CGP,India- National Workshop
‘Rise against market-driven globalisation'
Rajeev Khanna
Tribune News Service
Kosi Katarmal (Almora), December 29
A two-day national workshop on climate change began here today with a call for a radical shift in the paradigm of development to combat the problems that are emerging in this field.
At the same time, it was asserted that society needs to be well-informed to take proper decisions on this front without causing unnecessary panic.
In the inaugural address at the workshop on "Alternative Paradigms in the Context of Climate Distortion", Y David, convener of the India Chapter of the Citizen Global Platform (CGP), asserted that the time had come to include the voice of the marginalised majority in decision making. "Unless the marginalised majority is heard, nothing will change in the world," said David.
Addressing over 100 participants at the event which has been organised by the CGP and supported by the Gobind Ballabh Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development (GBPIHED), he pointed out, "In view of global warming and climate change, intensification of crisis in the farming economy and uncertainties in food security, the immediate need is to give meaningful focus in shifting the paradigm of development.
"A decentralised economy with emphasis on people's needs and their fullest participation in the development process alone will ensure sustainability of our survival and our future."
Calling upon the farming community and the governments to promote sustainable farming, he said that eco-friendly industrial production and energy production has to be done.
"For all these, we need a congenial socio-political environment. There should be a very strong political will with futuristic vision to move forward. The present profit-oriented, market-based economy will not help us move ahead to live in a sustainable, eco-friendly society," said David.
He ended his address by stating, "It is the need of the hour to come together to rise against the exploitative, profit-oriented, market-driven globalisation process. The alternate models already with us in different parts of the world should be shared, tested, practiced and mainstreamed."
‘Don't blame everything on global warming'
In his address, Dr LMS Palni, Director, GBPIHED, underlined that variation in climate has been the norm since the earth came into existence. It is important to take the point of view of the people who are convinced that predictions about a forthcoming disaster cannot be made without an authentic and substantive database for at least 30 years.
He said that there was a point of view that all the changes emerging from climate change are not likely to be bad for human beings. Certain areas will actually benefit from the carbon-di-oxide concentration and rising temperature.
He said that contrary to what was being predicted about Himalayan glaciers vanishing in a couple of decades, it has been recorded that certain glaciers are actually advancing and in certain others, the rate of recession has come down over the past few years.
He clearly underlined, "Alarming statements in the absence of authentic proof is not only questionable, but also dangerous for society."
Talking about the phenomenon of some villages being abandoned by residents in Uttarakhand, Dr Palni said, "Don't blame everything on climate change. There are other factors like personal aspirations that are responsible for it."
Similarly, while referring to the popular contention of massive deforestation, he said that remote-sensing proofs showed that in certain areas while the density of forests might have come down, but the cover has increased.
"We must accept real facts. We need to be well-informed to take informed decisions," he asserted.
He said that India has given certain very powerful tools in the form of rights to its people recently like the Forest Dwellers' Act and the Right to Information (RTI) Act which even certain countries in the so-called developed world have failed to do.
He said, "India is among the few countries that has a national programme on climate change." The event is being attended by scientists, civil society representatives and social activists from states like Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh , Madhyapradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi.
