By Govind Singh •
January 10, 2010
Average surface temperature predictions for the Indian sub-continent
In keeping with the recently announced voluntary and unilateral targets to reduce the emissions intensity of its increasing GDP, the Ministry of Environment & Forests (MoEF) of the Government of India has just put together an Expert Group with an objective of making India a Low Carbon Economy. Predicted to be one of the worst climate change affected regions in the near future, India has already gotten on its toes with the various Indian states putting together their Action Plans on tackling climate change and by taking the lead in calling for global cooperation on green technology.
By Andrew Williams •
November 2, 2009
Cops based near Oxford in the UK have revealed that they are unable to to use flashing blue lights on their new electric car - in case it drains too much power from the battery.
The Thames Valley police force is testing out the £20,000 ($33,000) Mitsubishi iMiev in an effort to improve its environmental credentials. Apart from this quite obvious setback, they have been pleased with the silent, emission-free car, capable of travelling 100 miles on a single charge (with the lights off).
By Govind Singh •
October 22, 2009
File Photo: Hillary Clinton and the Indian Environment Minister in New Delhi
..and then takes a U-Turn the very next day!
In a reported letter to the Prime Minister of India, Mr. Jairam Ramesh, the Indian Environment Minister proposed a radical shift in India’s stand on climate change–away from its national position on climate negotiations–which India has backed since 1990 and which was defended robustly even in UN talks in Bangkok earlier this month.
Minutes after the news spread, political parties sitting in the opposition were quick to respond. Within the next few hours, the Environment Minister issued a clarifying statement for national media and the entire Nation!
By Govind Singh •
October 18, 2009
Chaired by President M. Nasheed, the Government of Maldives recently concluded the world’s first ever underwater cabinet meeting. The small island nation of Maldives will perhaps be the first country to go under water, if predictions based on climate change models come true.
The underwater meeting was called to raise this concern and put pressure on the West to act NOW, and for a fair deal at COP in Copenhagen this December. A day after the event, extensively covered by the media (View on: CNN | BBC), the Government of India has announced the setting up of a National institute for long-term research on climate change.
By Govind Singh •
October 6, 2009
Even as the world prepares for the grand climate meet at Copenhagen this December, a large part of South India has gone under water. And while talks have already begun on coming up with an equitable deal and the very fear that there may be none, over 300 people have already lost their lives while millions are displaced and missing in this global warming related freak weather event, predicted well in advance by the IPCC in its Fourth Assessment Report in 2007.
By Govind Singh •
October 2, 2009
Al Gore and Dr. R.K. Pachauri (IPCC) under the Mahatma’s words!
Today is the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi - regarded as ‘Father of the Nation’ by the Republic of India and a ‘Global Peacemaker’ by the United Nations; so much so that this day is also celebrated as the International Day of Non-Violence. The Mahatma has also been the inspiration for US President Obama who believes that America has its roots in Gandhi’s India because the teachings he shared with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. helped change U.S. society through the civil rights movement.
Now, with the world facing a climate crisis and already on the crossroads of equity and/in development, it is time to resurrect and revive the Gandhian principles of simple living-high thinking, participatory governance, etc. at the global level.
By Govind Singh •
October 21, 2008
Addressing the fact that the United States has historically contributed the most to global warming, and over the past eight years has done the least to stop it, 350.org has come up with an exciting and timely campaign.
Realizing that whoever takes office as U.S. President next year has a lot of work to get the country back in the game and to ensure that climate change is taken seriously as an issue, it becomes important that the the next US President participates in the Conference of Parties (COP) that will be held in Poznan in December. And to ensure that this does happen, it is important that the people of the world invite them for the same!
