With the Copenhagen Summit now on the brink, the word climate change is now back in business in India. Every day we find media channels, newspapers harking over this much publicized and contentious issue. The stories, an attempt to catch the fantasy of the reader / viewer, range from simple coverage of the day's news regarding the issue to doomsday scenarios by some 'expert scientist'.
For the uninitiated, Global warming / climate change are two interlinked terms, two sides of the same coin. The steady and exponential increase in greenhouse gases traps more heat in the Earth’s atmosphere. This results in an concomitant increase in temperatures which in turn has a domino effect on climate patterns around the world. Melting of polar ice caps, increase in frequency of storm / hurricanes/ typhoons, unseasonal rainfall are just some of the signals of these changes. The situation in India is especially grim in the Himalayan glacier region. The glaciers are receding are an unnerving rate. This may in future jeopardize the water situation in north India.
Delicate issues like climate change fail to hook on the Indian public due to their inability to appreciate and relate the consequences of climate change to their day to day life. Climate change being a typically slow phenomenon does not show drastic effects. This much fancied term is of major relevance only in Indian cities. There is little awareness about it in the interiors of the country.
My inspiration for this article came from reading an article in today’s DNA Money. The article detailed a survey of consumer tendencies in a globalised world now grappling with issues like global warming. The survey provided for an insightful analysis into the mindset of the Indian public. The overall conclusion from the survey is hard to miss. It shows that consumers in India have a propensity for brands that profess environment consciousness. But what really struck me in the survey were two questions.
How many would prefer a hybrid car to a luxury car?
Indians – 33% Globally – 67 %
How many would prefer an eco-friendly house to a big house?
Indians – 30% Globally – 70 %
Almost all other questions raised had a better percentage of Indians giving a positive answer to those of the global population. The article went on to admire the awareness among the Indian public regarding climate change and their attitude towards green products.
The above two questions clearly show that the Indian public is ready to support climate change campaigns and initiatives undertaken by the brands they opt for. But when it comes to personal level decisions, we somehow tend to overlook our propensity for the environment. A booming Indian economy has raised income levels substantially over the past decades. This has translated into an Americanised consumerism among Indians. Lifestyle products which were for a long time out of the common man’s reach are suddenly accessible. And we are not holding back. Every one now dreams of owning a car. Most of the general public now yearns for the luxurious lifestyle. But in our penchant for such material happiness we are shirking the basic issues that the Western world has finally come to admit. We are into the consumeristic frenzy that had America gripped during the 1970’s. Shouldn’t we learn from the mistakes committed by the west? At least for now, we do not seem to care.
I lament the fact that Mr. Jairam Ramesh is looking to a 20 – 25 % reduction in carbon emission by 2020. Unless we check the consumerism that has come to characterize the present generation, the target seems at best unachievable. In that respect, the initiative by the government to install 20000 MW of solar energy is truly a welcome sign. We need concerted efforts to achieve this target. Along with that a change in the consumer psyche from rampant consumerism to minimalism is also a requirement.
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