To get back to 350

Global Warming is happening faster than ever and yes we human being are responsible. The greenest House Gas is Carbon –dioxide releasing into the atmosphere. Many of the activities we do everyday rely on energy sources like coal and oil that emit carbon dioxide and other heat trapping gases. This is a major problem because global warming destabilizes the delicate balance that makes life on this planet possible. Increase of few degrees in temperature can threaten the lives of the millions of people around the world. To tackle the situation a movement 350 has been started to create awareness, educate and involve people in the action to prevent and control global warming and the allied climate changes. It is thought by doing so public voice is raised effectively and policy makers of the world would act swiftly.

The question is what does this 350 number mean? 350 is the number that scientist say is the safe upper limit for carbon dioxide measured in ‘Parts Per Million’ in our atmosphere. 350 PPM is the umber we need to get back to as soon as possible to avoid climate change. The earth is in its danger zone because we have poured too much carbon into the atmosphere and we are witnessing the symptoms of trouble. I.e. melting of ice glaciers, drought, flood etc. We need to scramble back as soon as we can to safety. If the global movement on Environment succeeds, we can get back the world on track to get back to 350 and back to climate safety. Getting back to 350 means transforming our world. It means building solar arrays instead of coal plants. It means planting trees instead of deforestation. It means increasing efficiency and decreasing our waste. Getting to 350 means developing a thousand different solutions to global warming. 350 is the most important number which contains recipe for a very different world; one that moves past cheap fossil fuel to more sensible technologies, more closely knit communities and a more equitable global society. 350 PPM CO2 is the upper limit if we wish to have a planet similar to one in which civilization develops and to which life on earth is adapted. This number is unrefuted; indeed a constant flow of additional evidence supports it from many directions. In 2009 Oceanographers reported that long term atmospheric levels above 350 PPM doomed coral reefs worldwide; the rapid and unexpected acidification of sea-water.

It is therefore no longer possible to defend higher targets as a bulwark against catastrophic change. Arguing for 350 is not making the perfect the enemy of the good. It is making the necessary the enemy of the convenient. Even if we do everything right it will take decades for the world’s oceans and forest to absorb the excess carbon we have already poured into the atmosphere.

Vishwajeet S Singh

Programme officer

PARYAVARAN PRATHAM Nagpur

Democracy has become an empty shell

All government seeks to win for their policies the acquiescence of the population of our nation and since a large number of masses can only be reached through mass media. Mass media not only provide a channel for government propaganda but also act as public watchdog. Various news channel Aaj Tak, CNN IBN, etc. investigate government, inform public provides a forum for political debate, for public opinion, impart information and a conception of the public interest. We are well aware about the role of media play in Jan Lokpal Bill Campaign which gave a thought to the idea of a civil Society. The idea of civil society as a necessary component of democracy has become particularly emphasized as a result of the 20^th century experience of fascist and communist dictatorship, both of which sought to incorporate and supervise all social institutions under the aegis of the state. The concept of civil society can be looked at from two different aspects: negatively – the idea that the reach of state should be limited so that it is prevented from controlling all social activity, penetrating all spheres of life or absorbing all social initiative and talent. Positively –the idea of having independent foci of self – independent and self-financed organizations within society through which people can work collectively to solve their own problems  which can act as channel of popular opinion and pressure upon government and which can serve as a protection against its encroachment. In this way we can see the rise of India against Corruption, an organization campaigning for implementation of Jan lokpal bill to stop corruption. In broad term the chief element of civil society are – independent media, independent source of expertise on government policies, a market economy and a flourishing network of voluntary organizations through which people can manage their own affairs. At different times and places these organizations assume a particular significant role for the promotion and defense of democracy. E.g. Art of Living Foundation, Jai Hind trust of Hajare’s, Human rights organizations etc.

In an environment of freedom of expression and associations such organizations develops spontaneously as people recognize the need for collective action to organize their affairs or to defend and advanced their interests. In this way Public movement emerge and demands their interest. Can civil organizations or civil society be undemocratic? The point where this becomes undemocratic is not always easy to define on the ground of self financing mass membership. This kind of organizations and their leaders can be seen to be genuinely representative of their members, deserve to be treated with greater seriousness than those that are not. With due association of mass media,  a democratic society like Indian ought to acknowledge a special consultative place for organizations representing people who by virtue of social, economic or physical disability have difficulty making their voices heard in the political process and who would otherwise remain disempowered. If ordinary people see no point in democracy, because it seems to have no relevance to their everyday live and the situations in which they live than they will not do anything to defend it. If the choices they are offered at election time make no difference to them, because politicians lack the power or will to change anything in the direction people have voted for; if the basic civil and political rights are not sufficiently guaranteed to enable people to organize and campaign on public issues without fear; above all if masses have no power to affect their situations at ground level of the life then democracy has become an empty shell a form without any substance.

Vishwajeet S Singh

nargundu.andhra@gmail.com