Indian students call for climate action

New Delhi: “The next world war will be fought over water.” “We will need many more ‘earths’ to support us in the future if we continue with the lifestyles we are following today.” “What are we going to leave behind for our children?” “What will we answer them when they ask us what have we done to the earth?”

Grim forecasts and serious questions like these came up, as students from across colleges gathered at Delhi University on December 6, marking the Global Day of Action on Climate Change.

Organised by the India chapter of Global Climate Campaign, the event was a day of demonstrations against the threat of global warming, coinciding with the UNFCCC climate talks in Poznan, Poland.

View glimpses from the event

As world leaders gathered to deliberate on the climate issue, many such demonstrations were synchronized across countries around the globe to press on them to effect some real action beyond the talks.

“Making a difference starts at the individual level. And we do our bit in whatever small way we can. But as students we do have our own limitations. True change can be brought about only when governments join in our efforts,” said Nanya, a student from Miranda House, who also studies environmental change as part of her course.

The campaigning students staged plays, recited poetry, and took out a symbolic march urging immediate action to meet the challenges of a changing climate. The topics raised were many. From land-water-air pollution and deforestation to exploitative industrialisation, rising consumerism and the resulting scarcity of resources – the students shared their concerns on all these and more.

The pertinence of today’s situation was driven home well by a street play by students from the Antraal theatre group and the School of Environmental Sciences at DU. The message came out loud and clear– “we need to decide what needs to change - either we let the climate change catastrophically or we start changing ourselves.”

Speaking to students, it was evident that they were fairly aware of the issue. But as one of them said, most people who would come to attend climate campaigns are ones who already know the issue or are working on it.

It therefore remains necessary that such campaigns reach out to and inform those who are unaware or less concerned about the climate. Only when there is awareness can any action be expected. But not always! It was ironical to see plastic littered around at the event that had many people gathering to espouse the cause of the environment!

Call to action

There was unanimity in opinions that climate change cannot be tackled unless the government takes earnest steps to combat the challenge. At the same time, other big players - rich countries, industrial companies - must come out of their denial mode and do what is necessary to, if not revert, then reduce instances of making the climate awry.

These popular views were also reflected in the ‘Call to Action’ for campaign demonstrations taking place all over the world on that very day.

‘Call to Action’ for international demonstrations on the Global Day of Action

“We demand that world leaders take the urgent and resolute action that is indeed to prevent the catastrophic destabilisation of global climate, so that the entire world can move as rapidly as possible to a stronger emission reductions treaty which is both equitable and effective in minimizing dangerous climate change.

We demand the long-industrialized countries that have emitted most greenhouse gases currently in the atmosphere take responsibility for climate change mitigation by immediately reducing their own emissions as well as investing in a clean energy revolution in the developing world. Developed countries must take their fair share of the responsibility to pay for the adaptive measures that have to be taken, especially by developing countries like India.

Climate change will hit the poorest first and hardest. All who have the economic means to act, must therefore urgently and decisively do so.”

The Global Climate Campaign:

Global Climate Campaign is the collective name given to all the organizations, groups and individuals around the world who come together for the Global Day of Action on Climate. Some of the members comprise Sansad and OXFAM from India, the Climate Movement of Denmark, the Campaign against Climate Change in UK, Friends of Earth International, Greenpeace International, the Klima Allianz of Germany, Climate et Justice Sociale of Belgium, Klimataktion of Sweden, and the Climate Crisis Coalition of USA.

Last year’s Global Day of Action coincided with the Bali Talks and was observed by thousands of people in over 70 countries with various demonstrations and events.