Amity Institute of Environmental Toxicology, Safety and Management (AIETSM), Amity University, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, organized a Webinar on "Sustainable Systems to Combat Global Warming and Climate Change”, on the occasion of "World Earth Day".
Sharing his views on “Climate Change and Management Strategies”, Dr. S.D. Attri, Additional Director General of Meteorology, India Meteorological Department Ministry of Earth Sciences, averred, “Extremely critical issues confronting India today are climate change, desertification and the sustainability-affordability linkage. At present, carbon dioxide concentration is highest in 2 million years and COVID -19 and climate change are the result of our dystopian relationship with nature, where human beings have harmed nature and are facing its consequences now. Right policies, environment-friendly infrastructure and technology and transitions in the energy sector can result in a 40-70% reduction in Green House Gas Emissions by 2050. Major steps need to be taken to combat global warming including electrification of railways which will reduce 80 billion tonnes of emissions.”
Sharing a presentation on “Sustainable Plastic Waste Management”, Dr. Rita Dhodapkar, Principal Technical Officer and Science Secretary CSIR-NEERI, Nagpur, stated, “Use of plastic damages the environment and it must be reduced in order to save our environment. The packaging industry uses plastic heavily, also appliances industry and other industrial sectors rely heavily on plastic. Therefore, identification of key stakeholders, supply chains, manufacturers and recyclers, assessment of recycling units and ascertaining opportunities or factors to enhance recycling are some of the ways of Sustainable Plastic Waste Management.”
Deliberating on Climate Change, Dr. D. R. Pattanaik, Scientist, India Meteorological Department, said, “Climate change refers to any systematic change in the long-term statistics of climate elements such as temperature, pressure or winds sustained over several decades or longer. Reducing carbon emissions, saving energy, plantation of trees, recycling packaging and waste material and promoting renewable energy are some of the solutions to the problem of climate change. Also, impact-based weather forecasting can be very useful in minimizing the adverse impacts of bad weather, aiding in effective disaster management. It is high time to check the increasing problem of pollution on the planet otherwise the time is not far away when we all will bear the precarious consequences of our deteriorating planet.
Addressing the gathering on this occasion, Dr. D.K. Bandyopadhyay, Chief Advisor FPO and Chairman, Amity Law Schools, said, “We call our planet “Mother Earth” and it is our responsibility to preserve and protect it, especially now that the problem of climate change has become prevalent and it is a major cause of concern for our environment. The webinar is unique in the current scenario as the world is facing sustainability challenges because of pollution, global warming and climate change, compounded by the effects of rapid industrialization and urbanization.”
Highlighting the significance of the webinar, Prof. Tanu Jindal, Group Additional Pro Vice Chancellor (R&D), Amity University Uttar Pradesh, stated, “ Everything that we have around us including air, water, forests, glaciers, islands, wildlife and landscapes do not belong to us, they belong to our planet and Earth Day is an annual event celebrated in more than 192 countries worldwide to demonstrate support for environmental protection. Now, is the time to preserve and protect our health, our families, our livelihoods, which is only possible if we take care of our planet.”
The Webinar concluded with a Panel Discussion comprising of the Guest Speakers and was attended by the students, faculty, scholars and researchers of Amity in large numbers.