Machakos Governor Wavinya Ndeti has cautioned residents against charcoal burning terming it as the leading cause of environmental degradation in the county.Wavinya said her government in collaboration with the national government will take action against residents found cutting trees for charcoal burning.'I have given firm instructions to the county directorate of environment, and we are working with the National Government and other agencies to stop the destruction of our environment through cutting down of trees. We shall arrest and prosecute those found culpable,' she warned, while speaking at Kwa Mboo Primary School in Athi River Sub County, when she led a tree planting exercise to mark the World Environment Day.The governor called on residents to use alternative sources of energy for cooking as a way of preventing charcoal burning and reiterated that her government's commitment in supporting policies and programs, aimed at promoting clean energy to preserve the environment.'I call upon residents to use modern energy saving jikos to curb deforestation. As a county we have already distributed close to 2,000 such jikos as a way of curbing charcoal burning,' said Wavinya.The governor noted that the extreme weather conditions experienced in the country due to climate change should jolt residents to take action towards conserving the environment.'The flooding witnessed in the just ended rains is a clear indication that climate change is real. I call upon schools and other institutions of learning to come on board and back up our efforts through spearheading tree growing across the county,' she said.Source: Kenya News Agency