By Naba Bhattacharjee
The 2012 theme for World Environment Day is – Green Economy: Does it include you? There are two parts to this theme. Green Economy is basically aimed at attaining an economic environment that achieves low carbon emissions, resource efficiency and at the same time is socially inclusive. The UNEP-led initiative, launched in late 2008, provides a comprehensive and practical working mechanism, through analysis and policy support for investing in green sectors and in greening environmental unfriendly sectors. The second part speaks of involvement and influence on individuals. The theme in Meghalaya should be to start at least one substantive initiative from among the host of environment degrading issues afflicting us. There is little to celebrate on the status of our environment except to act and not only ring warning bells once or twice a year. Some term the fleeting keenness to do “something” on environment and earth day as celebration, while another section, phrases the routine activities associated with the day as observance. There is little to celebrate on the status of our environment. And observance at times is also a prelude for solemn occasions. So are all these celebration & observance once a year, sufficient to educe any tangible result to breathe new life into our endangered environment? A definite no, if all such exercise is not backed by practical action on a sustained basis aimed at healing the ailing environment. The day shall be celebrated and observed by government departments & undertakings, educational institutions, social organizations, boards, societies, clubs et al. There will be essay writing, debates, extempore & art competition blended with seminars, loud rhetoric, launching of new schemes, one off cleaning drives among the slew of both theoretical & theatrical interventions. All the pledge and promise for maintaining pollution free pristine environment is meant to be forgotten earlier than it took to read out.
While there is a positive impression in children from such awareness campaigns, many of such functions are organized- albeit grudgingly, because of instructions from higher ups or compulsion of show. As my friend W. Kharkrang of Meghalaya Pollution Control Board rightly observed during the Task Force meeting of Save Wahumkhrah & Umshyrpi last week – “All of us here are well informed and aware, but how many of us are engaged (say) in segregation of waste at our home?”. None probably! The realization has to be spontaneous and start as a grass root initiative at our individual homes from to-day itself, emphasizing on re-cycling all possible used items thereby first reducing ones own carbon footprint. The remaining waste segregated as garbage – not dumped anywhere but ensuring it reaches the composting point. Plastic should be treated as poison and the concept can be spread to family, friends and neighbors. Children could be encouraged to rein in violators in the locality. Use of plastic must be declared as public nuisance and made punishable under law with both fine and imprisonment. Again, only waste water must be released from a household to public drains and not loaded with garbage, vegetable waste and plastic and in many cases sewage. All these finally end up polluting our streams and water sources. This is the least we can do, as a beginning, to make our and also our immediate neighbors habitat more habitable and environment benign.
An issue of grave concern is the water stress conditions which are slowly evolving into water scarce situation due to wanton destruction of catchments and consequently aquifers and water holding capacity of soil and underlying layers. Their conservation can only ensure a minimum level of water security. Moreover, denigration of water bodies including rivers like Umkhrah & Umshyrpi and lakes like Umiam is directly responsible for ecological imbalance. Climate change will affect agricultural yield directly because of alterations in temperature and rainfall. A warmer climate will change rainfall patterns and increase in the level of evaporation of surface water and rise in the number of cyclones and hurricanes. This, in turn, will affect water resources, forests, and other natural ecological systems, power generation, infrastructure, and human health. Change in rainfall pattern experienced by us is one of the most certain and imminent predictions of climate change, closely followed by disruption of safe drinking water sources Ecosystems which sustain the earth’s entire storehouse of species and genetic diversity are very sensitive to changes in climate. It is high time for environment issues to receive some attention and importance it deserves instead of mere symbolism with focus on regulated mining, restoring the health of our water bodies and protecting our catchments. This is the least we can contribute as an honest beginning to combat climate change – shadow of which has also fallen on us.
In our State can we take a pledge to-day to declare a particular day in a month to reduce carbon emission when all vehicles shall be off the road including chimneys of industries; another day when only two wheelers shall ply and a fixed number of days when vehicles with a particular series of registration- both public and private take a day long break on rotation? It should not be too difficult to enforce a self imposed restriction without affecting ones normal routine on those day(s). One can visualize children and elders of a locality walking together to their school & workplace; meeting friends and colleagues at cross roads; catching up on the latest subject or gossip. And in the process saving precious fuel and a welcome halt on harmful emission. The exercise could continue every month till next WED in 2013 by which the exercise may well become a habit and an established phenomenon. Are we ready to adjust our schedule and manage our time a little better on those days and rise early from slumber for the sake of our environment? (The writer is an Environmentalist and social thinker)