both in the cities and the remote areas. Its use now cut across all manner of people in the country, the elite, uneducated, the rich and the poor. The common denominator for this achievement is basically due to it affordability.

In response to frequent increases in fuel prices globally, Ghanaians have seen fuel prices rising with that of LPG being very astronomical and beyond the rich of the domestic consumers. Government of Ghana asserts to fact that it can no more subsidize the prices of fuel and this decision makes LPG users the worst affected because, LPG was the highest subsidized fuel. One contributing factor to the removal of subsidy from LPG was due to the abused use by commercial drivers which has resulted in abnormal increase in its demand. When the price of LPG in its inception was greatly subsidized by the government to entice Ghanaians with regards to domestic consumption so as to reduce the rate of deforestation, the commercial drivers took undue advantage of it and converted their vehicles to LPG driven ones. This unscrupulous act by some drivers defeated the idea behind subsidy and a result. 

In this year alone, the price of LPG has more than doubled leaving domestic users of LPG in very difficult situation. Many homes have reverted back to the orthodox source of fuel for cooking i.e. charcoal and firewood. More are also considering reverting because, LPG is no more affordable in many homes. The concern now is where will be the fate of the Ghana’s already depleted forests. Now, the pressure is gradually returning to forest trees for the production of wood fuel. What makes it more alarming is that forests are already bedeviled with many threats which the country is struggling to deal with them. The forests will be in no time wiped out should the current human population solely depend on charcoal and firewood. Its consequences will not be good for the country and the world as a whole. In the face of the current environmental crises as a result of climate change, something has to be done to stop Ghanaians from reverting to the use of charcoal and firewood for cooking. The price of LPG cannot continue to escalate. Heads must come together and work around the clock to proffer short and long term solutions to avert the apparent dire consequences. 

Short term measures that will immediately reduce the demand of LPG by the commercial drivers should be put in place in order to make government continue subsidizing for the domestic consumers whilst long term solutions are being worked out. This can be achieved when measures are put in place in the form of laws to deter the commercial drivers from converting their vehicles to LPG powered ones. If possible, there should be means to easily differentiate the domestic users from the commercial ones so that the latter will not be allowed to enjoy the subsidy.

The continuous increase in the price of LPG in order to sustain the economy will only push Ghanaians to patronage charcoal and firewood which has adverse effects on the environment. We will end up creating a bigger problem by solving another problem. The country cannot continue to develop the economy at the expense of the environment. This will only create disaster in the near future.