Monday Musing
[ Ranjit Sinha ]
The climate change and global warming caused by the rat race of human civilization in the name of development have posed a serious threat to the very existence of almost every living creature, including humans.
Climate change is the single biggest health threat facing humanity, according to WHO. It expects that between 2030 and 2050 climate change will cause 25,0000 (approx) additional human deaths from malnutrition, malaria, diarrhea and heat stress.
Unfortunately, the underprivileged people of the developing countries like India, who are contributing least to the causes of climate change, are facing the health risks and polluted environment due to global warming.
Even a layman in the capital region of the state could realize the impact of climate change which causes a gradual rise in atmospheric temperature.
Expectation
Global warming has already created its impact on the planet earth and the brighter side is that many nations across the globe are all agog with the expected outcome of the recent UN climate change conference, and hopefully our country is also not far away from the fight against climate change.
During the climate change summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had presented his “Panchamrits” stating that ‘India will take its non-fossil energy capacity to 500 GW by 2030; will meet 50 percent of its energy requirements from renewable energy by 2030 and reduce the total projected carbon emissions by one billion tons from now till 2030.’ He further said “by 2030, India will reduce the carbon intensity of its economy by less than 45 percent and by the year 2070, will achieve the target of Net Zero.”
Even though the global leaders are giving much importance on reducing carbon emission, efforts must be made to increase green space through afforestation programmes at the government level and massive tree plantation at the individual level. Afforestation is the only most cost-effective way to reduce global warming in addition to the measures taken to go for net-zero emission. It is the trees that help reduce the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
Arunachal Pradesh, being one of the 12 global biodiversity hotspots, maintaining forest cover is utmost important to help absorb emission apart from keeping intact the ecosystem.
In addition to effective implementation of the compensatory afforestation scheme, the state government agencies should make it mandatory for student to plant trees as ‘academic social responsibility’ which is being implemented by the Delhi University and states like Maharashtra and Rajasthan.
