SAVE THE MOTHER EARTH

 From Sampath’s Desk:

 

 IT IS TIME TO ACT, NOT TO ORATE!

STOP POLLUTION, GLOBAL WARMING, AND CLIMATE CHANGE

SAVE THE MOTHER EARTH!

JUNE 5  - WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY

 

 

The much-talked-about 193-nation Copenhagen Climate Conference held in 2009 generated enormous curiosity and expectations among the whole world population, in general and the climate aficionados, in particular. The whole world was all agog with keen interest to know what was in the offing as follow-up by different countries.  For some months, it was circumspect, decision-elusive, and most strikingly and astonishingly, a stalemate by an unjustifiably rigid, hegemonic, and never-giving-in policy adopted by rich nations much to the dismay and consternation of developing nations including India, all in a spiral-like manner with a ‘roller-coaster’ journey elongating with no positive action plans forthcoming from any country. With despair and despondency descending, the path of procrastination and shilly-shally even on a serious issue involving the very survival of human life in our Planet treaded by developed countries baffled and gave anxious moments. It was initially thought to be a 'damp squib', just short of a flop. . But at the eleventh hour, thanks to some dramatic manipulations and maneuvers coupled with the last-ditch efforts made, the conclusion was marked by what was hailed as ‘Copenhagen Accord’ described as an ‘important beginning’ and a water-shed achievement  - significant features of which were - inter alia, mobilization of $100 billion in annual funding for developing countries to meet climate change consequences beginning 2020, pledging about $30 billion by 2012, limiting temperature level increase to 2ºC maximum, funding 40 poor tropical countries to protect their woodlands, shifting to clean energy, etc., however, bidding adieu to the ‘Kyoto Protocol’ undermining UNFCCC and in the process, giving a drubbing to ‘accountability’ and ‘punishment’ for violations. In a nutshell, it proved to be a mixed bag. Since the accord had already been clinched, let us not delve deep into it and only hope that major players viz. U.N., Governments of all countries and their agencies would do their best to reach the common goalposts and achieve the shared vision.

 

Thereafter, we had important conferences in Mexico (2010) - Durban, South Africa (2011) - Doha, Qatar (2012) - Warsaw, Poland (2013) - Lima, Peru (2014) - Paris, France 2015 and Madrid, Spain (2019). The next conference is scheduled for October-November 2021 at Glasgow, Scotland, U.K.

  

Be that as it may, as common people, let us try to get down to business immediately in right earnest with no more time loss and/or blame game.  Let the world citizenry ponder over the seriousness of the issue and kick-start right from this moment onwards what best one could do to arrest and reverse the environmental degradation, global warming, and resultant climate change. We do have awareness. So, let us stop uttering clichés, rhetoric, sermons, and slogans and let each one of us contribute our mite. Even the rural populace is in the know of the gravity of the situation; in fact, they are in the know of things better. It is time we stopped doing lip service and started acting positively. There is a need only for ‘deed’ and not ‘word’. Already, signs, symptoms, and syndromes have started showing up. Fissures and cracks appear transparent. Hence there is urgency.

 

Every simple act counts. That is the way to begin with immediately. Energy saved is energy produced. Avoid switching on lights during daytimes. Even at night, have minimum lighting, fans, and AC. Keep consumption to the barest minimum by using energy-saving bulbs and lamps. Shun incandescent, decorative and dazzling lights including round bulbs. Economize kitchen energy consumption. Avoid heating food items often. A reliable public transport facility is a sine qua non. Bring in more electric vehicles to ply on the road. Four-wheeler pooling or sharing will help avoid or at least minimize more than half empty vehicles plying on the road as a prestige symbol egoistically resorted to. The same strategy can be applied to two-wheelers as well to save fuel. Wherever possible, use public transport facility. One can stretch his/her legs for short distances instead of using two-wheelers. Cycling is the best option. Don’t burn bonfires. Completely avoid or at least minimize the use of plastic items. If you are an individual house owner with small land parcels around, sow seeds for as many trees/plants as possible and nurture them to give a green cover. Avoid felling trees. Minimize e-wastes. Economize the use of paper and paper-made products. A paperless work environment will be ideal for an organization to the maximum extent possible. Discourage and dissuade children from playing computer games, viewing TV for long, and games requiring electric power. Instead, encourage them to go in for brain games, word-building, and other sit-in indoor games. Gamboling and hopping in the course of physical sports help children enjoy a nice time and also stay fit and healthy, both physically and mentally. Teachers and parents can bring up the children in such a way that when they grow into adults, they become dutiful citizens, love nature, and make the world blossom into a healthy, verdant, and comfortable heaven to live in.

 

Let everybody be a doer instead of a tutor. If we don’t act swiftly, we will betray the future generations and hand over to the posterity a hell in the name of heaven. Even with myriad scientific advancements, unless we took the right remedial measures on time, living conditions would become increasingly difficult and suffocating. Let us turn a new leaf and take part wholeheartedly in the joint endeavours to retrieve the world from the man-made muddles and mix-ups to save all living beings including humanity from possible extinction.

 

Let us start right now onwards. We have no further time to lose or waste. We have already lost enough. Better late than never!

 

 

 

R.SAMPATH

12/9/2021