We have always taken the position that when it comes to making our contribution to mitigating global problems such as global warming; we have to act locally in order to do our part as a duty to humanity. To mark the World Environment Day, the Nagaland Government under the Department of Forest, Wildlife & Environment will be launching the Year of Plantation on June 5. This is a welcome move and hopefully such innovative measures will contribute towards maintaining the green cover that our State is known for. It may be mentioned that the department has declared 2010 as the ‘Year of tree plantation for carbon mitigation.’ With this declaration, massive plantations are expected to be taken up in all the districts of the State. Such kind of innovation in government programmes and local intervention should be encouraged in other sectors as well. Other efforts of innovation worth taking note of is the development of hydroger by the Nagaland Empowerment of People through Energy Development (NEPeD) –– an organisation funded by the state government, India-Canada Environment Facility and International Development Research Centre. Hydroger is an improvised watermill that produces 2-5KW electricity when placed in a stream running downhill. Using such an innovative device and more importantly one that is indigenously developed will also in a small way contribute towards a cleaner environment.
As we commemorate another World Environment Day, let us renew our collective effort to ensure a sustainable future. We should also keep in mind that the concern for our environment does not end with the so called Forest Department or merely planting trees every year on June 5. As this year’s theme “Many species, One Planet, One Future” will suggest, every individual, family, the community, organizations, businesses, departments etc will have to take part in not only protecting the environment but contributing in understanding global warming and its impact on biodiversity and life of humans and wildlife on the planet. Protecting our environment and ensuring a sustainable future may also demand changes in our lifestyle and consumption pattern. For instance a UN panel has even suggested that eating meat causes environmental degradation. Experts believe that the greatest cause of greenhouse gas emissions is food production and the use of fossil fuels. According to the panel, energy in the form of fossil fuels and agriculture, especially the raising of livestock for meat and dairy products is “having a disproportionately high impact on people and the planet's life support systems”.
Therefore mitigating global warming will require a multi-pronged approach. Since the science of climate change is quite technical and may not be easily understood by most of the world’s population, due emphasis must be given to come out with a more simple explanation on the intricate topic. Consequently greater awareness must be generated at the school level by incorporating the latest findings on the subject matter so that young minds are continuously kept engaged in making them understand and in the process educating them on the problem and solution for a sustainable future. For those of us in Nagaland what we all can do is to contribute towards climate change mitigation by embarking on our own conservation efforts. This means preserving what is left of the forests, protection of wildlife and plant species, sustainable development, preservation and rehabilitation of our rivers and water sources, ensuring less emission of greenhouse gases by using more solar energy for power generation etc. This June 5, let’s not just observe world environment day in a symbolic way but let us make a pledge to engage in preserving Mother Earth in our daily lives.
