Kolkata, considered to be the intellectual and the cultural capital of India, has yet again proved its mantle. A group of young people have taken the lead in effectively spreading the urgency of Global Warming amongst the people of Kolkata through a Grass-root Climate Action Project - Switch ON.
Kolkata, India (OPENPRESS) December 26, 2008 -- Considered to be the intellectual and the cultural capital of India, Kolkata has yet again proved its mantle. A group of young people have taken the lead in effectively spreading the urgency of Global Warming amongst the people of Kolkata through a Grass-root Climate Action Project - Switch ON.
India is believed to be most vulnerable to Climate Change because of its location and dependence on the Himalayan Rivers for its water supply. Scientists believe that The Ganga would dry up once the Himalayan Glaciers melt, leaving the city extremely vulnerable to water and food crisis within two decades. Also the country would be gravely affected by sea level increase and coasts of India will become extremely susceptible to storms and tornadoes as the effects of Climate Change become more pronounced leading to the biggest security crisis ever.
"The issue of climate change is staring directly at our face. It is really frightening and the community has a definite responsibility to do something about it", says Dr. A.K.Ghosh, Director, Centre for Environment and Development, visiting faculty, University of Calcutta and Jadavpur University.
Vinay Jaju from Switch ON strongly feels that though the problems we face today are extremely complex - the solution remains quite simple. "We must get rid of our dependence on fossil fuel, but to do that we have to undergo a complete transformation in our thoughts and actions - to truly save ourselves," he adds.
These young folks are trying to Switch ON the Kolkatans through various art forms like - Film, Music, Theatre, Painting, etc. since they know that a true Kolkatan can never resist an artistic endeavor. A step forward, they recently partnered with Bangla Natak.Com, a unique collaboration, whereby the Kolkatans are not just made aware about the urgency of Climate Change, but also about their rich cultural heritage through folk art forms of Patachitra and Gambhira.
Ekta Kothari, a graduate from the Film and Television Institute of India says, " I am sure that once aware, Kolkata will spring into action. We have seen the city unite for various causes in the recent past. Once they realize the magnitude of the crisis we face today, there is no stopping them!"
Various schools and colleges including - St. James, Ballygunj Shiksha Sadan, Gokhale Memorial, Bhawanipore college, Calcutta University, Presidency College, New Alipore College, NHSM, and many more have stepped up to this challenge and have come forth to join hands with Switch ON to take some solid action. They are planning to take up independent action within their schools, colleges and community like - energy audits, planting trees, setting recycle bins, calculating carbon footprint, and taking forward the Switch ON initiative.
Huub Dekkers, who has recently joined the Switch ON team from The Netherlands constantly keeps reminding the youth of the power they have over the Government. He say, " Why say they (Government), why not say us? We make up the system, and we have the power to change it!"
