Goa, 11 Sep :9th Greentech Meet on Environment Management concluded. When renowned environmentalists from India and abroad descended to Goa to participate in a global meet on Environment Management with a theme "Climate Change: issues and Concerns", one thing that clearly emerged out of many personations made on all three days from September 5 to 8 was to "Go Green or else Go Red".he meet started on 5th September with Green Morning. All sporting Green T-shirts, the auditorium was painted green.
The three day meet was formally inaugurated by Dr. L.U. Joshi, Chairman of Goa State Pollution Control Board; Dr. R.K. Suri, Additional Director, Ministry of Environment & Forests, Govt of India; Mr. Frank Pinciotta, Director, Air Pollution Prevention & Control Division, National Risk Management Research Lab, United States Environment Protection Agency and Mr. Alexander P. Mathews, Prof. Environmental Engg, Kansas State University, USA.
Speaking immediately after the inugural on his subject "Global Climate change the technology challenge" Mr. Frank Pinciotta said quoting the World Resources Institute the factors that have driven CO2 emissions for key countries in the 1992 to 2002 include: GDP, Growth Per Capita, Population Growth , Carbon intensity growth per unit of energy, and the growth of energy usage per unit of GDP. The sum of these factors approximates the annual C02 growth rate.
Dr. R.K. Suri said there are two factors that contribute for Global Warming. One is natural process and the other one is man made processes. While natural process doesn’t harm much but man made problems is contributing a lot for Global Warming. The single biggest factor that affects global warming is populaiton explosion. The world population in 1950 was 2.5 billion and rose to 4 billion in 1996. Recording 1.5 billion growth in the 25 years. In the last 9 years from 1996 to 2005, it rose to 6 billion registering 2 billion growth in just 9 years. It is going to explode to 10 billion by the year 2050. This will br catastrophic for future generations. If we act now, it will atleast minimise the warming process, he said.
Addressing the audience Dr. U.L. Joshi said if the process of global warming continues the way it is soon "Ice" will disappear from Arctic and Antarctic regions. Further he stated that the environmental and climate change scientists warned that the global temeprature is going to raise to 4.5 degrees celsius by the year 2100. He urged the gathering to address this problem to help save the mother earth.
Some of the eminent speakers who spoke over three days include Mr. Frank Princiotta, Director, Air Pollution Prevention & Control Division, National Risk Management Research Laboratory, U. S. Environmental Protection Agency,USA; Dr. Alexander P. Mathews, Prof. Environment Engg, Kansas State University, Manhattan, USA; Dr. Foo Say Moo, Head (Group Sustainable Development), Petroleum Nasional, Kualalumpur, Malaysia; Dr. L. U. Joshi, Chairman,Goa State Pollution Control Board; Dr. R. K. Suri; Addl. Director, Ministry of Env & Forests; Govt. Of India, New Delhi; Mr. D. C. Tripathi, Chief (Geology), NHPC Ltd., Chamba and others.
Making an another presentation by Dr. R.K. Suri, Additional Director, Ministry of Environment and Forests, New Delh made several eye opening remarks as to how the sea level rose on an average by 10 to 20 cm during the 20th century, an additional increases of 9-88cm is expected by the year 2100.
The average global temperature has already risen by 0.74 degree centigrade in 2005 compared to 100 years ago. He touched upon many simple and interesting points. Adding further he stated that every action of ours has an equal and opposition Carbon reaction. Went on listing how each and every gadgets used in our home emits Carbon Dioxide which intern contribute for global warming. He state that an air conditioner of 2.5 tonne emits 3 kilogram of Carbon Dioxide, microwave generates 1.3kg of CO2, a Geyser emits 3.3 kg of CO2 an hour. A car that gives mileage of 10 kilometres per litre of petrol leaves 232 grams of CO2 per kilometer. The list goes on… our computers, music system, TV, Radio Set, IPod, Hair Dryers, Washing Machines, electric stoves, electric shavers etc.
The fact is everything that runs in our offices and homes create carbon footprint that contributes for Global Warming, he lamented. What can you do? he asked. And hastened to add that Change is the essence of evolution. But, the change in the recent years has been much faster and unforeseen which calls for concern. Climate Change and Global Warming attributed to emissions of green house gases human activities is a major threat to our survival and well being.
Each individual in today’s world plays a role, directly or indirectly, in contributing his or her bit to climate change. He suggested various measures to create awareness among public about the possible threats of Climate Change. Among other suggestions, he came out with a novel and first of its kind "GREEN TAMBOLA" to create awareness on "Climate Change".
The FIRST OF ITS KIND, THE CLIMATE CHANGE TAMBOLA contains numbers from 1 to 90 that covers several events/dates/aspects and important topics on Climate Change, which he said would serve as an environmental education and awareness tool for sensitizing various cross sections of the society.
For example:
Number 1
Earth has warmed by about 1ºF over the past 100 years. 1 Ton of CO2 Equivalent emission reduction is treated as a Tradable Unit or Credit termed as Certified Emission Reduction (CER). Global Warming Potential (GWP) of CO2, in a 100 year scale is 1.
Number 5
World Environment Day, celebrated every year on 5th June. Guyana ratified the Kyoto Protocol on 5th August 2003.
Number 6
Kyoto Protocol list 6 green house gases for limitation and reduction. These are CO2, CH4, N2O, Hydrofluoro Carbons (HFCs), Perfluoro Carbon (PFC) and Sulphur hexa fluoride (SF6).
Number 10
The Greenland Ice Sheet is the largest Arctic glacial mass and constitutes 10% of the world’s total fresh water reservoirs. The life time of HFC-236cb is 10 years.
2 Equivalent emission reduction is treated as a Tradable Unit or Credit termed as Certified Emission Reduction (CER). Global Warming Potential (GWP) of CO2, in a 100 year scale is 1.
Number 5
World Environment Day, celebrated every year on 5th June. Guyana ratified the Kyoto Protocol on 5th August 2003.
Number 6
Kyoto Protocol list 6 green house gases for limitation and reduction. These are CO2, CH4, N2O, Hydrofluoro Carbons (HFCs), Perfluoro Carbon (PFC) and Sulphur hexa fluoride (SF6).
Number 10
The Greenland Ice Sheet is the largest Arctic glacial mass and constitutes 10% of the world’s total fresh water reservoirs. The life time of HFC-236cb is 10 years.
2, CH4, N2O, Hydrofluoro Carbons (HFCs), Perfluoro Carbon (PFC) and Sulphur hexa fluoride (SF6).
Number 10
The Greenland Ice Sheet is the largest Arctic glacial mass and constitutes 10% of the world’s total fresh water reservoirs. The life time of HFC-236cb is 10 years.
Giving his presentation Mr. V. Raghavender Rao, Vice President—Operations & HR, a Hyderabad based Tecumseh Products India Pvt. Ltd said quoting famous quotation of Mahatma Gandhi that earth has sufficient natural resources to satisfy everybody’s needs and not greeds. If we don’t product our mother earth "Some day the earth will weep, she will beg for life, she will cry with tears of blood. You will make a choice, if you will help or let her die and when she dies, you will die too". From Green Morning to Green T Shirts, Green Tambola, Green tax the second day was full of Green Subjects, Green Ideas to create more awareness among the society about Global Warming.
The meet concluded with a call that Go Green or Else Go Red. The next meet will be held in the year 2009 at some other different location.