Inter-Faith Commons for Mitigation of Climate Change. Transforming Ecologically Hostile Leisure,Consumption,Production,Finance System and Habitats

Children are getting conscious of the reality of the climate change and they want governments to act for mitigating the climate change. Ambreen Fatima ,a class V stundent of Lion's Public School, Ashok Vihar,Delhi is calling for reducing the emissions through avoiding personal vehicles and using public transport .Her video can be seen at the link for promoting carbon neutral leisure at http://ecostrategiccommunicators.ning.com. There are different levels of awareness and different levels of action for climate change.It is interesting to note that a poll conducted by Hindustan Times Next (October 27,2009) has shown that views of the school children are as varied as the position of the government of India and the climate negotiators from the industrialised countries. This variance could be seen as the reflection of the debate on the emission norms that developing and developed countries must adhere not only for the collective ecological wellbeing but also for the sake of the future of their own children.Some children want India to accept the emission norms that are set by the Industrialised nations and they consider the need to address the climate change. Sakshi ,a class XII student of Homerton Grammer School,Faridabad feels that India should consider the current scenario and as a country and society should ask these questions-"do we want to wreck our national heritage? Can our indegenous people and our forests take this relentless assault on them?" She is asking these questions oppossing the contention of the government that India should oppose the caps. Shipra Awasthi, a class VI student of St.Paul's School calls for the technological and financial support for the transition to renewable resource based development.Shivam Gupta,a class XII student of SRDAV School,Dayanand Vihar calls upon the developing countries to recognise the reality of climate change and take the necessary steps for mitigation. However,he supports of the call of India to West for agreeing to a time frame for reducing the emissions as if they did not so, developing countries will bear'disproportionately severe' impact of the climate change.He feels that with 'necessary steps' India's emissions will not increase beyond those of industrialised nations.


In these statements, it can be seen that children in India are getting increasing conscious of the need to address the climate change, protect the ecologically sustainable habitats, ensure collective ecological wellbeing.Some of them appear to imitating the government demand on financing the green technologies as government is asking for this financing for the new technologies and its transfer. In stead of calling for technologies, we should be adopting the ecologically sustainable measures for reducing the demand for energy intensive services and demands. That is very much possible rather than trapping children in usurious debts for getting green technologies. As a matter of fact, recognising the peak oil estimates, there is a need to decelerate the consumption of fossil fuel based resources rather than seeking acceleration of demand for energy intensitive services and habitats.

We can see that there is absence of concern for the sustainability of services and commodities that are based on fossil fuels and it is assumed that energy crisis would be addressed eventually through technology solutions.This assumption could be proven wrong. It is quite likely.What will happen then? What will happen to the livelihoods that are based on the supplies of fossil fuels and hydrocarbons? What would happen to the millions who have migrated to cities in search of livelihoods hoping for a dream that would never end? What would happen to those families who have sold their land in their villages and build houses for earning rent? Recognising such uncertainties ,it is not wise to pursure the expansion of habitats that primarily assumes the supply of energy.Recognising such uncertainties about the supplies of energy, Dr.Muhammad Mukhtar Alam, founder director of Centre for Ecological Audit, Social Inclusion and Governance had called for preparation for the end of petro-modern times. Now it can be seen that there are transition movements that are active in several countries with vibrant transition communities involved in communication and practice of ecologically safe local self reliant communities.http://transitionculture.org is an important initiative that calls for adoption of transition model for communities across the world. Movement for Transforming Ecologically Hostile Habitats initiated in 2009 http://transitionurbanindia.ning.com is working for creation of policy environment for meeting the exigencies of energy crisis and making habitats ecologically safe.

We need to listen to the calls of the children who may inherit this Earth in say 40th century. We need to listen to the calls and cries of poorest who have not got right to homestead land even in Indepedant India. Pravin Sinha ji of FES,India speaking on the occassion of a workshop organised by Deshkal Soceity rightly asked the questions regarding the claims of Shining India and Incredible India.Inflation is creating difficulties for many with the adoption of a development policy that has made India the 5th largest emitter of green house gases. China is second largest emitter of green house gases and its championing of ecologically hostile growth targets has created problems for the ecological safety of the children in India as more than not Chinese development indicators and GDP growth rate is cited for adoption of a development paradigm that is based on acceleration of the growth and expansion of energy intensive consumption,production and habitats. It is sad that both China and India has agreed to oppose the norms of emissions while demanding deep cuts in emissions from the developed countries. It is getting increasingle difficult for nations to agree to the norms and reduce emissions as it gets directly linked to growth, employment, prosperity whose definitions and measurements has not been factored the ecological costs.Centre for Ecological Audit, Socail Inclusion (CEASIG), a collaborative programme of Sewa,Labour League Foundation and Sufi Trust ,Delhi has been calling for adoption of inter-faith commons for mitigating the climate change and eradicating the problems of poverty that gets exacerbated with the adoption of environmentally and ecologically hostile development paradigm. A detailed presentation can be seen at http://slideshare.net/mukhtaralam

Moeen Yaseen: Global Vision 2000, Exec. Director addresses the House of Commons

Please examine the content. I could not hear the speech, but brother Moeen has sent this video with special request for sharing.