GREEN YATRA <br /> PRESENT
<br />CLIMATE CHANGE<br />

Homo sapiens – intelligent mind,
disobedient lifestyle.<br />

The Himalaya, India’s damaged water
source.<br />

The snow leopard’s fate is
sealed as climate change destroys its frozen abode.<br />

The role of wetlands as
carbon sinks is only now being understood.<br />

Climate change threatens the Lesser
Fishing Eagle… and humans.<br />

Protecting the tiger and its
home is a climate change control imperative.<br />

Olive Ridley turtle habitats buffer
humans from the impact of sea surges.<br />

The habitat of the whale
shark is at greater risk than terrestrial ecosystems.<br />

Species diversity is critical to
the climate control role of forests.<br />

Deforestation is responsible for nearly
26% of India’s green house emissions. <br />

Photo: Jiling Gao<br />Rise in
temperature by 4oC or more will seriously affect global food production. <br />

Preventing forest fires is not
a wildlife issue. It’s a human survival strategy. <br />

Mangroves sequester carbon but could
be climate change’s first victims.<br />

Low cost fuel source =
long term climate change disaster. <br />

Short term mining profits –
but what do we do when there is no more water?<br />

Alternate energy options exist. Yet
India plans to expand its coal-based thermal power plant capacity by 300 per cent in the next decade.<br />

We all want the good
life, but for this, we must first have a life!<br />

The Mithi River tragedy was
human-caused. So far, no lessons have been learned.<br />

Mumbai could lose as much
as 2,00,000 crores to climate change damage.<br />

Mitigation and Other Environmental Issues<br
/>

Estimated global mean temperatures over
the past 100,000 years.<br />

Source: IPCC<br />Global mean land
and sea-surface temperature anomalies.<br />

Source: IPCC<br />Projected global mean
surface temperature changes in recent historical context.<br />

Source: IPCC<br />Atmospheric concentrations of
carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide over the last 1000 years. <br />

Source: IPCC<br />

“At one time they said
climate change is a myth – today there is another myth at work – the governments of the world are doing something worthwhile to fight climate change – <br />this is the inconvenient truth” <br />Al Gore<br />

Yes. Let us debate the
carbon-energy issue -- not whether it causes climate change, but the strategies needed to wean ourselves away from carbon.<br />

Jungle nadikimaahai. That is what
our ancestors believed. We would do well to heed the wisdom of the ages handed down to us by the Rig Veda. <br />

This stick insect imagines it
will live forever. We are no different.<br />

Photo: Dr. Anish Andheria/Sanctuary Photolibrary<br
/>Kids for Tigers, the Sanctuary Tiger Programme works with one million Indian children and is preparing them to combat climate change.<br />

Gaumukh – religious trauma today.
Eroded food security tomorrow.<br />

What can India do?<br />Voluntarily
set and achieve carbon reduction targets and demand no-cost or low-cost technology transfers from the industrial north, which is responsible for our climate crisis by spewing a disproportionate amount of carbon into the Earth’s atmosphere.<br />Prevent deforestation, which accounts for nearly 26 per cent of all greenhouse emissions in India.<br />Develop new and alternate energy technologies (wind, solar and tidal) and bring policies – fiscal, regulatory, environmental – in line with climate change imperatives. <br />Invest in making power generation and distribution more efficient, emphasizing the use of renewable energies, pollution control and soil and water conservation. <br />

5. Develop sophisticated scientific projects
and models on the impact of climate change so as to better understand and predict the intensity and geography of climate change and develop region-specific solutions. <br />6. Give population control, education, health and sustainable transport the priority they deserve.<br />7. Create financial incentives to encourage carbon sequestration and storage and penalize irresponsible carbon emissions. <br />8. Play a more positive global role and demand that industrial nations cut back sharply on carbon emissions.<br />

What can we do?<br />Consume
less, waste less, walk and use public transport. <br />Protest against deforestation and support those working to regenerate natural ecosystems. Plantations of eucalyptus do not really help combat climate change as they will soon be cut for commerce. Plant native trees.<br />Use solar and wind energy even if these cost marginally more now. Convince your housing society to use your building terrace for a community solar facility. <br />Switch to energy-saving appliances. Turn computers and other electric gadgets off when not in use. <br />Save water. <br />Recycle newspapers, bottles – everything you can. <br />

7. Think before you take
that next flight. Air travel leaves a huge carbon footprint. Trains are more climate-friendly.<br /> If you are building that dream home – think green. Ask your architect to design an energy efficient home. <br /> Learn all you can about climate change and share your knowledge with others. Watch the films ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ and ‘The 11th Hour’. <br />10. Say “NO” to plastic bags and urge your neighborhood to follow suit. <br />11. Vegetarians have a lower carbon footprint than non- vegetarians. <br />12. Buy local goods, rather than materials from afar, which have been transported using fossil fuels.<br />

About Green Yatra<br />Green Yatra
is a non-profit; Non-Government Organization dedicated to the protection and conservation of our Mother Nature Earth and its Environment. We strive to maintain the integrity of the ecosystems for the benefit of all living creatures by introducing and adopting a simple, Eco friendly, Green Lifestyle, Ideas to our day to day lives. <br />First and foremost, we believe in ACTION..... Sitting idle, complaining and blaming the system, societies or commenting on internet forums are THINGS WE DON'T DO. We believe in working logically, strategically and practically, with Prevention and Solution oriented approaches to our goal of nature conservation. The impact of Go Green Ganesha is a token of our dedication and effort. So, we are working hard in bringing out the VALUE of our nature, hoping for your complete support… <br />Join us face to face us in facebook: http://www.facebook.com/greenyatraBe with us in twitter: https://twitter.com/Greenyatra<br />