Commentary, action and research on climate and development in India
Support science-based and equitable measures that will reduce will reduce national and international greenhouse gas emissions
Efforts to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions must be based on the best-available science using the precautionary principle. They must also be fair to ensure that the burden of adjustment to climate change does not fall disproportionately on the weakest sections of our society
Promote India’s transition to a low-carbon society
Each one of us can do practical things to help our country move to a more sustainable, low-carbon society. For example, we can
Switch from conventional bulbs to compact fluorescent (CFL) bulbs;
Buy certified low-energy appliances instead of resource-intensive ones
Promote public transport, walking and cycling as alternatives to the private car
Demand more renewable energy from safe, green sources such as wind and solar, instead of coal-fired power plants
Ask our city and town leaders to plan our cities with climate change in mind – and ensure that the public participates in such processes
Ask our political leaders to set clear targets and timetables for India’s transition to a low-carbon society
Reduce use of plastics
Buy local products as far as possible
Reduce, recycle, reuse
Switch off electrical appliances when not in use
Switch from paper transactions to e-transactions wherever possible
Conserve water
Print only if you must
Climate Challenge India will help you be a ‘part of the change’!
Also check out our Cool Carbon Product Watch for the latest in low-carbon products.
Help vulnerable communities adapt to climate change in whatever way I can
India as a whole is extremely vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Within India, however, some communities will be more affected than others. For example, poor people dependent on resources such as forests, fisheries and agriculture for their livelihoods will be disproportionately affected. We must ensure that the weakest sections of our society are protected through the development of mechanisms such as crop-insurance schemes and coastal defences
Determine my carbon footprint and reduce it
Every day, we use electricity, run the car, heat water and cook food. When we do these things, we inevitably release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
We can measure the amount of greenhouse gases each of us releases into the atmosphere, by using a carbon calculator. A carbon footprint is a measure of how much greenhouse gases each of us (or each company/organisation/nation) produces. It is measured in tonnes of carbon-dioxide equivalent (CO2e).
Go carbon neutral: when you do something to remove or cancel the greenhouse gases you added into the atmopshere, you have a net zero carbon footprint, or are ‘carbon neutral’. This is also called ‘carbon offsetting’.
You can also be carbon positive: by emitting less greenhouse gases than you offset, you can go carbon positive, and take out more greenhouse gases than you contribute.
Use CSM’s carbon foorprint calculator to measure your impact on the climate.
How do I reduce my carbon footprint? Small changes in our daily lives can collectively make big differences. Act today to make a difference. Check CCI’s Climate Saving Tips to start making a difference today!
Remember: every individual’s action counts!
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Useful Websites
Indian Youth for Climate Network
Ministry of Environment and Forests
Ministry of New and Renewable Energy
Centre for Science and Environment
Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Limited
Global Environmental System Group
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
WHAT IS CLIMATE CHANGE? Have you noticed too?
The climate is changing, our seasons are more irregular, and somehow, floods, droughts and hurricanes are becoming all the more common.
Our climate is changing, and the main reason is human activities that result in heat-trapping gases being pumped into the atmosphere.
As we burn more and more fossil fuels, which we do when we drive cars, use concrete to construct towering buildings, use thermal powered electricity or fly in planes, we emit more and more of these heat-trapping gases. Another major cause for our changing climate is land use change such as deforestation, most severe in Indonesia and Brazil, countries with some of the largest remaining stands of tropical rainforest. More…
An overwhelming body of scientific evidence (1), which is difficult to ignore any more, indicates that the Earth’s climate is changing, that our planet is getting hotter, and that the situation is more serious than previously assessed. More…
Never before has the world at large confronted such a complex and far-reaching crisis – therefore, global collective action is of utmost importance. More…
Do you feel overwhelmed? Do you think the problem is so huge that your contribution as an individual will make little difference?
Is there a problem?
Yes. Compelling scientific evidence tells us that there is.
Since the industrial period (mid 1800’s), the concentration of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping or ‘greenhouse’ gases in the atmosphere has increased. Carbon dioxide levels have risen by almost 35% and methane levels have nearly doubled (from 1). From a fairly constant 280 parts per million (ppm) of CO2 equivalent (CO2e) in 1750 to 430 ppm CO2e in 2005 and still rising, we have reached a stage where we have far exceeded the natural range of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere over the last 65,000 years (2).
These seemingly small increases have a dramatic effect on climate and weather, ecosystems and river flow.
Parallel to the increase in greenhouse gas levels, global temperatures over the past 30 years have steadily increased by 0.2 degrees C each decade. In effect, there has already been a near 1 degree C rise in global average temperatures since around 1900 (2).
Experts believe that a 2 degrees C of warming represents a tipping point – beyond which far more serious impacts than damage to coral reefs and agricultural systems can be expected.
Measurements from 1850 show:
Source: IPCC report 2007
Heating effects are strongly visible in the melting of snow, ice, glaciers and permafrost, rising global mean sea levels and extreme weather.
These images, taken by NASA satellites in 1979 and in 2005, show the minimum concentration of Arctic sea ice in both these years. In 2005, the extent of sea ice dropped to the lowest extent in recorded satellite history – 2.05 million sq. miles (5).
Source: NASA
‘The warming of the climate system is unequivocal’ – IPCC report 2007
All scientific evidence gathered indicates a strong likelihood that unabated and continued emissions will only mean that the world will experience a radical transformation of its climate (Stern Review). If we continue to emit greenhouse gases at the current rate, average global temperatures could rise by 2 to 3 degrees C within the next fifty years.
What will climate change do?
Irrespective of CO2 being released in India or Siberia, the effects are felt all over the world. In effect, climate change is a global problem that will affect every one of us. Changes in our climate system threatens the basic requirements of people around the world – access to food, water, use of land and issues of health and environment (1).
Risks and impacts
Even if all emissions stopped today, the time lag necessary for climate stabilization would mean global temperatures would continue to rise for the next 30 to 50 years. Hence, over the next few decades, we face unavoidable economic costs. We also face several economic and climatic impacts, as well as risks.
Where does India stand?
India is one of the fastest growing economies in the world, growing at an almost breakneck pace, guzzling coal, gas and oil in large quantities (4) while doing so. We are also the fifth largest emitter of GHG’s in the world. With nearly a quarter of our billion plus population below the poverty line, the government is pursuing an ambitious development agenda modeled on the West.
Apart from being a major contributor to the problem in the future, India as a developing country, cannot afford to take as many risks and economic backlashes as industrialized nations can.
We would face:
How can we solve climate change?
Immediate action is of essence. To prevent the planet from warming by more than 2 degrees C, concentrations of GHG’s must not exceed 450 ppm of CO2 equivalent.
This might seem a huge task, but the good news is that solutions that will take us towards a low carbon future already exist (3).
Action is essential. But action now is more desirable, and more cost effective than action in the future (2).
References