Vice-Chancellor of KL University G.L. Dutta on Tuesday underscored the need for concerted socially inclusive efforts to mitigate environmental devastation.
Addressing a seminar on ‘Green Economy: Does it Include You?” organised by The Hindu , in association with the AP Pollution Control Board, Vijayawada, and The Institution of Engineers (India), Vijayawada local centre, to mark World Environment Day, Prof. Dutta said a positive change could be ushered in if every individual initiated certain small changes in his/her lifestyle.
“Eliminate wastage of electricity, give your car a weekly holiday, teach ‘Green Economy' to children, make offices paper-free, industries must adopt ‘recycling' policy, say ‘No' to polythene, preserve water, keep rivers and canals clean, and share what you know about the environment and what can be done to help save endangered species.”
He said a ‘Green Economy' could be thought of as one which is low in carbon, resource efficient, and socially inclusive.
“To put it in a different way, in a ‘Green Economy' growth in income and employment is driven by public and private investments that should reduce carbon emissions and pollution, enhance energy and recourse efficiency and prevent the loss of bio-diversity and eco-system services. The key factor in determining the success of ‘Green Economy' is people's participation in sustainable and equitable development,” he said.
Pointing to the States of Gujarat and Tamil Nadu which were harnessing wind energy in a big way, he said closer home, the local centre of the Institution of Engineers (India) had taken a decision to install solar systems. “My own institution, the KL University, has set up a bio-gas plant as an alternate source of energy with low carbon emission,” he added.
Chairman of The Institute of Engineers, local centre, D. Rama Krishna, and Environmental Engineer, AP Pollution Control Board, Vijayawada, S. Venkateswarlu also spoke. Joint Chief Environmental Engineer, APPCB, A. Vijay Kumar presided over the session.
The programme was followed by distribution of prizes to winners of drawing and essay writing competitions conducted for school and college children to create awareness on environment issues.
