According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the earth is about 1°C warmer than pre-industrial levels due to human activities. Even in a hypothetical scenario of all emissions stopping now, there is no guarantee that global warming will cease. Further, with no sign of countries going for a significant cut in emissions, the future does not look optimistic. Indeed, global warming is not getting the attention it deserves in politics, media and education. As Harvard University psychology professor Daniel Gilbert said: “Global warming is a deadly threat precisely because it fails to trip the brain’s alarm, leaving us soundly asleep in a burning bed.” It is natural for political parties to sideline climate change issues in policies and implementation, resulting in a piecemeal approach. In this context, Greta Thunberg brought the much needed emotional dimension to the fight against climate change (Editorial page, “Deciphering Greta’s climate message,” Nov. 1).
A. Venkatasubramanian,
Tiruchi, Tamil Nadu
Ms. Thunberg’s message at UN should be an eye opener for governments and societies all over the world. Shifting to techniques such as car pooling and electric vehicles; use of renewable energy; and replacing single-use plastics with traditional cutlery made of clay or shola plant (used for decorations in Bengal) are some innovative methods that can be deployed to save Mother Earth for future generations. Nations need to adopt green developmental technologies for balancing growth and environment.
P.S. Deepti,
Balco nagar, Chhattisgarh
Ms. Thunberg’s speech was a product of the education system in European countries that encourage students to link classroom teaching with real-time developments. It is only when a country’s pedagogy encourages critical thinking that students will be sensitised towards topical issues and adopt an inquiry-based approach.
Pushpendra Singh,
Sonepat, Haryana
