Green Planet Mantra

G r e e n
Planet
Mantra
A GREEN EARTH REVOLUTION WITH SCHOLARS: A QUARTERLY JOURNAL
Issue: 1 Vol : 1 April-June 2016
`150/-

2 G P M Issue - 1 Volume 1 April-June 2016
C ontents
1. Overview of Climate Change ....................................................................................................4
2. Causes Responsible for Climate Change ........................................................................................6
3. Climate Change: Impacts & Consequences In India ..............................................................10
4. Global and Domestic Efforts to Combat Climate Change .............................................................15
5. Climate Change Negotiations and Agreements ..........................................................................17
6. Paris Agreement at a Glance ..................................................................................................20
7. Climate Change, Unplanned Development and Disasters in India ...............................................22
8. Climate Change in Media .............................................................................................................24
9. What you can do!!! ..............................................................................................................29
10. Green Quizz??? ..........................................................................................................................32
Editorial Team:
Ms. Riya Singh
Director,
SRI PVT LTD
Mr. Vineet Kumar
Research Scholar, CSSP,
JNU
Reviewed By:
Mr. Shashikant Chopde
Senior Research Associate
ISET-I
Dr. Kavita Singh
Assistant Professor,
Department of Environment Science,
M. S. College, University of Delhi.
Mr. Varenya Mehta
Environmental Engineer,
Dalmia Bharat Limited
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3G P M Issue - 1 Volume 1 April-June 2016
About Green Planet Mantra:
“Earth Provides Enough to Satisfy Every Man’s Need, But Not Every
Man’s Greed”
— Mahatma Gandhi
Green Planet Mantra (GPM) is an electronically published quarterly journal
designed to imbibe responsiveness about Global Warming or Climate Change and its
effects on mother earth along with eminent solutions among the youth of India.
It has become vital for the future generations of India to understand the dangers of Global
Warming and its long-term impacts on earth and its inhabitants. Now, the question arises
what is Global warming and how to protect the earth from global warming? The solution lies
in “Renewable Energy, Permaculture and Natural Resource Management”. Understanding the
benefits of renewable energy, renewable agriculture and the contributions it will make towards
the development of the Indian economy has become the need of the hour.
Inthefaceofsignificantgrowthofrenewableenergyinthecountry,itseemsthatyounggeneration
lacks appropriate understanding of this important revolution. All renewable technologies are
carbon free, thus avoiding emissions, with wind and solar energy being the fastest growing
segments in of the world as well as in India. The concept of renewable agriculture is also
taking shape worldwide and some States across India are also adopting the renewable or
sustainable agriculture technology on a large-scale.
Introducing the concept, technology and developments in the sector is a pioneering
initiative to spread awareness and knowledge among the youth and the general
public. We intend to distribute the journal in all educational institutions
across India. It will be available in both English and Hindi language. Going
forward, it will be published in various languages based on demand
from various States. The printed version of the same will be available
at `150/- per copy on demand.

1. Overview of Climate Change
The terms climate change and global warming are
interrelated. The global warming refers to the rise
in global average temperature due to the increase in the
greenhouse gases in the atmosphere such as Carbon Dioxide
(CO2
), Methane (CH4
), Water Vapour, Nitrous Oxide (N2
O),
and Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). The climate on Earth is
continuously changing through a natural cycle. Then why
is the world worried about climate change? The causes of
climate change can be divided into two categories - those that
are due to natural causes (drift, volcanoes, ocean currents,
the earth’s tilt, and comets and meteorites) and those that
are created by humans. In the history of Earth, the climate
change is a recurring phenomenon and has occurred many
times before. There were eras when most of the earth was
covered in ice and also, the warmer periods. The last ice age
was existed 650,000 years ago. The previous extreme climate
change episodes had taken place due to the natural factors
such as volcanoes, comets, etc. For the first time in history,
the changes taking place in climate are intensifying because
of the human activities. It has been corroborated by the
subsequent reports of UN designated body on climate change
-IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate change).
The majority of the warming at the global scale can only be
explained by the detrimental human activities, especially by
emissions from burning fossil fuels (coal, oil, and natural gas),
deforestation, increased industrialization and urbanisation,
and so on. In addition to human-induced global climate
change, local climate can also be affected by other human
factors such as heat island effect, large-scale use of fertilizers,
burning of crop residue, raising livestock, and others. The
planet’s climate is going through extraordinary changes such
as melting of glaciers, erratic change in the rainfall patterns, a
rise in the sea level, an increase in frequency and magnitude
of natural disasters and so on. The future of the human race
DO YOU KNOW:
What are Tree Rings?
Each year, trees add a layer
of growth between the
older wood and the bark.
This layer, or ring as seen in
cross section, can be wide,
recording a wet season, or
narrow, recording a dry
growingseason. TreeRings
document growing season,
moisture, temperature and
cloud cover as they impact
tree growth as well. Tree
rings can also be impacted
by wind, soil properties,
disease, or even pollution..
This record of annual
summer information is
very important when we
consider that certain types
of trees grow slowly over
hundreds and hundreds
of years, and therefore
contain a record of as
many years of climate and
climate change. Scientists
have established a ring
record that records climate
signals for over 9,000 years
into the past.

is extremely grim and in the coming 50-100 years, the future
apocalyptic predictions have been made by the scientists. It is
likely that the Island nations such as Maldives, Solomon Islands
and others will be submerged over a period; the Himalayan
glaciers are melting and retreating; monsoon rainfall has become
more erratic over the Indian subcontinent. According to the latest
IPCC Report (November 2014), the delay in the mitigation and
adaptation practices will significantly increase the technological,
economic and social costs. There will be long-lasting and
irrevocable impacts on the people, society and ecosystems.
The concentration of CO2
in the atmosphere has already crossed
400 parts per million (ppm) which was around 280 ppm in the
mid-19th century. The changes in climate are being studied
by scientists all over the world. They have gathered evidence of
changes in climate from tree rings, pollen samples, ice cores, and
sea sediments. These are just some indicators measured globally
over many decades to corroborate the fact that the earth’s climate
is warming. According to the latest report by IPCC, by 2100, if no
measures were taken to combat global warming, then it is certain
that the average global temperatures would increase to 5-6 o
C
which has already increased to 0.8 o
C since 1850.
DO YOU KNOW:
How Pollen Tells Us About
Climate ?
Pollen grains are the sperm-
carrying reproductive bodies
of seed plants like conifers,
cycads, and flowering plants.
Each of these grains has its
own unique shape depending
on what plant it comes from,
and their walls are made
of a substance known as
sporopollenin, which is very
chemically stable and strong.
By analysing pollen from
well-dated sediment cores,
scientists can obtain records
of changes in vegetation going
back hundreds of thousands,
and even millions of years.
Pollen records tell us about the
past climate, but they can also
tell us how we are impacting
our climate. Comparing
trends in vegetation from the
last few thousand years to
recent trends in vegetation can
also help scientists determine
whether human activities have
had significant impacts on
ecosystems.
DO YOU KNOW:
How Ice Cores Records Climate Data?
Ice cores are cylinders of ice drilled out of
an ice sheet or glacier. Most ice core records
come from Antarctica and Greenland, and
the longest ice cores extend to 3km in depth.
The oldest continuous ice core records to
date extend 123,000 years in Greenland and
800,000 years in

2. Causes Responsible for Climate Change
At domestic and international levels, climate
change has been recognized as global
environmental problem. Climate change refers
to any change in climate over time, whether due
to natural variability or as a result of human
activity (IPCC, 1990). Climate change refers to
a change of climate that is attributed directly
or indirectly to human activity that alters the
composition of the global atmosphere and
that is in addition to natural climate variability
observed over comparable time periods
(UNFCCC, 1992). Climate change, according
to subsequent reports of IPCC, is taking place
duetoanthropogenicfactorsratherthannatural
processes. Also, the scientists have studied that
over the 20th century, the mean global surface
temperature increased by 0.6°C (IPCC, 2001).
CarbonDioxide(CO2
),Methane,WaterVapour,
and Nitrous Oxide are the main greenhouse
gases in the atmosphere. Recently, the CO2
concentrations has crossed 400 ppm (parts per
million) in the atmosphere. In the race to the
purported development and economic growth,
we have consciously increased the pace of the
release of these gases into the atmosphere by
Do you know ?
Water Vapour:- It is the most abundant
greenhouse gas on the earth; however it
spends just a short time in the atmosphere,
and humans have some impact on the
amount of water in the atmosphere, it
is not considered the most important
greenhouse gas.

several human activities which are explicated
below:
1. Industrialization
Two centuries back, Industrial revolution
began from the England which over a period
unfolded across America and Europe and as
a result, substantially increased the amount of
greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Scientific
evidence shows that carbon dioxide (CO2
)
concentrationsintheatmospherehaveincreased
substantiallysincetheonsetofindustrialization.
This has resulted in a strengthening of the
greenhouse effect, which has played a critical
role in warming our planet. Another important
gas, methane concentration in the atmosphere
has increased approximately 150% since pre-
industrial times. Industrialization has not only
released greenhouse gases in atmosphere, it
has also polluted water and changed land use
pattern. The main industries emitting CO2
and
other greenhouse gases include cement, coal,
oil, iron & steel, leather, and so on.
2. Expansion of Agriculture
Agriculture is one of the most essential activities
of the human as it provides the food and job and
significantly contributes to the gross domestic
production (GDP) of a country. Its importance
can be gauged from the fact that the cultivation
is taking place on more than half of India’s
landmass. Due to the huge population growth
and demand, a pressure on the agricultural
production has increased manifold in the last
hundred years. During agricultural and related
activities, a large amount of greenhouse gases
is released in the atmosphere. It is primarily
a source of carbon dioxide (CO2
), nitrous
oxide (N2
O), and methane (CH4
) emissions.
According to the report by MOEF, the main
sources of emissions of greenhouse gases in
agriculture are the rearing of livestock, manure
management, rice cultivation, agricultural soils
and on field burning of crop residue. Recently,
in the season of winter, Delhi people faced
the onslaught of hazardous smog (a harmful
combination of nasty gases) which occurred
due to the crop residue burning in Punjab.
Do you know ?
Carbon Dioxide (CO2
):- It actually forms
a small part of the atmosphere, but one
of the important greenhouse gases. CO2
is released naturally into the atmosphere
through volcanic eruptions and animal
respiration but it is also released through
human activities such as deforestation and
the burning of fossil fuels. CO2
also spends
a long time in the atmosphere increasing
its impact. Since the industrial revolution,
humans have increased atmospheric CO2
concentration by 30%.

3. Deforestation
When forests are cleared or burnt, stored
carbon in the trees and plants is released into
the atmosphere, mainly as carbon dioxide.
Deforestation accounts for around 18% of all
global greenhouse gas emissions due to the
human activities – this is more than the global
emissions from transport. The forested land is
diverted to non-forest activities on a large scale
such as mining, road construction, industrial
set up, urbanisation and others. According to
Centre for Science and Environment (2012),
between the period of 2007-11, in India, nearly
2.04 lakh hectares of forest land was diverted for
various projects in the name of development.
Similarly, illegal mining activities have
destroyed the forests of the Aravali mountain
chain in the parts of Haryana and Rajasthan.
4. Rapid Urbanisation
There was never a time in the history when half
of the world’s population was living in urban
areas. Now, more than 50% population has
become urbanised as compared to only 15%
in 1900. Urbanisation is a sign of development
but there are caveats attached to it. The urban
areas are resource intensive in terms of water,
food, energy and others creating the additional
pressures on the resources of the already-
stretched earth. The phenomenon of rapid
urbanisation has to be seen in the context of the
cities of developing countries as they are not
able to provide the necessary facilities to their
citizens and hence, most of the urban people
live in poor living conditions. It is estimated
Do you know ?
Methane(CH4
):-Itisthesecondimportant
greenhouse gas which is produced both
naturally and through human activities.
The most significant sources of Methane
come from the decomposition of organic
matter e.g. in landfills and in agriculture.
Another large source is from the digestion
of ruminants (cows, goats etc). Methane is
a much stronger greenhouse gas than CO2
because it absorbs more heat; however it is
less abundant in the atmosphere.

that over 900 million people, one-third of the
global urban population, and more than 70%
of urban developing-country populations, now
lives in slum-like conditions. On the one hand,
the urban areas are responsible for inducing
global warming as they are resource guzzlers
and on the other, they are amplifying the
impacts of climate change on the poor people.
5. Energy Sector
Without energy, the modern society is not
feasible. Humankind has never-ending appetite
for energy which increased tremendously after
the industrial revolution. In this, fossil fuels
especially coal and oil played the key role. Coal
is primarily used as a fuel in the electricity
generation across the world and hence,
responsible for nearly 65.4% of the total CO2
equivalent emissions. Oil is generally used in
industrial activities and transportation which
also emits greenhouse gases in huge quantity.
Our dependence on fossil fuels has become
bane for the earth’s flora and fauna. For instance,
in Australia, the Great Barrier Reef – a rich
reservoir of coral reefs – has started bleaching
on a large scale due to the climate change. In
Do you know ?
Nitrous Oxide (N2
O):- It is a powerful
greenhouse gas which is heavily produced
in the agriculture sector especially in the
production and use of fertilizers. It is also
produced during the burning of fossil
fuels.
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). These man-
made compounds were produced for
industrial use, mainly in refrigerants and
air conditioners. They are now regulated
under the Montreal Protocol due to its
adverse impact on the Ozone Layer.
the coming years, the greenhouse gas emissions
will certainly rise as developing countries such
as India, China, Brazil and others have crores of
people who are still poor.

1. Agriculture and Food Security:
Seasonal water scarcity or droughts, rising
temperatures, changing rainfall patterns and
intrusion of sea water affects the crop yields
and annual production; thus, jeopardizing the
country’s food security. Rising temperatures
with lower rainfall at the end of the growing
season have caused a significant loss to the
crop production. Extremely high temperatures
in northern India have adversely affected the
wheat yields, and rising temperatures can only
aggravate the situation. Major floods that used
to happen only once in 100 years now take place
every 10 or 20 years. Unusually high rainfall,
3. Climate Change: Impacts & Consequences In India
which many scientists agree is due to climate
change, is a significant cause of floods. On the
other hand, droughts are becoming longer,
harder and more frequent. These are all factors
affecting Agriculture and food security.
2. Energy Security: Climate-related
impacts on water resources can undermine two
dominant forms of power generation in India
- hydropower and thermal power generation
- both of which depend on adequate water
supplies to function effectively. To function at
optimal efficiency, thermal power plants need
a constant supply of fresh water to maintain
The outcome of climate change has started influencing the ecology and socio-economic condition
of our country. It poses a major risk to the human health and safety and impacts the poor people
most. India is one of the most disaster-prone nations in the world and many of its 1.2 billion people live
in areas near river basins and low-lying coastal plains. These are high population density zones which
are vulnerable to hazards such as floods, cyclones and droughts.

their cooling systems. The increasing variability
and long-term decreases in river flows can
pose a major challenge to hydropower plants
and increase the risk of physical damage from
landslides, flash floods, glacial lake outbursts,
and other climate-related natural disasters.
The decrease in the availability of water and
increase in temperature will pose major risk
to the thermal power generation. Because of
extreme heat, the equipments used in power
supply system get damaged frequently and
demand of power also increases drastically
in turn, affecting the energy security of the
country.
3. Urban Flooding: Rapid and unplanned
urbanisation combined with increase in the
intensities of extreme precipitation due to
climate change are causing large-scale flooding
of cities. Chennai and Mumbai floods in recent
past are classic examples of urban flooding. The
other cities in India like Srinagar, Leh, Surat,
Patna, Jamshedpur and Hyderabad are flooded
in the recent past. In the cities, haphazard
development and encroachment on the green
sensitive areas such as river banks, ponds, lakes
and tanks, and blockage of natural drainage
channels exacerbated the impact of floods.
4. Water Security: Many parts of India are
already experiencing water stress. Even without
climate change, satisfying future demand for
water will be a major challenge. Urbanization,
population growth, economic development,
and increasing demand for water from
agriculture and industry are likely to aggravate
the situation further. An increase in variability
of rainfall is expected to intensify water
shortage in some areas. Studies have found that
the threat to water security is very high over
central India, along the mountain ranges of the
Western Ghats, and in India’s north-eastern
states.
5. Wildlife at Risk: Rising temperatures
are changing weather and vegetation patterns
across the globe, forcing animal species to
migrate to new, cooler areas in order to survive.
Experts predict that one-fourth of Earth’s
species will be headed for extinction by 2050 if
the warming trend continues at its current rate.
Experts estimate there are as few as 3,200 tigers
left in the wild, due to poaching, the loss of their
habitat and depletion of the tiger’s natural prey.
Hunters, traders and poor local residents use
the forest for subsistence, directly competing
with the tiger. Some of the largest remaining
areas where tigers occur are the mangrove

forests of India. The projected rise in sea levels
could cause these living spaces of the tiger to
vanish altogether. An overheating world is
creating a big change in climatic conditions and
this can harm the delicate ecosystems in which
species live. Threatened species can already be
found all over the world.
6. IntenseCyclones andTropicalStorms:
Cyclones and tropical storms gets energy from
warm water. Because of climate change, sea
surfacetemperaturesrisesleadingtooccurrence
of tropical storms and Cyclones. Other factors
such as rising sea levels, disappearing wetlands,
and increased coastal development threaten to
intensify the damage to coastal ecosystems and
communities caused by cyclones and tropical
storms. Frequency of tropical cyclones form in
the Bay of Bengal and in the Arabian Sea has
increased in the last many years, which bringing
strong winds and heavy rains causing massive
destruction of life and property in coastal states
like Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, parts of West
Bengal.
7. Health: Health systems will need to be
strengthened in identified hotspots. Climate
change is expected to have major health impacts
on India- increasing malnutrition and related
health disorders such as child growth stunting -
with the poor likely to be affected most severely.
Child stunting is projected to increase by 35%
by 2050 compared to a
scenario without climate
change. Malaria and other
vector-borne diseases, along
with diarrheal infections
which are a major cause
of child mortality, are
likely to spread into areas
where colder temperatures
had previously limited
transmission. Heat waves
are likely to result in a very
substantial rise in mortality
and death, and injuries from

extreme weather events are likely to increase.
8. Migration and Displacement: South
Asia is a hotspot for the migration of people
from disaster-affected or degraded areas to
other national and international regions. The
Indus and the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna
Basins are major trans-boundary rivers, and
increasing demand for water is already leading
to tensions among countries over water sharing.
Climate change impacts on agriculture and
livelihoods can increase the number of climate
refugees.
9. Extreme Heat: Unusual and
unprecedented spells of hot weather are
occurring more frequently and cover much
larger areas. The west coast and southern India
are shifting to new, high-temperature climatic
regimes with significant impacts on agriculture.
Extreme heat in winter session also effects on
grain yield like wheat, mustard, barley and
chick-pea in northern India.
.
10. Changing Rainfall Patterns: A 2°C
rise in the world’s average temperatures would
make India’s monsoon highly unpredictable.
An abrupt change in the monsoon precipitates a
major crisis, triggering more frequent droughts
as well as greater floodings in large parts of
India. The Northwest coast to the south-eastern
coastal region could see higher than average
rainfall. El Nino is a weather condition that
lasts for about a year on average. This period
coincides with the warming of sea surface
temperatures that affect wind patterns and
trigger floods and droughts in different parts of
the world. El Nino also affects monsoon rainfall
pattern in India. .

11. Droughts: Droughts are being seen
more frequently in some areas, especially
in northwestern India, Jharkhand, Orissa,
Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra. According
to Skymet, the most prominent droughts in
India, six of them, since 1871 have been El
Nino triggered droughts, including the recent
ones that occurred in 2002 and 2009. Data of
135 years from 1880 to 2014, about 90% of all
evolving El Nino years have led to below normal
rainfall and 65% of evolving El Nino years have
brought droughts. All El Nino years do not lead
to drought in India. The year
1997-98 is a stark reminder as it was
a strong El Nino year but that did not cause
drought in India, in fact, rainfall was in excess.
On the other hand, a moderate El Nino in 2002
resulted in one of the worst droughts.
.
12. Melting of Glacier: Himalayan glaciers
have shrunk by 13% in the last 50 years and
the snowline has moved 180 metres uphill. As
the glaciers dwindle, the rocks and debris they
carry are being exposed: the debris-covered
sections of the glaciers have increased by 17%
since the 1960s.
13. Sea Level Rise: Sundarban is an
archipelago of 54 islands and is home to about
44 lakh people. A UNESCO World Heritage
site, it is hit hard by an increase in floods,
storms, salinity and erosion caused by rising
sea levels and globally warming water. Kolkata
and Mumbai, both densely populated cities,
are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of
sea-level rise, tropical cyclones, and riverine
flooding.

International Organisations:
In 1988, the United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP) and the World
Meteorological Organisation (WMO) came
together to set up the Intergovernmental Panel
on Climate Change (IPCC) under the United
Nations. The objective was to provide the world
with a clear scientific view on the current
state of knowledge of climate change and its
potential environment and socio-economic
impacts. Currently, 195 countries are members
of the IPCC and thousands of scientists from all
over the world are contributing to its work on a
voluntary basis.
At the end of 2007, the IPCC was awarded
the Nobel Peace Prize for its work on climate
change.
The first IPCC Assessment report of 1990
underlined the importance of climate change
and urged international cooperation to tackle
its consequences. This led to the creation of
the United Nations Framework Convention
on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the key
international treaty to reduce global warming
and cope with the consequences of climate
change.
4. Global and Domestic Efforts to Combat Climate Change
Conference of the Parties (COP): The COP
is the supreme decision-making body of the
Convention. All Nation-States that are Parties
to the Convention are represented at the COP,
at which they review the implementation of the
Conventionandanyotherlegalinstrumentsthat
the COP adopts and take decisions necessary
to promote the effective implementation of
the Convention, including institutional and
administrative arrangements.
The first COP meeting was held in Berlin,
Germany in March, 1995. The COP meets
in Bonn, the seat of the secretariat, unless a
Party offers to host the session. Just as the COP
Presidency rotates among the five recognized
UN regions - that is, Africa, Asia, Latin America
and the Caribbean, Central and Eastern Europe
and Western Europe and Others – there is a
tendency for the venue of the COP to also shift
among these groups.
The twenty-first session of the Conference of
the Parties (COP) and the eleventh session of
the Conference of the Parties serving as the
meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol
(CMP) took place from 30th
November to 11th
December 2015, in Paris, France .

Countries across the globe committed to
create a new international climate agreement
by the conclusion of the U.N. Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
Conference of the Parties (COP21) in Paris
in December 2015. In preparation, countries
have agreed to voluntarily declare what post-
2020 climate actions they intend to take
under a new international agreement, known
as their Intended Nationally Determined
Contributions (INDCs). The INDCs will
largely determine whether the world achieves
an ambitious 2015 agreement and is put on a
path toward a low carbon and climate resilient
future.
Indian Government initiatives to Combat
Climate Change
The Union Government has recognised that
India is an extremely vulnerable to the impacts
of climate change and significant measures have
been undertaken from the year 2007 onwards.
On 5th June, 2007, the Government announced
the constitution of a high-level advisory group
on climate change under the chairmanship of
Prime Minister. As a result, on 30th June, 2008,
the government released its much-awaited plan
– National Action Plan on Climate Change
(NAPCC) – to mitigate and adapt to the
negative effects of climate change.
The action plan outlines the number of steps
to simultaneously advance India’s development
and climate change-related objectives. The
National Action Plan on Climate Change
(NAPCC) encompasses a range of measures. It
focuses on eight missions, which are as follows:
1. National Solar Mission
2. National Mission for Enhanced Energy
Efficiency
3. National Mission on Sustainable Habitat
4. National Water Mission
5. National Mission for Sustaining the
Himalayan Ecosystem
6. Green India Mission
7. National Mission for Sustainable
Agriculture
8. National Mission on Strategic Knowledge
for Climate Change
In November 2014 advisory group on climate
change was reconstituted with the following
objectives:
(i) Coordinate national action plans for
assessment, adaptation and mitigation of
climate change.
(ii) Advise government on pro-active
measures that can be taken by India to
deal with the challenge of climate change.
(iii) Facilitate inter-ministerial coordination
and guide policy in relevant areas.
Despite the developing economy with high
poverty figures and having no historical
participation in the CO2 emissions, India has
taken a leadership position to save the planet
and volunteered itself to reduce the emissions
by 20-25% by 2020.
On 1st October 2015, India announced its
new climate plan, also known as its Intended
Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC).
INDC builds on its goal of installing 175
gigawatts (GW) of renewable power capacity
by 2022 in which 100,000 MW will be solar,
60,000 MW from wind, 10,000 MW from
biomass, and 5,000 MW from small hydro. In
this way, the dependence of the country on
coal power plants for electricity generation will
decrease significantly. India has adopted several
ambitious measures for clean and renewable
energy, energy efficiency in various sectors of
industries, achieving lower emission intensity
in the automobile and transport sector, non-
fossil based electricity generation and building
sector based on energy conservation. Thrust on
renewable energy, promotion of clean energy,
enhancing energy efficiency, developing
climate resilient urban centres and sustainable
green transportation network are some of the
measures for achieving this goal.

Introduction
Climate change is one of the most
controversial and hot-debated issue of
our modern times as it is linked with the
continued existence of humanity. The world
climate is said to be changing and developing
into more unpredictable and irregular manner.
For instance, the extreme natural disasters are
occurring worldwide such as Katrina hurricane
in USA (2007), extraordinary floods of Pakistan
& Australia (2010), flash flood in Kedarnath
(2013), flood in Chennai (2015),“white attack”,
intense snow storms that paralysed life in
Washington, the floods of Boulder (US), intense
floodsofGermanyandUK)etcthepointistosay
that even the rich and developed countries are
being affected due to climate change and hence,
all the world leaders are seriously discussing the
issue. The world leaders are debating this issue
from last three decades at international forums
(United Nations). However, no consensus has
been reached on what should be done to resolve
climate change which could be plausible to
all the ‘stakeholder’ countries or groups of
countries such as BRICS, African Union, G-7,
G-77, Union of Small Islands, etc.
5. Climate Change Negotiations and Agreements
At domestic and international levels, climate
change has been recognized as the global
environmental problem. Ever since the
Industrial Revolution began about 150 years
ago, man-made activities have added significant
quantities of Greenhouse Gases (GHGs) to the
atmosphere. It has led to the greenhouse effect,
resulting in climate change which, according to
subsequent reports of IPCC, is taking place due
to anthropogenic factors rather than natural
processes. The Kyoto Protocol has identified
six main greenhouse gases which are inducing
climate change in the world: carbon dioxide
(CO2
), methane (CH4
), nitrous oxide (N2
O),
hydrofluorocarbons (HFC), perfluorocarbons
(PFC), and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6
). It
represents additional stress on ecological and
socio-economic systems that are already facing
tremendous pressure due to rapid economic
development. With climate change, the type,
frequency, and intensity of extreme events,
floods, and droughts are expected to increase.
India is the 4th largest emitter of GHGs after
China, USA, and the European Union. India is
producing 5.5% of total emissions, China 23%,
USA 20% & EU 14%. India is the home of 17%
of world’s total population, and if one takes per

capita wise into account, then the emissions of
India will look very trivial as it is only 1/10th
of US & other developed nations and 1/4th of
the global average. The concentration of CO2
in Earth’s atmosphere is approximately 404
ppm (parts per million) by volume as of 2016.
The IPCC report has projected that the rise in
temperature could range between 2 - 4.5 degree
Celsius. Therefore, with all these information
about climate change and its impacts available
with the world leaders, they started to negotiate
on how to deal with this issue which resulted
in the formation of the Convention on Climate
Change.
UNFCCC: A Vehicle for Negotiations
The IPCC report of 1990 outlined the climate
change and its causative factors. It guided the
global actions to counter the changes in the
atmosphere.TheUNGeneralAssemblyformally
launched negotiations on climate change
which produced United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992.
It led to the different responsibilities upon
developed and developing countries to fight
climate change.
Kyoto Protocol: Arrival at the Station
The Kyoto Protocol was adopted after intense
negotiations between countries at the 3rd
session of the Conference of the Parties (COP3)
to the United Nations Framework Convention
on Climate Change (UNFCCC) held in Kyoto,
Japan, in December 1997. It has been ratified
by 191 countries to fight global warming in
which Annex 1 countries have to reduce their
CO2 emissions by 5.2% during 2008-2012
over their 1990 levels. Of this, the USA was
expected to reduce by 7%, Canada by 3.3%,
Australia by 2.1%, Russia Federation by 17.4%,
the EU by 8% and Japan by 6%. This treaty has
divided the world into two groups: Annex – I
(Industrialized) countries and Non-Annex I
(Developing) Countries. It is legally binding
on developed countries, but the developing
countries such as India, China, Brazil, etc. have
got an exemption for the time being.
This treaty has been completely rejected by the
USA on the pretext that emission reduction
activity will hurt its economic interests and also,
the countries such as China and India should
also be held responsible for climate change, and
they should undertake emission cuts along with
developed countries which these two countries
are vehemently opposing. It created a situation
where treaty becomes failed and redundant.
COP: Conference of the Parties
The Conference of the Parties (COP) is the
“supreme body” of UNFCCC i.e. its highest
decision-making authority. It is an association
of all the countries that are Parties to the
Convention. The COP meets every year since
1995 and 21 meetings have taken place so far.
All these meetings were focused on how to deal
with the monster of climate change and lessen
its impacts on the coming generations.
During the 13th COP held at Bali, Indonesia,
in December 2007, a conference ended in the
adoption of the Bali Road Map, which consisted
of the Bali Action Plan. It charted the course
for a new negotiating process designed to tackle
climate change, with the aim of completing this
by 2009. The Bali road map charted out the clear
road map of emission reduction targets, future
of Kyoto Protocol and sustenance of developed
& developing countries by CDM projects in the
form of Bali Action Plan. The result of this meet
brought out the optimism at international level.
But this hope was dashed away by the outcome
of next Copenhagen meet.
The 15th COP held in Copenhagen in
December 2009 made some advances in the

form of the ‘Copenhagen Accord’, which
reflected the political understanding reached
by a select group of countries. However, this
was only ‘noted’ and not adopted by the Parties
to the Convention. The main agenda of this
Copenhagen summit 2009 was clearly aimed
at emission targets of industrialized countries,
emission cuts of major developed and
developing countries and financing of reduced
emissions. In this meeting, there were open
emission pledges by all the major countries
including China, India and other developing
nations – but no outline of a clear path toward
a treaty with binding commitments.
The COP16 at Cancun during December 2010
resulted in a set of decisions which is called
as “Cancun Agreement”. They were widely
perceived as a modest, small step forward and a
reaffirmation of faith in the multilateral process.
The agreement represented key steps forward
in capturing plans to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions and to help developing nations
protect themselves from climate impacts
and build their sustainable futures. The key
elements of this agreement were more or
less same as that of Copenhagen Accord. But
this kind of outcome was necessary for the
relevance of UNFCCC and Kyoto Protocol as
it is still, able to suggest some tangible results.
It helped in bridging the divide and restoring
the trust between nations which was marred
by the tensions and conflict in Copenhagen.
It may not be a new international treaty, but it
has paved the way ahead to have new legally
binding treaty after 2012.
Recently, the countries in the COP21 at Paris
in December 2015, have agreed to keep the
temperature below 2 degree Celsius. The
countries are voluntarily ready to decrease their
emissions over the years and declared their
Intended Nationally Determined Contributions
(INDCs). There are no legal obligations on the
countries to fulfill their promises. Also, the
developed countries would give $100 billion/
year to the developing countries to mitigate
the impacts of global warming. The developed
countriesweredeterminedtodilutetheprinciple
of common and differentiated responsibility;
however on the insistence of developing
countries, this tenet has remained untouched.
India has committed to reducing its emissions
intensity of GDP by 35% by 2030 below 2005
levels, increase its forest cover and also enhance
the share of renewables and nuclear in the total
installed capacity. The Indian government has
announced to increase its renewable energy
capacity to 175 GW by 2022. The primary focus
is on wind and solar with 60 GW and 100 GW
respectively. It has also announced Green India
Mission in which the emphasis is on increasing
the forest and tree cover up to 33 % of India’s
total geographical area.
Conclusion
The global efforts to address climate change
will require a fundamental transformation
of our economies and the relationship with
the environment. The requirement of the
time is to have concerted and cooperative
efforts by individual countries, the business
sector and civil society. The climate change
negotiations have led to establishing the fact
that the cooperation among the developed and
developing countries is imperative to save the
humanity on the earth. In this whole scenario,
the developing world is expected to be ready to
sacrifice its own developmental needs and help
the developed countries in reducing the overall
carbon emissions. It is called the ‘white man’s
burden’ on yellow, brown and black people.

During 30th November to 12th December
2015, nearly 200 countries, representatives
gathered in Paris under CoP21 of UNFCC
Negotiation, the world’s most significant
agreement to address climate change since the
issue first emerged as a major political priority
decades ago.
Becauseoftheseriousnessoftheglobalwarming
and climate change issue, this is the first time
in the history both developed and developing
countries including countries whose economy
depends on fossil fuels also taken climate
change issue seriously. The seriousness shown
by around 200 countries in Paris was never seen
before on the burning issue of Global warming.
The Paris Agreement is beginning of the end of
fossil fuels era which is dominant for more than
100 years as the primary sources of the engine
in the world. Under the agreement Countries
will aim to keep global temperatures from
rising more than 2°C (3.6°F) by 2100 with an
ideal target of keeping temperature rise below
1.5°C (2.7°F).
Leadership from India, U.S. and China also
played a key role in facilitating the agreement.
All three countries have acted as roadblocks in
past attempts to achieve climate deals. There
was conflict of interest between these three
countries keeping apart they lead up to this
conference and each of them made strong
commitments to reduce their own greenhouse
gas emissions and to contribute to a positive
discussion in Paris.
Marshall Islands (Small Island) also emerged
as the active player of the conference.
Representatives from countries in this group
pushed hard for negotiators to set a more
ambitious climate target and largely succeeded.
A “high ambition coalition” led by the Marshall
Islands gained support from more than 100
countries, including the U.S., Brazil and
members of the European Union. Their efforts
resulted in the inclusion of long-term targets
and a lower “ideal” warming target.
The agreement gives countries considerable
leeway in determining how to cut their
emissions but mandates that they report
transparently on those efforts. Every five years
nations will be required to assess their progress
towards meeting their climate commitments
and submit new plans to strengthen them.
Technology and the cost of technology was
the barrier of talking climate change issue by
the developing countries like India and China.
However, India has taken imitative and the
Prime Minister of India along with President
of France on 30th November, 2015 jointly
6. Paris Agreement at a Glance

announced creation of the International Solar
Alliance (ISA). With the aim of a specialised
platform and will contribute towards the
common goal of increasing utilisation
and promotion of solar energy and solar
applications in its member countries. ISA is
an alliance of 121 solar resource-rich countries
lying fully or partially between the Tropic of
Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn. On 25th
January, 2016 The Prime Minister of India Shri
Narendra Modi, and the President of France
Mr François Hollande, today jointly laid the
foundation stone of the International Solar
Alliance (ISA) Headquarters and inaugurated
the interim Secretariat of the ISA in National
Institute of Solar Energy (NISE), Gwalpahari,
Gurgaon, India. The Government of India has
dedicated 5 acre land in NISE campus for the
ISA Headquarters and also has contributed
Rs 175 crore for ISA corpus fund and also for
meeting expenditure for initial five years.
ISA is part of Prime Minister’s vision to bring
clean and affordable energy within the reach
of all and create a sustainable world. It will be
a new beginning for accelerating development
and deployment of solar energy for achieving
universal energy access and energy security of
the present and future generations.
The Paris declaration on ISA states that the
countries share the collective ambition to
undertake innovative and concerted efforts
for reducing the cost of finance and cost
of technology for immediate deployment
of competitive solar generation, financial
instruments to mobilise more than $1,000
billion of investments needed by 2030 for the
massive deployment of affordable solar energy
and to pave the way for future solar generation,
storage and good technologies for countries’
individual needs.
On the same day on 30th November, 2015, the
UShadtakenaninitiativeofMissionInnovation
and India has become a founding member of
this initiative. The primary objective of the
Mission Innovation is to double government
investment in clean energy innovation with new
investments focused on transformational clean
energy technology (four transformational clean
energy technologies are: wind turbines, solar
technologies, electric vehicles (EVs), and light-
emitting diodes (LEDs). innovations aiming at
affordable access to critical technologies.

Climate change has become a recurring phe-
nomenon across the world which has increased
the frequency and magnitude of natural disasters.
In India, every disaster has not occurred due to cli-
mate change, but the intensity of floods, droughts,
cyclones, cloud bursts, wildfires, and heat waves
have risen. Moreover, the unplanned development,
population pressure and encroachment on the
green areas such as riverbeds, city forests and wet-
lands, dried pond or tank, etc. are making our cities
vulnerable to the extremes of climate change. Some
of the disasters are explained below, which experts
and environmentalists have somewhat linked with
the climate change and global warming:
Uttarakhand,2013:IntheHimalayas,inthelastfew
years, the frequency of cloud bursts has increased
exponentially. In June 2013, in Uttarakhand, a
series of cloud bursts triggered an unprecedented
amount of rainfall poured all over the state causing
the massive floods and landslides. More than 500
people were dead and 1,00,000 pilgrims and tourists
were trapped. In terms of economic losses, this
event was a disaster for the state economy. Also,
haphazard construction of hotels and houses on
the river banks, road building and other reckless
developmental activities aided the natural forces
to increase their impact in the form of human lives
within a short period.
Jammu & Kashmir, 2014: In 2013, the IPCC in
its fifth assessment report clearly indicated that in
India, the rainfall-related extreme events would
certainly increase. In September 2014, such extreme
torrential rainfall occurred over the Kashmir valley
7. Climate Change, Unplanned Development and Disasters in India

instigated the massive floods in which around
300 people died and 2600 villages were reportedly
affected out of which 390 were completely
submerged. In Srinagar, most of the parts were
inundated due to the Jhelum River. The gravity of
the floods also amplified due to the encroachment
upon the lakes, wetlands and banks of Jhelum, for
instance, the area of Dal Lake has reduced to 21 sq.
km from the original 75 sq. km.
TamilNadu (Chennai), 2015: In December 2015,
the torrential rains occurred in Chennai smashed
the 100-year-old record of the heavy downpour (374
mm) in a matter of one day. More than 500 people
died, millions of people were left stranded without
food and water, and the economic losses to the tune
of US$ 3 billion occurred. According to Centre for
Science and Environment (CSE), in the 1980s, there
were 600 water bodies in Chennai and as of now,
only a few of them have been left. The devastating
impacts of this flood could have been negated if the
natural water bodies such as ponds, wetlands, tanks,
and lakes, and drainage channels were protected
and preserved. It has become a sad phenomenon
that across India, the building by-laws and related
rules and regulations are being formulated so that
it can be violated.
Drought across India, 2016: From the last few
years, some parts of India such as Marathwada and
Bundelkhand are facing the continuous drought
resulting in the precarious water supply and
slumped agricultural growth causing the rise in the
distressed suicides by farmers. In 2016, the drought
along with the heat waves has hit the vast swathes of
India spread across ten states such as Maharashtra,
Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Telangana, Madhya
Pradesh and others. It has induced the severe water
shortages and massive crop losses leading to the
situation of water riots in some areas. The condition
is such that the government is forced to send the
water-containing trains to the drought-hit areas
such as Latur, Maharashtra.

8. Climate Change in Media
Climate change can push 45 million Indians into poverty
Climate change could negate India’s economic progress by causing a drop in crop
yields, more diseases and more natural disasters, says a World Bank report. It
could effectively negate India’s economic progress, pushing 45 million Indians into
extreme poverty over the next 15 years, according to a World Bank report published
last month.
In the absence of climate change, the World Bank report sees 189 million Indians
living in poverty (i.e. on less than $1.9 or Rs 127 a day) by 2030. However, climate
change could push that number to as high as 234 million. In 2011, there were 263
million Indians living in poverty, according to recent World Bank estimates using a
revised $1.9-a-day poverty line.
The situation where 45 million become poor because of climate change is just one
of the scenarios described in the World Bank report “Shock waves: Managing the
impacts of climate change on poverty”.
Source: Business Standard, December 8, 2015
Was interesting to read it. It is in simple and easily understandable language.
By Shashikant Chopde, Senior Research Associate, ISET-I.
“I appreciate the effort you have taken for such a noble cause. I would love to
see some very important issues to be taken up in the upcoming GPM issues
like :1. El Nino & La Nina 2. SGDs & MGDs. Like you have written
By Varenya Mehta, Environmental Enginner, Dalmia Bharat Limited.
Experts Comments:

Punjab’s Crop Residue Burning Threatens South Asian Air Quality
Bengaluru: Describing Punjab as a “burning” food basket, two renowned earth
scientists warn that the outflow of air pollution arising from burning crop residues
is not only a threat to South Asian air quality but also “can modify atmospheric
chemistry and climate dynamics globally.”
“Thick smoke aerosol plumes from the burning may significantly affect atmospheric
circulation, monsoon and El Nino-Southern Oscillation systems, precipitation
patterns, glaciology and atmospheric heating over the Tibetan Plateau,” says a report
by Ramesh Singh of the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences of Chapman
University in California and Dimitris Kaskaoutis of the School of Natural Sciences of
Shiv Nadar University at Dadri in India.
“This creates a climatic imbalance likely centered over Punjab,” Ramesh Singh, who
was earlier a professor at the Indian Institute of Technology-Kanpur, told IANS.
Traditionally farmers of Punjab manually harvested and ploughed the fields. The
left over crop residues mixed with soil provided nutrients for the next crop a month
later. Mechanized harvesting, adopted since the late 1980s - to save time and increase
the farmers’ profits - changed all that. Now machines cut the harvest and the stalks
are burned to quickly ready the fields for the next planting, Ramesh Singh said. For
more than two decades, farmers in Punjab, a region spanning northwestern India and
eastern Pakistan, have continued the practice of burning the crop residues.
“Each year, during October and November, this extensive agricultural burning lasts
for more than three weeks,” Ramesh Singh said, adding that weather patterns, which
are typical of the post-monsoon months, “funnel the smoke to the Indo-Gangetic
Plain”. “Health risks stem from the smoke mixing with industrial pollutants such as
diesel fumes, power plant emissions and soot to form air highly concentrated with
particulate matter breathed by close to 900 million people - one eighth of the world’s
population,” the scientists said, adding that residue burning has increased sharply
over the past decade.
According to the report, the only solution for this problem is to go back to manual
harvesting. They admit the remedy may be unpopular since manual harvesting
consumes more time and cuts down grain production from a given plot. “Without
this step, crop residue burning in Punjab will continue its unchecked influence on
weather, climate, and health of the people in the Indo-Gangetic Plain,” the scientists
conclude. Source: NDTV, November 05, 2015.

Fresh forest fires in Uttarakhand destroy 180 hectares of green cover
Soaring temperatures in Uttarakhand reignited forest fires in the hill state today,
with nearly 180 hectares of green cover gutted in the fresh fire incidents in
Uttarkashi district.
Currently 180 hectares of forest land spread over 111 places in the district
are in flames, Uttarkashi District Magistrate Shridhar Babu Addanki said.
“Rangers and Divisional Forest Officers have been asked to rush to the spots where fires
are active and extinguish the flames as soon as possible,” he said.
DFO Barkot D K Singh and DFO Purola Sandeep Kumar said there is no dearth of funds
and equipment and they expect to control the blazes soon.
Uttarakhand is reeling under heat wave conditions for over a week now
with most places recording temperatures which are four to five degrees above
normal for this time of the year, MeT director Vikram Singh.
That may be one of the factors behind the fresh forest fires in parts of the
state, he said advising caution.
Forest fires this season, which began in February have so far destroyed nearly 4048
hectares of land in Uttarakhand in 1857 incidents.
The rising trend in temperature is likely to continue for a few days more
with the temperature of Dehradun which recorded a maximum of 40.2 degrees
Celsius yesterday likely to hover around 41 degrees today, he said, adding there is
no respite from heat likely over the next 48 hours.
Source : The Indian Express, May 18, 2016

GPM is a great initiative, providing insight
into a vital issue. Reading this journal
stimulates ourself to explore the ways
to protect our mother earth from ever
increasing greed of humanity.Dr. Kavita Singh,
Assistant Professor,
Department of
Environment Science,
M. S. College,
University of Delhi.
Dr. Kavita Singh
Global Warming a major challenge to biodiversity: DG ICFRE
Shimla, May 28 () Global warming would pose a major challenge to biodiversity and water
conservation, affecting agriculture, horticulture and forestry but its impact would be much
more in Himalayan region, Director General of Indian Council for Forestry Research and
Education (ICFRE) Ashwani Kumar said today.
“Global warming would change the cropping pattern, conservation of water would be a major
problem and agriculture yield could drop by 15 per cent,” he said while talking to mediapersons
and called for intensive research for developing and cultivating new varieties, resilient to higher
temperature and requiring less water to grow.
The DG Indian Council of He said “global warming is a slow process and so far an increase
of 1. 75 degree has been recorded but it is a continuous process and advance preparations are
required on several fronts to mitigate its negative impact.”
Intensive research and scientific study is underway for conservation and use of biodiversity and
farmers should cultivate high altitude medicinal plants which fetch handsome returns, he said
adding that one tola (10 gram) of “agarwood oils” produced in eastern Himalays sells for Rs 6
lakh in international market. Kumar said that “organic farming” has emerged as new area where
farmers are getting 200 to 250 per cent higher returns and called for creating awareness among
farmers about benefits of organic farming and setting up a laboratory for certification organic
agri produce.
The state agriculture department should collaborate with ICFRE for this purpose so that the
authenticity of the produce is established. He said the Himalayan Forestry research Institute
was working for regeneration of biodiversity in areas where natural regeneration has stopped
and has taken up projects for regeneration of deodar and some other endangered species of
plants which are on the verge of extinction. PCL RG
Source : The Times of India, May 28, 2016

NGT says no to age-old practice of straw burning
Burning of agriculture remains a serious issue contributing towards global warming and
the environmental pollution
Even as the winter has set in, the pollution-ravaged Capital is now battling thick smog due
to stubble burning in and around it, forcing the National Green Tribunal to direct Delhi
and its neighbouring States to stop the age-old practice.
A Bench headed by NGT chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar directed the Delhi
government and the four northern States of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh
to check the bi-annual menace, which the farmers engage in to save time between sowing
of wheat and rice. The tribunal also announced a fine of Rs. 2,500 to Rs. 15,000 on farmers
found indulging in straw burning.
The practice is followed by farmers not only to save time under the rice-wheat crop
rotation to clear the land of residue of one harvest and sow the next, it is also believed that
it makes the land more fertile and kill pests. In November, farmers sow crops such as wheat
and vegetables. They often set fire to their fields to clear them before planting making the
atmosphere in Delhi more blinding and suffocating with the smoke moving towards the
city.
Every year, images captured by NASA earth observatory show numerous such fires in
the northern states. “The burning of agriculture remains is a serious issue contributing
towards global warming and the environmental pollution. You all are putting the life of
people and children at danger and they are getting sick. You cannot allow them to suffer,” a
bench headed by NGT chairperson Swatanter Kumar said. Delhi government’s counsel D
Rajeshwar Rao said “despite the states like Punjab and Haryana banning straw burning, the
habit is not dying and Delhi is bearing the brunt”.
The Tribunal has also directed the District magistrates to form a committee to carry out
awareness programmes for farmers and villagers so as to educate them about the ill-effects
of straw burning. The Bench said they should be educated by various means such as nukkad
nataks, etc and if the directions are not complied with, the chief secretaries concerned
would be held liable, Mr Rao informed.
It is to be noted that in September, 2014, on a separate petition filed by environmentalist
Vikrant Tongad, the NGT had issued strict directions against straw burning and directed
the Centre and various states to draft a national policy. The Centre had then proposed giving
incentives to farmers and making promoting efficient farming practices with subsidies.
On Wednesday, the Tribunal was informed that the percentage of carbon monoxide in
Delhi’s air has shot up and the particulate matter in Delhi stood at 460 mg per cubic metres.
“Global warming is having its own effect. The month of September has been the hottest
month in 136 years. Crop burning is expected to be one of the most serious contributors to
pollution and the ecology, besides vehicular emission, dust and burning of other materials,”
the bench said.
Meanwhile, with regard to pollution caused by non-destined vehicles entering Delhi, the
Haryana government informed the Bench that on an average it is diverting 600 vehicles
every day from Rohtak to Bawal.
Source: The Hindu, November 05, 2015.

A) Spread the Word About Green Living:
We need to educate people about the
consequences of climate change which
is directly influencing our livelihood and
health. We need to educate immediate family
members, friends, colleagues and neighbours
about green living tips to fight climate change
and make them realize that they can reduce
their dependency on fossil fuels, and also help
in stopping the misuse of natural resources.
Educate them to properly segregate their waste
into biodegradable and non-biodegradable.
B) Save Energy:
We know that our country is energy-deficient
and there are still thousands of villages without
electricity. The saving of one unit is equal to
the production of one unit of electricity. It
will not only help others to get access to power
but will also save money and environment.
There are several energy conservation methods
which one can adopt in his daily life. For
instance, change incandescent bulbs/tube light
to compact fluorescents (CFL) or LED bulbs;
look for the Energy Star (*) label when buying
new appliances as more stars = more energy
efficient; unplug the computers, TVs and other
electronic devices when not in use as it will save
electricity as well as increase the life of electrical
equipments. Try to use natural light as much as
possible.
9. What you can do!!!

C) Use Green Energy:
Renewable energy is a green source of
electricity which is an important way to fight
climate change. Some of the renewable energy
technologies include wind energy, solar energy,
small hydro, biomass, and geothermal energy.
By reducing our reliance on and usage of fossil
fuels, and tapping on renewable energy, not
only are we helping to reduce the release of
greenhouse gases (especially carbon dioxide)
into the atmosphere, we are also helping to
ensure the sustainable and uninterrupted
energy supply. Install solar photovoltaic system
on the roof of the house; use solar water heater
for hot water in the winters and others.
D) Hop on to Public Transport:
Automobiles such as cars (especially diesel
cars), motorbikes, diesel buses and trucks, are
one of the largest sources of carbon dioxide
and other poisonous gases into the atmosphere.
It is our responsibility to reduce our usage of
personal vehicles for the longevity of clean
and pure environment. The best strategy to
fight climate change is to encourage the use
of public transport and non-polluting vehicles
such as bicycle, electric motorbike and car.
Using public transport is a good option instead
of using own vehicle with empty seats as it is
not environment friendly and encroaches on
the road space of other people. If you have to
use personal vehicle, then it should be eco-
friendly and fuel efficient car, and ensure that
your vehicle’s engine should be in impeccable
condition.
E) Farm in Organic Way:
Sustainable and organic agriculture helps to
counteract climate change by restoring soil
organic matter content as well as reducing
soil erosion and improving upon the soil
physical structure. Organic farming does not
use chemical fertilizers that release substantial
nitrous oxide and methane (greenhouse gases)
into the environment, and as a result, neutralize
the negative impacts of global warming, while
at the same time maintaining the crop yields.
For instance, Sikkim is the first state in India
farming organically.
As an individual, how to tackle climate change
through organic farming is to switch to organic
products. As the demand for organically
grown products increases, organic farming will
become more economically viable and popular.
Farmers’ burn lots of agricultural waste and
residue in the open which releases harmful
gases into the atmosphere; we need to educate
them about the detrimental effects of this
practice upon the environment and land.
F) Follow 4-R Principle:
Every item we purchase and use requires
energy and resources in production, packaging,

transportation, retail, and ultimately, disposal.
The greenhouse gases are emitted at each step
of this process. We have to think about the way
we are living our life that is it environment
friendly and sustainable?
If we wish to live a sustainable and green life,
and leave minimal carbon footprint throughout
our life, then we need to resist the culture
of ‘blind’ consumerism, and instead adopt a
lifestyle guided by the 4-R principle i.e. Refuse,
Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. This principle
would help us in conserving resources and
energy, and reducing pollution and greenhouse
gas emissions produced, for example in the raw
material extraction and disposal processes.
G) Adopt a Tree:
After all we can’t go back to the Stone Age; in
the present world, we have to accept the reality
that some amount of greenhouse gases will be
released into the atmosphere. Plants and trees,
thecleanestandmostefficientremoverofexcess
carbon dioxide from the atmosphere actually
comes free. Unfortunately, we are not sensitive
about our forests and most of the emphasis
is on the reckless economic growth. The rate
at which we are cutting down our trees and
forests to make way for human development
has greatly reduced the earth’s ability to remove
carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. This in
turn, has contributed to a faster rate of global
warming and climate change.
We can do our part by contributing to the
plantation and reforestation efforts. Take part
in your local community’s ‘plant-a-tree’ effort.
Grow an organic garden of your own.
H) Be Paperless
Paper production is one of the main causes
of deforestation. But if you have to, then use
recycled paper. Say no to plastic and polythene
bags which damage the environment, harms
the animals especially cows and chokes the
drainage system (which in turn, induces urban
flood).

Q1. Which of these natural events affect the climate?
a) Thawing permafrost b) The path of the Earth around the sun
c) Volcanic eruptions d) All of the above
Q2. Which method is used to gather evidences of change in climate?
a) By collecting temperature of Water on the earth
b) By collecting temperature of human and animals
c) By collecting pollen samples
d) By collecting temperature of soil and stones
Q3. Which of the following activities contribute the most to carbon emissions globally?
a) Forestry b) Energy supply
c) Transport d) Agriculture
Q4. In its 2013 report, the IPCC projected warming will likely be above 1.5°C What was the
“floor” in the panel’s previous projection in 2007?
a) 0.9°C b) 1.4°C
c) 2°C d) 2.6°C
Q5. Which of these countries has the highest per capita carbon dioxide emissions?
a) United States b) India
c) Saudi Arabia d) China
All ideas and contributions from students/academicians are welcome. Please send your
articles, paintings, photographs or illustrations related to Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency,
Renewable Agriculture, Renewable & Natural Resources, etc to
us at : riya@shreeranya.in.
Send the correct answer along with your name, school name and address to riya@shreeranya.in,
we will publish in the next issue of Journal.

Green Planet Mantra

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