The special report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, on global warming of 1.5°C over pre-industrial era levels, can prove to be a blessing in disguise for India. As we are under severe threat, policymakers can speed up the process of inducting electric vehicles, the use of biofuels and the promotion of solar energy. If the IPCC has warned of the need to observe carbon emission targets, we need to pick up the pace now before it is just too late (Editorial – “Target 1.5” and Editorial page – “Another warning on warming”, both October 10).
Sohrab Khan,
Shopian, Jammu & Kashmir
The report only shows that the onus lies on world leaders to take immediate steps to pull humanity back from the brink of extinction. There is no escaping the fact that nobody is immune from nature’s destructive power, irrespective of the level of development. On this issue, global leaders must speak in one voice and fulfil their responsibilities towards future generations.
Rahul Sankhyan,
Nalagarh, Solan, Himachal Pradesh
Evidently the accumulation of emissions in the atmosphere, at the current rate, does not portend well for the planet. There must be a shift to greater reliance on renewable sources of energy, sustainable land management and changes in transport and food habits. Climate justice demands that the affluent countries make ‘climate reparations’ to the impoverished countries. Topographical features such as the Himalayan glaciers and the lengthy coastline make the Indian subcontinent more vulnerable to climate change. The upcoming climate conference in Poland must produce a road map to secure the planet for ourselves and for posterity.
G. David Milton
Maruthancode, Kanyakumari
