ESSAY COURSE

LECTURE 7 - PART-B & C

Theme: Climate Change + Environment
SNO Components
1.1 Climate Change – as a theme
1.2 Anecdotes
1.3 Examples
1.4 Best Practice
1.5 Quotes
1.6 Movie
1.7 Data and Reports
1.8 Books
1.9 Poems

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 1.1) CLIMATE CHANGE – as a Theme
Timeline of Climate Change

• British ironmonger Thomas Newcomen invents the first widely used steam engine,
1712 paving the way for the Industrial Revolution and industrial scale use of coal.

• World population reaches one billion.

1800

• French physicist Joseph Fourier describes the Earth's natural "greenhouse effect".
1824

• Irish physicist John Tyndall shows that water vapour and certain other gases create the
1861 greenhouse effect.

• Swedish chemist Svante Arrhenius concludes that industrial-age coal burning will
1896 enhance the natural greenhouse effect.

• Another Swede, Knut Angstrom, discovers that even at the tiny concentrations found in
1900 the atmosphere, CO2 strongly absorbs parts of the infrared spectrum.

• Carbon emissions from fossil fuel burning and industry reach one billion tonnes per year.
1927

• Human population reaches two billion.

1930

• Using records from 147 weather stations around the world, British engineer Guy
Callendar shows that temperatures had risen over the previous century.
• He also shows that CO2 concentrations had increased over the same period, and
1938 suggests this caused the warming. The "Callendar effect" is widely dismissed by
meteorologists.

• Using a new generation of equipment including early computers, US researcher Gilbert

Plass analyses in detail the infrared absorption of various gases. He concludes that
1955 doubling CO2 concentrations would increase temperatures by 3-4C.

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 • Human population reaches three billion.
1960

• A US President's Advisory Committee panel warns that the greenhouse effect is a matter
1965 of "real concern".

• First UN environment conference, in Stockholm. Climate change hardly registers on the

agenda, which centres on issues such as chemical pollution, atomic bomb testing and
1972 whaling. The United Nations Environment Programme (Unep) is formed as a result.

• Human population reaches four billion.

1975

• US scientist Wallace Broecker puts the term "global warming" into the public domain in
1975 the title of a scientific paper.

• Human population reaches five billion

1987

• Montreal Protocol agreed, restricting chemicals that damage the ozone layer. Although
not established with climate change in mind, it has had a greater impact on greenhouse
1987 gas emissions than the Kyoto Protocol.

• IPCC formed to collate and assess evidence on climate change.

1988

• UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher - possessor of a chemistry degree - warns in a

speech to the UN that "We are seeing a vast increase in the amount of carbon dioxide
reaching the atmosphere... The result is that change in future is likely to be more
1989
fundamental and more widespread than anything we have known hitherto." She calls for
a global treaty on climate change.

• Carbon emissions from fossil fuel burning and industry reach six billion tonnes per year.
1989

• IPCC produces First Assessment Report. It concludes that temperatures have risen by 0.3-
1990 0.6C over the last century

• At the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, governments agree the United Framework
Convention on Climate Change. Its key objective is "stabilization of greenhouse gas
1992 concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic
interference with the climate system".
• Strong El Nino conditions combine with global warming to produce the warmest year on
record. The average global temperature reached 0.52C above the mean for the period
1998 1961-90 (a commonly used baseline).

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 • Publication of the controversial "hockey stick" graph indicating that modern-day temperature
1998 rise in the northern hemisphere is unusual compared with the last 1,000 years.

• Human population reaches six billion.

1999
• IPCC Third Assessment Report finds "new and stronger evidence" that humanity's emissions
of greenhouse gases are the main cause of the warming seen in the second half of the 20th
2001
Century.
• China overtakes the US as the world's biggest greenhouse gas emitter - although the US
2009 remains well ahead on a per-capita basis.

• Human population reaches seven billion.

2011

• The first part of the IPCC's fifth assessment report says scientists are 95% certain that
2013 humans are the "dominant cause" of global warming since the 1950s.

Major Data (Current)

• Temperature Rise: The average global temperature has increased by about 1.4 degrees
Fahrenheit over the past 100 years (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)
• Decline in Ice cover: Arctic sea ice is now declining at a rate of 13.1 percent per decade
• World’s largest per capita emitter: US ranks second, after China, in the total greenhouse gas
emissions accounting for almost 25% of global emissions. In per capita terms, it is the largest
greenhouse gas emitter in the world.
• Emissions Data:
o Electricity and Heat Production account for 25% of 2010 global greenhouse gas emissions.
o Transportation accounts for 14% of 2010 global greenhouse gas emissions.
o Agriculture accounts for 24% of 2010 of global greenhouse gas emissions.
• IPCC 6th Assessment Report
o Highest Emissions: Average annual global greenhouse gas emissions in the decade of
2010-19 were at their highest levels in human history.
o Limiting global warming to around 1.5degrees Celsius requires global GHG emissions to
peak before 2025 at the latest, and be reduced by 43% by 2030.
Incidents Stories due to Climate change
• Drought-flood games: From the recent cases of natural disasters like the Chennai
Floods, 2015, 2016 drought, 2019 Kerala floods, etc., it is evident that there are no
adequate arrangements made to mitigate them.
• Melting floods: The melting of the Himalayan glaciers that prompted the floods and
landslides in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand in 2013 have the fingerprints of global
warming. In 2013, glacial flooding in Kedarnath caused over 6,000 deaths during the
monsoon months.
• Burning green: The Amazon fire of 2019, the bush fires of 2019-20 in Australia are
some of the most dangerous impacts of changing climate.
• The Story of Texas: Recently, Texas, US has been hit by extremely cold weather leading
to strong wind storms in the state. The winter storm has killed 21 people and left around
4.4 million without power.

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Interesting Facts
• The golden Toad is the first species to go extinct due to climate change.
• Decline of the Adélie penguins on Antarctica, where their numbers have fallen from 32,000
breeding pairs to 11,000 in 30 years.
• Some butterflies, foxes, and alpine plants have moved farther north or to higher, cooler
areas.
• The last two decades of the 20th century have been hottest in the past 400 years, according to
climate studies.
• Around 100 million people live with 3 feet of sea level, and many cities of the world are
located near such vulnerable coastal areas.
• Human activities release around 37 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide per year.
• Air conditions and heating elements consume 50% of electricity in America.
• In South and South-East Asia, where one-third of the global population live and half of
world’s poor and malnourished are seen, the impacts of climate change pose serious threat
particularly in the equatorial regions. Crop productivity is said to decline by 50% (in rain-
fed areas) increasing poverty and hunger.

Causes of Climate Change

• Natural
● Milankovitch Cycles: The Milankovitch Theory explains the 3 cyclical changes in Earth’s
orbit and tilt that cause the climate fluctuations.
● Continental Drift: This movement had an impact on climate change due to the change on
the landmass’s physical features and position and the change in water bodies’ position like
the change in the follow of ocean currents and winds.
● Volcanic Eruptions: Volcanic eruptions discharge carbon dioxide, but they may also emit
aerosols, Aerosols scatter incoming solar radiation, causing a slight cooling effect.
● Sunspots: Changes in sunspots impact climate, while more sunspots may contribute to
warmer global climate, less sunspots appear to be associated with a cooler global climate.
● Movement of Tectonic Plates: These changes affect global circulation patterns of air and
ocean water and the climate of the continents.
● Ocean: Water vapour from the ocean also contributes to the formation of the clouds, which
shade the surfaces and have a net cooling effect.
2. Anthropological
● Greenhouse Gases: These gases contribute to warming the earth, the major man made
sources are:
o Transportation: The transportation sector generates the largest share of greenhouse
gas emissions.
o Electricity: Generation of electricity through thermal plants also requires combustion
of fossil fuels.
o Agriculture: Methane production from agricultural activities is also a major cause of
GHG based global warming.
o Data: As per the Emissions Gap Report 2020, over the last decade, China, USA,
EU27+UK and India combined, have contributed to 55% of the total GHG emissions.
● Aerosols: Burning of coal and use of ammonia fertilizers are a major source of sulphate
and nitrate aerosols.
● Deforestation: Forests act as carbon sinks, thus their removal makes the earth’s carbon
sink less and thus more carbon stays in the atmosphere.
● Ocean Carbon Sinks: Gases from offshore oil and other fossil fuels are saturating the
oceans with carbon dioxide and reducing their ability to act as carbon sinks.

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Consequences of Climate Change
1. Ocean Ecosystem
● Change in Ocean Currents: Climate change impacts ocean temperatures as well as wind
patterns together, these can alter oceanic currents.
● Rise in Temperature: Global rise in temperature also increases the ocean water
temperature which impacts fish as well as the upwelling process.
● Melting Ice caps and Rising Sea level: Global warming leads to melting of sea ice at the
poles and subsequently results in rise in sea level.
● Ocean Acidification: The same burning of fossil fuels that increases greenhouse gas levels
in the atmosphere, is also altering the chemical composition of seawater, making it more
acidic.
● Ocean Deoxygenation: It is the reduction of the oxygen content of the oceans due to
human activities as a consequence of anthropogenic emissions of carbon dioxide.
● Coral Reefs: It impacts the availability of carbonate ions in the ocean water and thus
impacts the coral reefs.
o Data: Coral Reefs generate an estimated $375 billion per year in goods and services.
2. Disasters
● Cyclone Formation: Warmer sea surface temperatures are more conducive to cyclone and
storm formations.
o Data: Analyses of cyclonic events over the last 120 years indicate a 26 percent rise.
● Droughts and Floods: Higher temperatures increase the amount of moisture that
evaporates from land and water, leading to drought in many areas. Lands affected by
drought are more vulnerable to flooding once rain falls.
● Forest Fires: Hot temperatures and dry conditions also increase the likelihood of forest
fires.
o Data: Forest fires in India increased by 125 per cent in last two years
3. Economic
● Infrastructure Damage: Globally, more intense hurricanes and downpours could cause
billions of dollars in damage to property and infrastructure.
o Data: In 2017, climate change contributed to extreme weather events causing at least
$100 billion in damages.
o Cost to GDP: Future damage estimates range 2% - 10% or more of global GDP per
year
● Productivity: Climate Change will cause losses in productivity of employees.
o Data: Reduce by 2.2% of all the working hours according to ILO
● Other Sectors: Include the energy, insurance, tourism and recreation industries. The
aggregate impact of climate change on most of these sectors is highly uncertain.
4. Agriculture
● Declining Crop yields: Declining crop yields due to prolonged drought puts hundreds of
thousands of people at risk for starvation.
o Data: Research shows India could experience a 40% decline in agricultural
productivity by the 2080s
● Pest Attacks: Rising temperatures lead to more pest activity especially in the tropics and
thus more damage to crops.
o Example: 2020 Locust attack in Eastern Africa and Indian Subcontinent.
● Rain: The warmer atmospheric temperatures lead to a more vigorous hydrological cycle,
including more extreme rainfall events.
o Data: IMD study shows significant decreasing trends in the south-west monsoon from
1989 to 2018 in the Ganga basin states.

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 o New research shows that monsoon rainfall will get 5% stronger with every 1 degree
Celsius rise in global temperatures
● Soil Fertility and Erosion: Due to the extremes of climate that would result, the increase
in precipitations would probably result in greater risks of erosion.
● Fisheries: Climate change reduces fishing stock and also changes the migratory routes of
various fishes.
● Heat Stress: The global temperature rise will cause economic as well as social losses.
o Data: It said that the accumulated global financial loss due to heat stress is expected to
reach USD 2,400 billion by 2030.
5. Social
● Job Losses: Climate change will result in job losses in all major sectors.
o Data: India is projected to lose 5.8 percent of working hours in 2030, a productivity
loss equivalent to 34 million full-time jobs.
● Farmer Issues: Crop yields will reduce and it will also reduce the farmer incomes.
o Data: Climate change might reduce farm incomes by up to 20-25 per cent in the
medium term according to the Economic Survey.
● Coastal Communities: Due to sea level rise, many coastal communities will have to be
displaced and lose their livelihoods.
● Environmental Refugees: Island residents will have to lose their homes and livelihoods
as their homes will be inundated.
● Food Security: Climate change is projected to have significant impacts on agricultural
conditions, food supply, and food security.
● Poverty Rates: With rising disasters, and job losses people will move into poverty and
socio-economic backwardness.
o Data: Estimates indicate that by 2030 more than 100 million people could fall back
into extreme poverty due to climate change
6. Environment
● Habitat Fragmentation: Climate change also makes wildlife habitats susceptible to
disasters and make ecosystems more prone to failure.
● Migration: It impacts migratory routes of birds as well as mammals.
● Melting Ice: Reduction in sea ice threatens species like penguins and polar bears.

Measures
1. Schemes/Missions
• National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC):As a part of the NAPCC, the Indian
government had launched 8 missions on focused areas. They are:
o National Solar Mission
o National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency
o National Mission on Sustainable Habitat
o National Water Mission
o National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem
o National Mission for a “Green India” Goals
o National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture
o National Mission on Strategic Knowledge for Climate Change
• National Action Programme to Combat Desertification: India has framed the 20-year
comprehensive National Action Programme (NAP) to address the problem of
desertification within the nation. The objectives include: Drought management,
preparedness, and mitigation; Development based on a community approach; Promote the

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 improvement of local communities’ quality of life; Promote awareness; Promote suitable
research and development initiatives and interventions.
• Indian Network on Climate Change Assessment: INCCA was launched in October 2009
by the MoEFCC in an effort to promote domestic research on climate change, and build on
country’s climate change expertise.
• National Electric Mobility Mission: It aims to have national fuel security by promoting
hybrid and electric vehicles in the country.
• FAME India (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (hybrid &) Electric Vehicles in
India) Scheme:It is a part of National Electric Mobility Mission Plan. The Scheme has
four focus areas: technology development, demand creation, pilot projects and charging
infrastructure.
2. Initiatives
• Bharat Stage (BS) Emission Norms: Emissions from vehicles are one of the top
contributors to air pollution, which led the government at the time to introduce the BS 2000
(Bharat Stage 1) vehicle emission norms from April 2000, followed by BS-II in 2005. BS-
III was implemented nationwide in 2010. However, in 2016, the government decided to
meet the global best practices and leapfrog to BS-VI norms by skipping BS V altogether.
• LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design):It is a green building
certification programme worldwide developed by non-profit US Green Building Council
(USGBC).
• GRIHA (Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment):It is a national rating system
for Green Buildings developed by TERI.
• Indian Green Building Council (IGBC):A part of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII),
developed the Green Building Rating System.IGBC also organizes the annual Green
Building Congress, its flagship event on Green Buildings.
• India Cooling Action Plan (ICAP):Was launched by MoEFCC. ICAP aims at reducing
cooling demand across sectors by 20% to 25% by 2037-38 and cooling energy requirements
by 25% to 40% within the same time period.
• National Initiative on Climate Resilient Agriculture: The initiative will primarily
enhance the resilience of Indian Agriculture covering crops, livestock and fisheries. The
initiative will involve strategic research on adaptation and mitigation. Accordingly,
sponsored and critical research grants will be provided to fill the critical research gaps.
3. International
• Paris Agreement: Under the Paris Agreement, India has made three commitments. India’s
greenhouse gas emission intensity of its GDP will be reduced by 33-35% below 2005 levels
by 2030. Alongside, 40% of India’s power capacity would be based on non-fossil fuel
sources. At the same time, India will create an additional ‘carbon sink’ of 2.5 to 3 billion
tonnes of Co2 equivalent through additional forest and tree cover by 2030.
• International Solar Alliance: ISA was launched at the United Nations Climate Change
Conference in Paris on 30 November 2015 by India and France, in the presence of Mr. Ban
Ki Moon, former Secretary-General of the United Nations.
• REDD+ : Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) is a
mechanism developed by Parties of the UNFCCC. It creates financial value for the carbon
stored in forests to offer incentives for the developing nations to reduce emissions from
forested lands and invest in low-carbon paths.

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• COP26: According to the UNFCCC, COP26 will work towards four goals:
(i) Net-Zero by 2050: To secure Global Net-Zero by Mid-Century and keep 1.5
degrees within reach. Countries are being asked to come forward with
ambitious 2030 emissions reductions targets that include reaching net-zero by
the middle of the century.
(ii) Adapt to protect communities and natural habitats: Countries will work
together to ‘protect and restore ecosystems and build defences, warning
systems and resilient infrastructure and agriculture to avoid loss of homes,
livelihoods and even lives.’
(iii) Mobilise Finance: Developed countries must make good on their promise to
mobilize at least USD100bn in climate finance per year. International financial
institutions must play their part and we need to work towards unleashing the
trillions in private and public sector finance required to secure global net zero.
(iv) Work together to deliver: Another important task at the COP26 is to ‘finalise
the Paris Rulebook’. Leaders will work together to frame a list of detailed rules
that will help fulfil the Paris Agreement.
o Major Commitments in COP26
1. Global Common Commitment
§ Forests: 137 countries took a landmark step forward by committing to halt and
reverse forest loss and land degradation by 2030. The pledge is backed by $12bn
in public and $7.2bn in private funding.
§ Methane: 103 countries, including 15 major emitters, signed up to the Global
Methane Pledge, which aims to limit methane emissions by 30 percent by 2030,
compared to 2020 levels.
§ Cars: Over 30 countries, six major vehicle manufacturers, and other actors, like
cities, set out their determination for all new car and van sales to be zero-emission
vehicles by 2040 globally and 2035 in leading markets, accelerating the
decarbonization of road transport, which currently accounts for about 10% of
global greenhouse gas emissions.
§ Coal: Leaders from South Africa, the UK, the US, France, Germany, and the EU
announced a ground-breaking partnership to support South Africa – the world’s
most carbon-intensive electricity producer— with $8.5 billion over the next 3-5
years to make a just transition away from coal, to a low-carbon economy.
§ Private Finance: Private financial institutions and central banks announced
moves to realign trillions of dollars towards achieving global net-zero emissions.
Among them is the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero, with over 450 firms
across 45 countries that control $130 trillion in assets, requiring its member to set
robust, science-based near-term targets.
2. India: India announced aPanchamitra (a mixture of five elements) of climate
actions.
(i) NDC: India has increased its National Determined Contribution of 450giga watt
(ii) Non-fossil energy capacity: Increasing non-fossil energy capacity to reach 500
GW by 2030
(iii) Renewable energy: India will fulfill 50% of its energy requirements from
renewable energy sources by 2030.
(iv) Carbon emission: Between now and 2030, India will reduce its total projected
carbon emissions by 1bn tonnes and by 2030.
(v) Net Zero target: India will reduce the carbon intensity of its economy by 45%
and achieve the target of net zero by 2070.

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 o Indian Railways Will Be Net-Zero by 2030: "More passengers than the entire
population of the world travel by Indian railways every year. This huge railway
system has set itself a target of making itself 'net-zero' by 2030. This initiative alone
will reduce emissions by 60 million tonnes per annum."
o LIFE: Lifestyle for Environment: The world today admits that lifestyle has a major
role in climate change. Indian PM proposed a one-word movement called ‘LIFE’
which means Lifestyle for Environment.
o Green Grids Initiative: UK’s PM and Indian PM jointly launched the Green Grids
Initiative –One Sun One World One Grid (GGI-OSOWOG) which aims to connect
energy grids across borders to facilitate a faster transition to the use of renewable
energy.
§ Objective: The initiative will work towards accelerating the making of large
solar power stations and wind farms in the best locations, linked together by
continental-scale grids crossing national borders.
§ Foster international collaboration: This initiative will bring together an
international coalition of national governments, financial organizations, and
power system operators.
§ Benefit: Realizing One Sun One World One Grid through interconnected green
grids can be transformational, enabling all the nations of the world to meet the
targets of the Paris Agreement to prevent dangerous climate change, to
accelerate the clean energy transition, and to achieve the Sustainable
Development Goals.
4. Funds
1. Indian
• National Clean Energy Fund: The Government of India created the National Clean
Energy Fund (NCEF) in 2010 for financing and promoting clean energy initiatives and
funding research in the area of clean energy in the country. The corpus of the fund is built
by levying a cess of INR 50 (subsequently increased to INR 100 in 2014) per tonne of coal
produced domestically or imported.
• National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change (NAFCC): NAFCC is a Central Sector
Scheme set up in 2015-16 with the aim to promote adaptation activities which mitigate the
adverse effects of climate change. The projects related to adaptation in sectors like
agriculture, animal husbandry, forestry, tourism etc. are eligible for funding under NAFCC.
NABARD is the implementing agency for the scheme.
2. International
• BioCarbon Fund Initiative for Sustainable forest Landscapes (ISFL):It is a multilateral
fund, supported by donor governments and managed by the World Bank. It promotes and
rewards reduced greenhouse gas emissions and increased carbon sequestration.

Way Forward
1. Energy
● Diversify Energy: India should ensure more non fossil fuel based energy sources and diversify
the energy basket.
● Promote Hybrid and Electric Vehicles: These non polluting vehicles will reduce the
greenhouse gas quantities from transport.
● Renewables: More political will required to step up efforts to reach India’s 175 GW target of
installed renewable capacity.
2. Agriculture

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 ● Climate Smart Agriculture: Promote sustainable farming practices and tools, using inputs
more efficiently and effectively to grow more from less.
● Changing Cropping Culture: Reviving traditional climate-resilient crops such as millets,
tubers, pulses and cereals.
● Enhance Soil: Enriching soil organic matter through mulching, crop rotation, mixed-cropping
and cover crop.
o Data: Rehabilitating agricultural and degraded soils, we can remove over 50 gigatons of
carbon dioxide from the atmosphere in total.
● Promoting agroforestry: This can help supplement incomes of farmers in the case of crop
failure.
● Farmer Availability: We need to build adequate markets from where farmers could access
required agro-inputs and sell surplus of what they produce.
● Local Empowerment: Adaptation and mitigation in agriculture will require local responses,
but effective policy responses must also reflect global impacts
3. Economic
● Investments in clean energy: Investing in clean energy and shifting away from fossil fuels
can help reduce the rise in global temperatures.
● Green Building Codes: Buildings must be adapted to cleaner norms and must not contribute
towards emissions.
● Charging Infrastructure: There is a need to invest in charging infrastructure for electrical
vehicles.
● Disaster Mitigation: More investments in disaster resilient infrastructure and mitigation
strategies.
● Coastal Rehabilitation:Marginalised communities must be rehabilitated with proper
livelihoods.
● Sustainable Land Use: A switch to more sustainable farming methods combined with strict
forestry protection could generate economic benefits of around 2 billion dollars per year.
● Setting up Early Warning Systems: A relatively low-hanging fruit, but a very effective one,
is to set up early warning systems that alert the downstream populations about an impending
disaster.
● Recycling: Policies that encourage more circular and efficient use of materials could improve
global economic activity and reduce waste and pollution.
4. Social
● Indigenous Knowledge: The knowledge of indigenous communities and their techniques
involving various agricultural and forestry must be utilised.
● Water and Sanitation: In areas with a water shortage, GNP could fall by up to 6% in 2050.
This could be prevented by making more efficient use of water through technological
improvements and investment in public infrastructure.
● Capacity Development: Through more awareness and training communities must be
empowered to deal with various strategies of climate change mitigation.

******

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 1.2) ANECDOTES

Greta is a Swedish environmental activist who is known for

challenging world leaders to take immediate action
for climate change mitigation.

“Adults keep saying we owe it to the young people, to give

1. Greta Thenberg
them hope, but I don’t want your hope. I don’t want you to
be hopeful. I want you to panic. I want you to feel the fear I
feel every day. I want you to act. I want you to act as you
would in a crisis. I want you to act as if the house is on fire,
because it is.”
The severe, devastating wildfires that raged across
southeastern Australia in late 2019 and early 2020 packed a
powerful punch that extended far beyond the country.

“Every tree in the forest has a story to tell. Some of them were
2. Australian wildfires
burnt but they endured the fire and got revived; some of them
were cut, their barks injured, some people pick up their leaves
to make medicines for their sicknesses, birds used their
leaves to make their nests, etc. Upon all these, the tree is still
tree!”
“Today the entire world acknowledges that India is the only
big economy in the world that has delivered both ‘in letter
and spirit’ on its Paris commitments. We are making all
possible efforts in a resolute manner.”
Narendra Modi on
3.
COP26 "I would like to suggest a one-word movement in the context
of climate which can become a key basis for one world. This
word is LIFE — Lifestyle for Environment. It is necessary
that all of us come together as collective participants and take
‘lifestyle for environment’ forward as a movement."
Unique example of participatory watershed management and
all round development in Ralegaon Siddhi village of Parner
4. Ralegaon Siddhi: county in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra.
It was a drought prone, rain shadowed area which became
self sufficient
Community Participation towards Disaster Management
--In West Bengal’s drought prone district of Purulia, a small
village alongwith a local Non-governmental organization
innovates with a step pond thatin every step of it mitigates a
Community
specific impact of drought. The innovation is aresult of
5. Participation towards
understanding the causes and impacts of drought in local
Disaster Management
context.
Within three years of its adaptation, the experience of this
tiny village isemerging as the new mantra for drought
proofing Indian villages.
Chipko movement, also called Chipkoandolan, nonviolent
6. Chipko Movement social and ecological movement by rural villagers,

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 particularly women, in India in the 1970s, aimed at protecting
trees and forests slated for government-backed logging. The
movement originated in the Himalayan region of
Uttarakhand (then part of Uttar Pradesh) in 1973 and quickly
spread throughout the Indian Himalayas.
It is an all India strategic network of social activists and
NGOs to mobilize people against the building of
Save Narmada SardarSarovar (in Gujarat) and Indira Sagar (in Madhya
7. movement (Andolan) Pradesh) dams. The main issues are displacement of local
people without proper resettlement/compensation and
demand for the rights of the communities to their own natural
resources.
The Ganga Liberation Movement started in early 1980s to
Ganga liberation abolish water lord system. Social activists and youth
8. (Mukti) Andolan organizations organized the fisher folk and created pressure
on Government to bring necessary legislation to change the
exploitative system.
Initiated by Gram Gaurav Pratisthan, Pune, Maharashtra, it is
a community-based water council. The groups of people
Water Council (Pani share water equitably on per capita basis under non-
9.
Panchayat) transferable water agreement. People contribute 20% of
scheme's cost and even the landless partake in schemes who
sell their water to needy farmers.

The cyclic system of development is a community-based

natural resource management system by bringing landless
13 ChakriyaVikaspranali and land holders together through equitable system of sharing
income and introducing technological innovations, multi-
layered multi-cropping based on symbiosis between different
species of plants and crops.
Lauren Singer: American environmental activist,
entrepreneur and blogger in the zero waste movement. She
14 Zero Waste Movement claims to be living a zero waste lifestyle since 2012. She is
known for claiming to have collected all the waste she has
created since 2012 in a 16oz mason jar.
Rope makers of saharanpur
Right to use natural It is an initiative of community-based action and social
15 resources movement combined to empower the rope makers in
Saharanpur district of Uttar Pradesh to regain their traditional
rights to use and sustain their natural resources.
Outstanding example of ordinary people’s initiative to
eradicate rural poverty through participation, rainwater
harvesting, afforestation and apt management of local natural
Sukhomajri resources. Name of Parasu Ram Mishra is closely associated
16
with the revitalisation of rural economy of Sukhomajri.
It is a successful effort in community-based micro-watershed
development by the construction of three small dams in
Haryana State of India.

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 “One can see from space how the human race has changed
the Earth. Nearly all of the available land has been cleared of
forest and is now used for agriculture or urban development.
The polar icecaps are shrinking and the desert areas are
Stephen Hawking, increasing. At night, the Earth is no longer dark, but large
17
Physicist & Author areas are lit up. All of this is evidence that human exploitation
of the planet is reaching a critical limit. But human demands
and expectations are ever-increasing. We cannot continue to
pollute the atmosphere, poison the ocean and exhaust the
land. There isn’t any more available.”
“We really need to kick the carbon habit and stop making our
Sir David energy from burning things. Climate change is also really
18 Attenborough, Natural important. You can wreck one rainforest then move, drain
World Broadcaster one area of resources and move onto another, but climate
change is global.”
“Climate change is the single greatest threat to a sustainable
Ban Ki-Moon, Former
future but, at the same time, addressing the climate challenge
19 Secretary-General of
presents a golden opportunity to promote prosperity, security
UN
and a brighter future for all.”
Community-led conservation initiatives from northeast India
were in the spotlight at this year’s India Biodiversity Awards.
Community led Community reserves managed by SingchungBugun Village
20
conservation Community Reserve Management Committee in Arunachal
Pradesh and Lemsachenlok Organization in Nagaland were
recognised for their work in conservation of wild species.
The overarching lesson learned from the Fukushima Daiichi
accident is that nuclear plant licensees and their regulators
Lessons from
must actively seek out and act on new information about
21 Fukushima nuclear
hazards that have the potential to affect the safety of nuclear
disaster
plants.The Fukushima accident made it clear that a low level
of transparency is disadvantageous to the public.
The main lesson to be learned from the Bhopal Gas Disaster
is as follows about the dangers of the chemicals that we use
everyday. The most important lesson that has not been
learned is how to prevent future leaks. Safety measures
Lessons from Bhopal reduce the chances of leaks, but many leaks still occur all
22
gas tragedy over the world. The tragedy of Bhopal continues to be a
warning sign at once ignored and heeded. Bhopal and its
aftermath were a warning that the path to industrialization,
for developing countries in general and India in particular, is
fraught with human, environmental and economic perils.
The report gave a clear definition of what the Commission
saw sustainable development to be: "development that meets
the needs of the present without compromising the ability of
Lessons from
future generations to meet their own needs". Since then, the
23 Brundtland: achieving
world has gained a deeper understanding of the
global consensus
interconnected challenges we face and the fact that
sustainable development provides the best opportunity for
people to choose their future

38
 A new study found that storms, floods, wildfires and conflict
drove 40.5 million internal displacements last year. From
Bangladesh to Brazil, extreme weather events such as
cyclones and droughts — which many scientists say are
Instability in the exacerbated by climate change — are increasingly forcing
25 Democratic Republic people to flee their homes and relocate within their countries.
of Congo Meanwhile, conflict, often exacerbated by competition for
dwindling resources, also worsened in many countries last
year, displacing more than 2 million people in the
Democratic Republic of the Congo alone, according to the
study.

*****
PERSONALITIES: ENVIRONMENT CONSERVATION
Jadav Payeng
• He is popularly known as the "Forest Man of India".
• Jadav planted a tree every day for 40 years, and as a result, this artificial forest has
grown to be larger than Central Park. 1,360 acres of forest have grown on what was
formerly an eroded environment.
• Now this incredible forest is home to hundreds of elephants, rhinos, boars, reptiles, and
birds.
• This botanical-enthusiast quotes- “Nature is God. It gives me inspiration. It gives me
power … As long as it survives, I survive."
Sunderlal Bahuguna
• He was one of the early environmentalists of India and later he associated with the
Chipko movement and started taking up wider environmental issues, such as being
opposed to large dams.
• He fought for the preservation of forests in the Himalayas, first as a member of the
Chipko movement in the 1970s, and later spearheaded the anti-Tehri Dam movement
from the 1980s to early 2004.
Bachendri Pal
• The first Indian woman to climb Mount Everest managed to organize a volunteer
initiative which resulted in 55 tonnes of waste being removed from the Ganga river.
• A 40-member team, including Premlata Agarwal, the first Indian woman to climb all
seven summits of the world, managed to clean this massive amount of trash in only one
month.
• Ganga river is in desperate need of cleaning, with tons of waste entering the river every
single day. This sacred river is not only a place for religious cleanses it also stores tons
of human and industrial waste.
Sumaira Abdulali
• SumairaAbdulali is an environmentalist from Mumbai, India, founder of the NGO
Awaaz Foundation, and convenor of the Movement against Intimidation, Threat, and
Revenge against Activists (MITRA).

39
 • Through legal interventions, advocacy and public campaigns, and contributions to
documentary films, television debates, and press articles she has successfully
mainstreamed and built consciousness about previously unknown environmental
hazards, notably noise pollution and sand mining.
• She also set up the first network for the protection of activists in India after an attack
on her by the sand mafia in 2004.
Medha Patkar
• Medha Patkar is one of the most well-known environmentalists in India. Since she
founded the "Narmada BachaoAandolan" (The Narmada BachaoAndolan, which
translates as Save the Narmada Movement kicked off around 1985 as a protest against
the construction of the SardarSarovar Dam on the River Narmada in Gujarat) and her
effort has significantly changed the Indian environmental processes.
• She was awarded the "Right to Livelihood" reward in 1991 for her commitment to
preserving the livelihood of several households who were uprooted due to the
construction of the Narmada dam.
Hansjörg Wyss
• Philanthropist and conservationist Hansjörg Wyss has pledged $1 billion to safeguard
our planet.
• An article with the title "We must protect the environment. I'm giving $1 billion as a
result".
• By 2030, Mr. Wyss said he is willing to donate this money in order to safeguard 30%
of the planet's surface. The wealthiest people on the planet have a huge responsibility
to educate the public about the environmental issues we are currently facing.
Ecosia-Search engine
• Ecosia is a search engine based in Berlin, Germany. It donates 100% of its profits to
nonprofit organizations focusing on reforestation.
• Ecosia considers itself a social business, claiming to be CO2-negative, and supports full
financial transparency and protects the privacy of its users.
The Ocean Cleanup initiative
• The Ocean Cleanup is a non-profit organization developing and scaling technologies to
rid the oceans of plastic.
• The Ocean Cleanups has created a fake 600-meter-long coastline in the middle of the
ocean that uses natural oceanic forces to capture the plastic.
• The organization is hoping to clean out 50% of the plastic in the ocean in the next 5
years.
World’s largest beach clean-up project
• Environmentalist AfrozShaz started picking up the trash from the beach back in 2015,
with more and more people joining him, volunteers managed to pick up 5,3 million
kilograms of trash from Versova beach in Mumbai.

40
 1.3) EXAMPLES

Environment
• Pusa bio-decomposer- Developed byIARI; turns crop residue to manure
in 15-20 days by accelerating decomposition process.
• IKEA uses rice straw as a raw material to make furniture – solves
stubble burning.
• Green crackers
• Turbo Happy Seeder (THS)- It can uproot stubble and also sow
Air Pollution
seeds in area cleared; can then be used as mulch for the field.
• WAYU (Wind Augmentation PurifYing Unit)- addresses air pollution
at
traffic intersections and dense traffic zones.
• Lockdown in Delhi due to air pollution
• India's first Smog Tower in Delhi
• Jakhni village, Bundelkhand (Uttar Pradesh)- Construction of
farm ponds, raising of farm bunds and intensive plantation of trees.
• Rajendra Singh- Water Man of India- Use of Johad, rainwater
storage tanks and check dams.
• Maharashtra's 'Buldhana Pattern' of water conservation.
• Ground Water management by local authority in Pimpri village,
Maharashtra
• Avadi sewage treatment plant in Chennai.
• Israel – Desalinization of sea water, recycling of urban waste water
for use in agriculture; Government does accounting for every drop of
water, ensuring good water governance.
• Ken betwa river Interlinking Project; Mahadayi Project
• Water ATM in Marathwada- Provide water at 25 paise/litre a day.
Water scarcity and • NeeruChettuprogramme (Andhra Pradesh)
other Issues • Kapila DharaYojana (Madhya Pradesh)
• Hiware Bazar – Community based governance and partnerships.
• Apna Talab Abhiyan (Uttar Pradesh)- Farmers are provided
partial funding from government for creation of small ponds.
• Ganga gram Yojana
• Ganga and Yamuna given the status of “legal and living entities”
having the status of legal person with all corresponding rights and
duties.
• Water Use Associations- controlled by users of water who pay for
the services offered by the associations.
• Kuwait- 90% of all water used in the country is derived from
desalinization.
Negative Examples
• Microplastics in Ganga
• Microplastic pollution in Vembanad Lake, Kerala

41
 • Immersion of Ganesh Idols in Sabarmati river and Goddess Durga
Idols in West bengal
• Despite of NGT Prohibhiting Chhath Pooja inside Rabindra Sarobar
Lake, many devotees performed Puja.
• Australia- Metered extraction and hefty fines to ensure compliance
Ground water pollution • Chennai- Roof top harvesting is made compulsory for building have
more than 3 storeys.
• El Salvador recognises Forests as Living Entities
• 1200 new lakes formed in Alps range
Global examples • Massive bushfires across Australia
• USA Begins formal pullout from Paris deal
• Fire in Amazon Forests
• Pokkali rice seedling - Salt resistance verity
• Naandi Foundations "Arakunomics" model - ensures profits for
Food security farmers and quality for consumers through regenerative agriculture,
was based on work with tribal farmers in Araku for nearly 20 years
• Direct seeding of rice (DSR) technique to grow Paddy
• Rhino poaching in Kaziranga National Park
• Coral Bleaching of Great Barrier Reef
• Etalin Hydropower Project in the biodiversity-rich Dibang valley
of Arunachal Pradesh
• NBWL Nod for Coal mining in Assam’s Dehing Patkai Elephant
Reserve (which was suspended later)
• Illegal diamond and stone mining is flourishing under the nose of
Negative Steps
the Forest Department and Panna Tiger Reserve
• Coal mine to be operated by Adani Enterprises with a coal-fired
power plant in Odisha’s Talabira forests
• New Highway project across Pakke tiger reserve
• Illegal coal mining in Meghalaya and Goa
• Untreated solid waste mountains in Deonar(Mumbai) and
Ghazipur(Delhi)
• Rakhis tied to trees in Aravalis (gurugram region) on
Rakshabandhan
• NGT ordered the public sector Oil India Limited (OIL) to deposit ₹25
crores for environmental damages due to the fire at Baghjan Oil
field
• Maradu Flats demolition
Positive Steps
• A town in Sikkim, is introducing bottles made of bamboo to
tourists
• Drive to rid Vembanad lake of plastics: State pollution control
board offers to collect 100 plastic bottles and win a relaxing
houseboat cruise on the backwaters of Alappuzha.
• Innovation of Badaut Gram Panchayat (Waste to Wealth)

42
 • Sivaipally village Telangana - a role model for all in cleanliness,
promotion of water harvesting and improvement of groundwater
table
• United Kingdom- First major economy to legislate a law to make
itself carbon neutral by 2050.
• LOHAFEX- Indo German Ocean-Iron fertilization project.
• Building Fake trees- Contain compounds which can react with CO2
to absorb it and store it in solid form.
• PM praises solo effort at lake cleaning up Vembanad Lake - S.
Rajappan, a differently abled man from Kaippuzhamuttu, near
Kumarakom, Kottayam.
• Elephant Corridors in Delhi-Dehradun highway
• Vulture restaurant in Pong Dam Lake Himachal Pradesh
• Use of satellite phones for officials in Kaziranga National Park
• Tyre park in Kolkata to turn waste into art
• Use of giant 'vacuum cleaner' by Belgium to remove plastic from
nature reserve
• Tamil Nadu setting up Dugong conservation reserve in Palk Strait
Conservation Efforts • Directions for mandatory use of plastics in highway construction
by Kerala State Pollution Control Board
• Cummin’s India’s initiative of ‘Creating Oxygen Hub’- planted
around 35,000 trees with help of NGOs.
• Jadav “Molai” Payeng is an environmental activist and forestry
worker from Majuli Island popularly known as the Forest Man of
India.
• Sundarbans Mangroves protects Bengal from effects of cyclones in
Bay of Bengal.
• SwarajSangathans: Tribal protest in Rajasthan to protect soil
biodiversity
• Tribal protest in Hasdeo forest against coal mine plants
• Tribal protest in Uttarakhand against Dehradun airport expanding
project
• Vishnu Society of Rajasthan has sacrifice their lives to save the
local Keladi tree.
• Nylon fencing on Sunderban Islands prevents tigers from
swimming across to inhabited islands.
Conservation Efforts
• PLAN BEE – Unique strategy adopted by Northeast Frontier railway
to keep wild elephants away from railway tracks through use of
buzzers imitating bees.
• Operation Kachhapa- Uniting all stakeholders in turtle
conservation.
• Great Green wall- Initiative by GEF – Focused efforts to fight
against land degradation and revive native plant life to the landscape.
• Prof. Wangari Maathai- Introduced the idea of planting trees with
the people. Through the Green Belt Movement she has assisted

43
 women in planting more than 20 million trees on their farms and on
schools and church compounds.
Positives
• Living with Leopards initiative by NGO's in Tehri, Uttarakhand
Negatives
• Electrocution of Elephants in Palakkad district of Kerala
• Recent case in Kerala, where a pregnant female elephant was fed
with Bomb filled fruit
• Animals, including cattle, elephants, lions and leopards, have been
killed on railway tracks
Animal Human Conflict
• Electric fences leading to deaths of Elephant
• A leopard hiding in Dehradun's Shrinagar Medical College
building for two days was shot dead after it attacked a group of
forest department personnel struggling to capture it
• Immune-contraception has been introduced in order to control
the population of nilgai, monkeys and wild boars
• The compensation for human deaths has been increased from
Rs 2.5 lakh to Rs 5 lakh in case of Animal human conflict
• Bowenpally SabziMandi (Hyderabad) generating electricity from
vegetables [Waste to Energy Example]
Energy Security or • Largest solar power plant of the world in Bandla, Rajasthan
Renewable Energy • Drone strikes on Saudi Arbia's Oil facility at Aramco lead to jump
in crude prices
• Biofuel Planes
• Bidadi waste-to-energy plant (Karnataka)- Process 600 tonnes per
day of inorganic waste; inorganic waste which consists of bad quality
plastics and used cloth pieces can be processed as Refuse Derived Fuel
Waste Management (RDF).
• Floral offerings at temples which were earlier dumped as garbage is
now a major source of rehabilitation of widows in Vrindhavan.
• Amur Falcon, Pangti village (Nagaland)- Local nagas once used to
hunt these birds for sale and meat on massive scale. Due to NGOs and
conservation activist efforts, local turned from predators to protectors-
Sustainable >Pangti village became the “Falcon capital of the world”.
development • First carbon-neutral village, Wayanad, Kerala.
• E-Waste clinic, Madhya Pradesh
• Forest produce tracking system, Karnataka
• India canteens, Karnataka- selling cup of tea for four plastic bottles.
• Korea- SSR Campaign- Save, Share, Swap and Reuse.

44
 1.4) BEST PRACTICES
Holy compost in temples at Bengaluru
• The idea of ‘holy compost’ is fast gaining ground after one temple in Bengaluru made
compost out of its waste, branded it and sold it at a premium. A leaf composter was
installed at the Venugopalaswamy temple in Malleswaram, Bengaluru. Now, nearly 40
temples have installed leaf composters to process flower waste.
The Hornbill Festival
• It is a remarkable story of conservation of the bird after which it is named. Today, the Naga
people are at the forefront of ensuring the safety of hornbill nests. It is an amazing example of
how hunters can turn protectors.

Project Tsang-da
• It aims at sustainable waste management in rural areas of Leh district and city. The
project turned the waste into revenue-generating goods, such as curtains, toys and
cushion covers. Wine or beer bottles and other broken glasses were also reused in
construction of roads and buildings by local construction companies.

Norwegian Embassy in Delhi

• Equipped with eco-friendly technology and techniques - first green embassy in India.

Air Pollution
• China: establishing a Green Finance Center, developing green lending procedures, piloting
innovative financing models and products, and training its staff.
• Finland: Quality data is collected from city-level networks and from citizens carrying
crowd sourced mobile sensors, supplying more refined information on pollution hot spots
and encouraging sustainable behaviours.
• Italy: Mixing titanium dioxide into concrete, experts from the LIGHT2CAT project claim,
makes buildings and other structures sensitive to light; as the titanium harvests sunlight, it
enables chemical reactions to neutralize harmful particles in the air around it.
• Linkages: Policies targeting air pollution and greenhouse gases need to be linked
• Chhattisgarh Model for Stubble Warning: An innovative experiment has been
undertaken by the Chhattisgarh government by setting up gauthans. A gauthan is a
dedicated five-acre plot, held in common by each village, where all the unused stubble is
collected through paralidaan (people’s donations) and is converted into organic fertiliser
by mixing with cow dung and few natural enzymes. The scheme also generates
employment among rural youth. The government supports the transportation of parali from
the farm to the nearest gauthan. The state has successfully developed 2,000 gauthans

River water Pollution

• Amsterdam: To have cleaner channels, Great Bubble Barrier, a simple device that
channels rubbish - especially small pieces of plastic - to the side of the Westerdok canal
where it can be retrieved. Tests have shown it can divert more than 80% of flotsam.
E-Waste
• Myanmar: the old computers and VCRs are reused or recycled by small private industries
while some used appliances are donated to areas where there is a lack of resources.

45
 • Malaysia: The bins for collection of mobile phone batteries are placed at strategic positions.
Nearly 350 bins were placed in government offices, shopping complexes and tele
communications companies to collect batteries, end-of-life mobile phones and their accessories.
• Argentina: Argentina initiated a project for preparing a national inventory and technical
directives to deal with e-Waste.

Wind Energy
• Netherlands: Offshore wind farms have been established and connected to the main
electricity grid.

Solar Energy
• Empowering Public infrastructure: Public infrastructure like airports and railway
stations can be solarised. Eg: Kochi Airport is 100% solar power run
• Solar Panels on canals: Solar panels can be installed over Canals which will reduce land
acquisition costs as well as reduce evaporation from canals.
• Linkages with construction sector: To ensure a minimum level of solar infrastructure in
new real estate projects and reduction in usage of electricity

Hydro Energy
• Pumped Seawater: The sun doesn't always shine, the wind doesn't always blow, and even
the oceans are sometimes calm. Thus using the motion of the waves to pump water uphill,
which can be released again later to create on demand power.
• Linking hill states with hydro power: Hilly states have ample sloping water channels and
rivers which can be utilised for hydropower and thus making the states self reliant on power

Wetland Conservation
• Lake Development authorities: Like in Rajasthan and Karnataka to monitor and mitigate
any harmful activities in and around lakes.
• Mekong WET: Building Resilience of Wetlands in the Lower Mekong Region” project
aims to build climate resilience by harnessing the benefits of wetlands in Cambodia, Lao
PDR, Thailand, and Viet Nam.

Coral Reefs
• Biorock Technology: The biorock building process grows cement-like engineering
structures and marine ecosystems, often for mariculture of corals, oysters, clams, lobsters
and fish in saltwater. It works by passing a small electric current through electrodes in the
water.
• Underwater Robots: Underwater robots may be a key in helping us understand coral reef
systems. Underwater robots were recently developed by researchers at Scripps Institution
of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego.
• 3D Printing: 3D printing of portions of reefs can replace lost pieces of coral. These “fake”
reefs are thought to be less vulnerable to climate change and more resilient to changing
environmental conditions.

46
 1.5) QUOTES

“If civilization is to survive, it must live on the interest, not the

1. Ronald Wright
capital, of nature.”
“The Earth started to rebel when the carbon in the atmosphere began
2. Donna Maltz
to swell.”
"The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will
3. Robert Swan
save it".
“What is the good of having a nice house without a decent planet to
4. Henry David Thoreau
put it on?”
“If you think the economy is more important than the environment,
5. Guy Mcpherson
try holding your breath while counting your money”
“Climate change does not respect border; it does not respect who you
6. are- rich and poor, small and big. Therefore, this is what we call Ban Ki Moon
global challenges, which require global solidarity”
“The environment is where we all meet; where we all have a mutual
7. Lady Bird Johnson
interest; it is the one thing all of us share.”
“Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's needs, but not every
8. Mahatma Gandhi
man's greed.”
“A nation that destroys its soils destroys itself. Forests are the lungs
9. Franklin D. Roosevelt
of our land, purifying the air and giving fresh strength to our people.”
10. “PrakrutiRakshatiRakshita” (Nature Protects if She is Protected) -
“When the last tree is cut and the last fish killed, the last river
11. John May
poisoned, then you will see that you can't eat money.”
12. “Teaching to care for the Environment is teaching to value Life.” MohithAgadi
13. “Earth does not belong to us; we belong to the earth” Native American Proverb
"What we are doing to the forests of the world is but a mirror
14. Mahatma Gandhi
reflection of what we are doing to ourselves and to one another"
I only feel angry when I see waste. When I see people throwing away
15. Mother Teresa
things we could use.
"We are the first generation to get impacted by climate change, and Barack Obama, Paris
16.
last who can do something about it" COP
The only way forward, if we are going to improve the quality of the
17. Richard Rogers
environment, is to get everybody involved.
18. There are no passengers on Spaceship Earth. We are all crew. Marshall McLuhan
"Climate change is simply, the greatest collective challenge we face
19. Ban Ki Moon
as a human family"
Yadrishi Bhavana Yasya; Siddhir Bhavati Tadrishi (Whatever are
20. one’s thoughts, so will be the outcome. Our toughts are influenced -
by our environment. Hence, we need clean environment).
“Let us find harmony between concrete and nature. Without harming
21. AbhijitNaskar
earth, let us build green skyscrapers.”

******

47
 1.6) MOVIES

Movie Name Synopsis

• The film's premise is that the future of humanity is in
jeopardy.
• It documents the grave problems facing the planet's life
systems. Global warming, deforestation, mass species
The 11th Hour extinction, and depletion of the oceans' habitats are all
addressed and accounted for.
• It proposes potential solutions to these problems by calling for
restorative action by the reshaping and rethinking of global
human activity through technology, social responsibility, and
conservation.
• Theme: Climate Change research in Antarctica
• The film has an image of a rapidly melting iceberg against a
deep blue sky and radiant sunshine and then goes on to explain
how this rapid melting of ice in the region adds to the amount
The Antarctica of fresh water in the world significantly – which can lead
Challenge: A Global obviously to flooding.
Warning • In another scene, there is a lonely, single penguin waddling
off inland in search of a new shelter and food sources for his
group. Some describe the act as a suicide march, while other
observers take the high road and compare that little penguin
to Shakelton’s trailblazing spirit saying the penguin is not
trying to kill himself, but trying to save them all.
• In a little more upbeat scenario, Damon Gameau envisions the
world in 2040 if regenerative technologies, discoveries, and
inventions to stop climate change are widely adopted.
2040 [Documentary] • The focus of this documentary is on the economic, political,
and scientific solutions and practices, such as energy subsidies
and regenerative farming, that could make genuine change for
our planet and the future, changing the dismal and hopeless
narrative of our planet's destiny.
• This documentary explores the consequences of biodiversity
loss, such as the increased presence of diseases and viruses
and it explicitly addresses large corporations as the drivers of
Extinction: The Facts consumption and states the economic changes that must be
(2020) [Documentary made.
from David • This documentary has tried making the theme of extinction
Attenborough] feel urgent by filtering it through the prism of the coronavirus
pandemic. And persuaded people to focus on the imminent
extinction of 1M different species by appealing to our self-
interest, highlighting how humans will ultimately suffer as a
result of the devastation we have brought upon ourselves.
Climate Refugees • The documentary attempts to cover the human impact of
(2010 film) climate change by considering those who could most be
affected by it.

48
 • The film attempts to illuminate the national security
implications of countries running out of food and water due to
vast droughts and climatic shifts.

• Theme: Environment of India: Municipal waste in Laloor

• The documentary narrates about the problems of Municipal
LaloorinuParayanulla
Garbage dumping in Laloor, a suburban area in Thrissur
thu (What Has
Municipal Corporation.
LaloorTo Say)
• The film reveals the history of waste dumping in Laloor since
the period of SakthanThampuran who was the ruler of the
Kingdom of Cochin and first violence against Garbage
dumping here.
• Elemental tells the story of three individuals (from India,
Northern Canada and Australia) united by their deep
connection with nature and driven to confront some of the
most pressing ecological challenges of our time.
Elemental (2012 film)
• The characters in this story are multifaceted, flawed,
postmodern heroes for whom stopping the tide of
environmental catastrophe fades in and out of vision. They are
divided by continents but share an unyielding devotion to
safeguarding nature.

******

49
 1.7) DATA AND REPORTS
Environment and Climate Change
* You can Quote source as CPCB OR NITI Aayog at maximum places
Topic Parameters
Part Two of Sixth Assessment Report
• Over 45% of the global population, were living in areas
highly vulnerable to climate change.
• Global sea levels will likely rise 44-76 cm this century if
governments meet their current emission-cutting pledges.
• Urban India at greater risk: Compared to other areas
with a projected population of 877 million by 2050, nearly
double of 480 million in 2020.
• Current Wet-bulb temperatures: It rarely exceeds 31
IPCC Report degrees C, with most of the country experiencing
maximum wet-bulb temperatures of 25-30 degrees C.
• IPCC Assessment Report 6(AR6-2021): Avg temp level
will increase over the level of pre-industrial era by
o 1.5° in 20 years
o 2° by 2050
• To limit the rise in temperature, CO2 levels need to fall by
45% by 2030, reaching net zero
• A global net-zero is the minimum requirement to limit
temp rise to 1.5°C
• Current INDC Pledges of Different countries place the
world on course of warming of 3o or more(Emissions Gap
Report)
Is Current INDC Enough?
• UNFCC Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC)
Synthesis Report 2021- The current efforts will help
only limit temp by 1°C
• $5.7 trillion needed every year out of which $4 trillion is
required in developing countries (Economic Survey
2018)
• India demands $1 trillion as ‘climate finance’ over next
decade from developed countries to adapt to, and mitigate,
Climate Finance
the challenges arising from global warming.
§ Climate change will cost the world at least 2.60 trillion
Euro per year but reducing Emissions just need 0.5
Trillion Euro per year, therefore, benefiting the Economy
of 1.8 trillion Euro per year(European Union)
• Per capita CO2 Emission (WB data-2018)
CO2 Emissions o 1.8 tons
o world average 4.3 tons

50
 • India is the World’s 3rd largest Country with CO2 Emitter
after China and USA
• India contributes to 6.8% (2021) of world CO2 emissions
while has around 16% of World’s Population
(Global Carbon Budget 2020)
● India contributes 21% of global SO2 emissions
SO2
● India is world’s largest SO2 emitter
Population and Climate By 2050, the world population will increase by 2 billion thus
change productivity of agriculture must increase by 60% (FAO)
Waste
Global e-waste monitor Report 2020
• Only 17.4% collected or recycled
Collection/Recycling of E- • Global e-Waste will increase by 38% till 2030
waste India-(MoE)
• 10% (2017-18)
• 20%(2018-19)
Global e-waste monitor Report 2020
• Globally 53 Million Tons
Generation of E-waste • India: 3.23 million Tons( increased 2.5 times in just 6
years)
• India 3rd largest e-waste producer
Waste (All types) India: 3rd largest waste generator in the world
Ministry of Environment.
Unorganised sector (in waste)
● 95% of waste handled by the unorganised sector in India
Plastic Only 60% recycled
More than 9000tonnes Plastic waste is generated every day in
India (CPCB 2019)
GoI notified Plastic Waste Management Amendment
Total Waste generation Rules, 2021,
prohibits the manufacture, import, stocking, distribution,
sale and use of following single-use plastic from July 1,
2022
Out of Total waste, Just 25% is Treated while 75% is dumped
Waste Treatment
into Landfills
River Pollution
Total Discharge per day : 12000 million litres
Treatment capacity: 4000 million litres
Ganga Operational Treatment Capacity : 1000 million litres
*Ganga Nurtures around 40% of Country’s population and
it’s basin covers 25% of the Country
80% of river pollution due to untreated waste and 20% due to
Sources
industries

51
 Namami Ganga Only 20% of allocated funds are utilised (CAG Report)
• World Resource Institute
o India ranked 13th out of 17 most water stressed
coutries in the world
• 1486 m3 per capita (India is a water scarce Nation)(CWC
Water Report)
• Ministry of Urban Development 80% of India’s surface
water is polluted
• NITI Aayog Report: 40% of Indian population will have
no access to drinking water.
• India largest ground water user(25% of global GW
extraction)
Ground Water Table(GWT) • 90% used for irrigation
• According to NASA, India’s GWT decreases 0.3m every
year
Air Pollution
• Out of 180 countries that have been ranked, India is in
the bottom five with a score of 18.9.
• Even Bangladesh, Myanmar, Pakistan, and Vietnam have
ranked better than India.

Pollution

(Environment Performance Index 2022)

• World Air Quality Report 2021 (By IQAir)

52
 ● Lancet report
o Air Pollution killed 1.7 million Indians in 2019
Fatality o 18% of the total deaths in India are due to Air Pollution
o India lost 1.4% of GDP due to premature mortality and
morbidity due to pollution

*****

53
 1.8) BOOKS
ENVIRONMENT/BOOK BRIEFS
The Uninhabitable Earth: Life After Warming - David Wallace Wells
• In his book he highlights three delusions which people suffer from related climate
change.
• Climate change is typically thought of as a slow process, “a story of centuries”. But
Wallace-Wells, emphasises that the climate change we are experiencing today is “not a
legacy of our ancestors” but something that has happened in the last 30 years.
• The second delusion, about the scope of the crisis, goes something like: no one is
immune from it – no matter where you live, no matter how wealthy you are, it will
finally reach you. The bushfires in Australia being a case in point.
• Finally, the severity of the crisis: The Earth has already crossed the 1.1 degrees C rise
above the preindustrial baseline, against which global warming is measured. Even if we
did everything in our power to stop further warming and limited it to an improbable 2C,
we could still be looking at hundreds of millions of climate refugees before the end of
this century, food grain shortage and tens of millions of climate-related deaths,
Wallace-Wells warns. And this is the best-case scenario.
That’s why we are living in the “most consequential time in human history”, says Wallace-
Wells
Silent Spring - Rachel Carson
• It documented the environmental harm caused by the indiscriminate use of pesticides.
Carson accused the chemical industry of spreading disinformation, and public officials
of accepting the industry's marketing claims unquestioningly.
“The Uninhabitable Earth”- David Wallace Wells
• The book explores the projected meteorological, sociological, and psychological
consequences of climate change over the course of the 21st century.
• The author argues that climate change stands to erase much of the progress the global
community has made in addressing world hunger over the past few decades, as the area
suitable for growing grain continues to shrink.
“The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History”- Elizabeth Kolbert
• The author studies the relationship between human beings and the environment, and
concludes that human behavior is on the verge of causing (or may have already caused)
a mass extinction—the sixth in the history of the planet.
• The author opinions that it’s important to keep in mind that humans, for all their power
to change the environment, also have the power to preserve, nurture, and protect.
“No One Is Too Small to Make a Difference”- Greta Thunberg
• This book has a collection of speeches by Greta Thunberg, a young climate change
activist from Sweden.
• The author/speaker wants the world to recognize what is happening so that the world
can act and prevent any more destruction. She argues that the world needs to wise up
and take greater responsibility for human actions.
“This Changes Everything: Capitalism Vs The Climate”- Naomi Klein

54
 • Presents a dystopian status quo of “climate change fueled disaster capitalism –
profiteering disguised as emission reduction, privatized hyper-militarized borders, and
quite possibly, high-risk geoengineering when things spiral out of control”
• The author suggests that “we are all in the sacrifice zone now”. However, the author
leaves us with a glimmer of hope that climate justice movements and social
mobilization can offer an alternative future.
“Silent Spring”- Rachel Carson
• It is a landmark work of environmental writing.
• This book led to the ban of DDT, and provided evidence on how big corporations
intentionally spread disinformation to further their agenda, often at the cost of the
environment.
• In many ways, Silent Spring served as a public warning, gathering expert opinion on
the dangers of this increasingly destructive practice.
“The End Of Nature”- Bill Mckibben
• Considered the first book on global warming, The End Of Nature advocates that a
fundamental change in our way of thinking and living is the only way we can effectively
combat climate change.
• This book clearly points out the unequivocal dangers of continued destruction of the
earth’s environment; carbon dioxide accumulation, acid rain, chlorofluorocarbons
(CFCs), and other forms of pollution will wreak unforeseen global destruction.
“Water Wars: Privatization, Pollution and Profit”- Vandana Shiva
• The author celebrates the spiritual and traditional role water has played in communities
throughout history and warns that water privatization threatens cultures and livelihoods
worldwide.
• The author calls for a movement to preserve water access for all, and offers a blueprint
for global resistance based on examples of successful campaigns. Using examples of
large-scale dam projects carried out by private players and the disturbance it has caused
in the water-sharing system.

ENVIRONMENT/BOOK BRIEFS
The Uninhabitable Earth: Life After Warming - David Wallace Wells
• In his book he highlights three delusions which people suffer from related climate
change.
• Climate change is typically thought of as a slow process, “a story of centuries”. But
Wallace-Wells, emphasises that the climate change we are experiencing today is “not a
legacy of our ancestors” but something that has happened in the last 30 years.
• The second delusion, about the scope of the crisis, goes something like: no one is
immune from it – no matter where you live, no matter how wealthy you are, it will
finally reach you. The bushfires in Australia being a case in point.
• Finally, the severity of the crisis: The Earth has already crossed the 1.1 degrees C rise
above the preindustrial baseline, against which global warming is measured. Even if we
did everything in our power to stop further warming and limited it to an improbable 2C,
we could still be looking at hundreds of millions of climate refugees before the end of
this century, food grain shortage and tens of millions of climate-related deaths,
Wallace-Wells warns. And this is the best-case scenario.

55
That’s why we are living in the “most consequential time in human history”, says Wallace-
Wells
Silent Spring - Rachel Carson
• It documented the environmental harm caused by the indiscriminate use of pesticides.
Carson accused the chemical industry of spreading disinformation, and public officials
of accepting the industry's marketing claims unquestioningly.
“The Uninhabitable Earth”- David Wallace Wells
• The book explores the projected meteorological, sociological, and psychological
consequences of climate change over the course of the 21st century.
• The author argues that climate change stands to erase much of the progress the global
community has made in addressing world hunger over the past few decades, as the area
suitable for growing grain continues to shrink.
“The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History”- Elizabeth Kolbert
• The author studies the relationship between human beings and the environment, and
concludes that human behavior is on the verge of causing (or may have already caused)
a mass extinction—the sixth in the history of the planet.
• The author opinions that it’s important to keep in mind that humans, for all their power
to change the environment, also have the power to preserve, nurture, and protect.
“No One Is Too Small to Make a Difference”- Greta Thunberg
• This book has a collection of speeches by Greta Thunberg, a young climate change
activist from Sweden.
• The author/speaker wants the world to recognize what is happening so that the world
can act and prevent any more destruction. She argues that the world needs to wise up
and take greater responsibility for human actions.
“This Changes Everything: Capitalism Vs The Climate”- Naomi Klein
• Presents a dystopian status quo of “climate change fueled disaster capitalism –
profiteering disguised as emission reduction, privatized hyper-militarized borders, and
quite possibly, high-risk geoengineering when things spiral out of control”
• The author suggests that “we are all in the sacrifice zone now”. However, the author
leaves us with a glimmer of hope that climate justice movements and social
mobilization can offer an alternative future.
“Silent Spring”- Rachel Carson
• It is a landmark work of environmental writing.
• This book led to the ban of DDT, and provided evidence on how big corporations
intentionally spread disinformation to further their agenda, often at the cost of the
environment.
• In many ways, Silent Spring served as a public warning, gathering expert opinion on
the dangers of this increasingly destructive practice.
“The End Of Nature”- Bill Mckibben
• Considered the first book on global warming, The End Of Nature advocates that a
fundamental change in our way of thinking and living is the only way we can effectively
combat climate change.

56
 • This book clearly points out the unequivocal dangers of continued destruction of the
earth’s environment; carbon dioxide accumulation, acid rain, chlorofluorocarbons
(CFCs), and other forms of pollution will wreak unforeseen global destruction.
“Water Wars: Privatization, Pollution and Profit”- Vandana Shiva
• The author celebrates the spiritual and traditional role water has played in communities
throughout history and warns that water privatization threatens cultures and livelihoods
worldwide.
• The author calls for a movement to preserve water access for all, and offers a blueprint
for global resistance based on examples of successful campaigns. Using examples of
large-scale dam projects carried out by private players and the disturbance it has caused
in the water-sharing system.

*****

57
 1.9) POEMS
Keep our Environment green,
So it will be neat and clean.
Keep it tidy and nice,
It will keep away the rats and mice.
Don't drop it put in your pocket,
Even if it's a rusty old locket,
If you drop litter you will be fined,
But if you put it in the bin no one will mind.
- Paula

Trees offer to those who love them

A message of peace and rest.
They bring the glow of the setting sun
As it vanishes in the west.
They tell of years that swiftly pass,
With little mark or scar.
They tell of evenings that know naught
But calm of evening star.
Trees offer to those who love them
Infinite wisdom and grace.
Underneath their boughs tree lovers
See eternity's face.
- Lenore Hetrick

Plant to breathe
Plant to cool down the earth
Plant to heal yourself, physically and mentally
Plant to regain balance
Plant to live
- Noora Ahmed Alsuwaidi

58