The summer and winter mean temperatures in Kolkata have increased by over 1.2 degrees. Part of the phenomenon can be explained by rapid urbanization, but the effect of larger climate change cannot be ruled out. Any man on the street will tell you that summers are much more unbearable, winter chill has vanished and monsoon has shifted/become unpredictable (no matter what weather office says about "normal" rainfall and "monsoon has arrived" every year).
IPCC reported that since 1961, global average sea level had risen at an average rate of 1.8 mm/yr. The rate of rise has been much faster in the last decade. Sea level is projected to rise by up to 2 meters at the end of the current century. That's half of one floor level in my house! So? Time to think of strategies to deal with it. Here is my twelve-point "alternative strategy" to deal with climate change, in a jocular vein:
At Community Level (hypothesis: a critically ill patient needs drastic treatment methods):
- Promote horse riding as a healthy alternative to cars (till the time fuel cell powered cars are widely available) for reaching work place and social dos. Side effect- parking problem resolved; potholed roads will be a breeze under horses feet; only conservancy department need to work extra hours to clear some dung; however these can be fed in to a bio-digester to generate bio-methane again- clean fuel for free- double whammy.
- Ban ACs, let people discover living in natural ventilation (ACs consume twice as much energy than its nearest competitor in equipment category). Side effect- healthy people; lighter electricity bills. Saunas go out of business though :-(
- Make use of solar energy compulsory in households. Have concept of voluntary loadshedding targets. Give tax breaks to those who opt for higher duration of loadshedding.
- Promote uniform height standards for city structures- let air flow for all. Those who want to live in higher floors may not be allowed walls on four sides and water may be carried in buckets from the third floor onwards. Then no problem. Higher floors will become like ride in bus roof in districts- lower ticket price!
- Have paradigm shift- make planting trees and rejuvenating forests more significant achievement than creating industries and creating a new satellite town.
- Constitutional amendment to make a bandh per month a fundamental duty of every state government. Lower greenhouse gas load assured for that day. Side effect-productive employees next morning; clean air reducing health costs of the nation.
At Personal level (hypothesis: incremental improvements and soft targets don't work):
- Don't bathe like a bison, save water (water and energy has strong nexus- maximum energy bill for a city authority is spent on electricity bills). Side effect- more fresh water left behind for your future generations
- Walk, cycle or ride a horse to work (make a style statement- yeah!)
- Reduce dependence on equipment. Take out cars, ACs, washing machines and other energy guzzlers out of your life equation. Side effect- tremendous increase in disposable income; game changer strategy in the chinese checker of one-upmanship with Mrs. Khanna next door.
- Put kitchen waste in bio-digesters and use the gas for cooking; use solar water heater and solar cookers. Then call up your cooking gas dealer who used to frustrate you for all these years with late delivery and yell at him to heart's content without worrying about repercussions.
- Instead of dogs, keep cows as pets. The manure is a tremendous source of methane. With a back-yard digester, you can even sell gas to your neighbour. Side effect- healthy families enjoying unadulterated milk; packaged health drinks go out of business though :-(
- Learn swimming- if sea level rises by 6+ feet, you will have to swim from one room to another and paddle while in potty. Be prepared.
Now that you have read my treatise on climate change and possibly getting mad at me, read more factual information about climate change- you cannot deal with what you don't know about. The problem is more serious than you think it is. Depending on others to make a difference won't do. If a few of these strategies are implemented from each category, we don't have to worry about global warming for an extra hundred years.
Any one sponsoring me to the next UN climate change conference to make a presentation? :-))
