Indian minister's climate change challenge ushers in hope

New Delhi: Minister of Environment and Forest Jairam Ramesh's bold efforts in calling for an open debate on climate change are commendable.

What transpires out of the Copenhagen summit and how countries react to the situation will be known later. The weeks ahead will also unravel whether India has used its decisions wisely.

However, it's heartening to note that a whopping 100 per cent of Gulf News readers said ‘yes' to the poll question: ‘Will India be able to meet the self-declared emission reduction goals'?

In fact, Indians are considered to be the most concerned about global warming, the biggest challenge facing humanity.

Gulf News spoke to a cross-section of people to gauge people's mood on whether the Ministry of Environment meant business and how seriously they have contributed to limiting the damage to the environment in our lives on a daily basis.

Hindi film director Mahesh Nair, whose film Accident On Hill Road is due for release on December 31, may not be economising on the reels he shoots for a two-hour film, but claims to doing his bit to protect the environment.

Not a model

"I can't be called a model citizen for saving our environment, but I do ensure that I don't leave the lights on at home, or let the tap run while I'm shaving.

"At night I run my air conditioner at an optimum 24 degrees, but I guess I should be contributing more."

Nair is not very conservative when it comes to using petrol or plastic bags either.

"Presently, I am not using a CNG-driven vehicle. But I turn the engine off when [my car is] at a traffic signal.

"Similarly, at the supermarket, I tell the person at the counter to pack as much grocery as possible in one plastic bag rather than split it into various bags."

Crediting generation X for being more environment conscious, the director said, "It's probably because this is part of [their] school education... many even guide their parents on the issue."

Giving returns

On the subject of environment — brought to the fore by the minister — Nair felt it was more of an economic and political issue, and therefore, a bargaining plank in international diplomacy.

"In developing countries like India, it is not a black and white issue. If you want something, you have to give in return," he said. Even as the environment minister faces heat in and out of the parliament, the general public feels he means well.

Unnati Pathak, a Delhi University student, said: "The opposition parties have to create hurdles in the smooth running of the country. For them carbon emissions is just another issue to harp on.

"We cannot hold the government responsible for all that is happening to the environment.

"Each one of us has a duty towards the nation and movements related to issues like global warming belong to all of us, as much as they do to world leaders."

Pathak, who champions the use of jute and paper bags said, "I not only refrain from buying food packaged in plastic, but also carry a bag along when going out to shop. Moreover, I make it a point to give all waste plastic items to an NGO. It's a door-to-door waste collection service, which recycles products."