Thrissur: Forest Minister Benoy Viswam has said that action against climate change should rise above political divides. He was addressing a seminar on ‘Climate change: science, politics and resistance’, organised by Costford, here on Thursday. “Debates on climate change will point the finger at the U.S., which is the biggest polluter in the world. The anti-U.S. stand in such discussions should not give the impression that climate change is a concern of the Left alone. Political parties should rise above ideologies to tackle the issue,” he said.He said that developing countries need not bear the brunt of the excesses perpetrated by the developed countries. “The global legal doctrine maintains that the polluter must pay.” The Minister said that the State government took an important step in the campaign against climate change by planting 1.5 crore saplings under a social forestry project.
“Many panchayats have not taken the scheme seriously. The saplings have not been tended well. In contrast, 80 per cent of the saplings planted by school students under the ‘Ente Maram’ scheme are growing well. The interest taken by the students should be appreciated. The government takes pride in the fact that since June 5, 2007, a sapling each has been planted by 25 lakhs students across the State. Long before Maldives sent warnings on climate change at its underwater meeting and Nepal told the world about the impact of the phenomenon on the Himalayas and 193 countries geared up to meet in Copenhagen, the Kerala government had launched an afforestation programme with the motto: climate change: planting trees is the answer,” the Minister added. He observed that trees should be seen in a new light in the background of climate change. He called for initiatives in the State to promote energy efficient building material and new habitat technologies.
Source: The Hindu, Dated: 8.01.2010
“Many panchayats have not taken the scheme seriously. The saplings have not been tended well. In contrast, 80 per cent of the saplings planted by school students under the ‘Ente Maram’ scheme are growing well. The interest taken by the students should be appreciated. The government takes pride in the fact that since June 5, 2007, a sapling each has been planted by 25 lakhs students across the State. Long before Maldives sent warnings on climate change at its underwater meeting and Nepal told the world about the impact of the phenomenon on the Himalayas and 193 countries geared up to meet in Copenhagen, the Kerala government had launched an afforestation programme with the motto: climate change: planting trees is the answer,” the Minister added. He observed that trees should be seen in a new light in the background of climate change. He called for initiatives in the State to promote energy efficient building material and new habitat technologies.
Source: The Hindu, Dated: 8.01.2010
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