Climate change cynicism “a Western luxury”
June 23, 2010
People in India do not have the luxury of challenging whether climate change really exists, a mission director of an American NGO said.
Mr Usman Ahmad, who works for Mercy Corps organisation in Srinagar, Kashmir, said, “People in the West have the time to trawl the Internet looking at everything written on climate change and then drawing opinions based on what they've read.
“The population of Kashmir don’t have the luxury of questioning whether or when climate change will impact them, they are dealing with the consequences everyday. Rather than finding someone to blame, they're spending their time finding alternative farming methods to cope with the change in climate, or finding solutions to water scarcity.
He added, “Unfortunately those who contributed least to this crisis are paying the most for it.”
Although anecdotal evidence from farmers suggest climate change is seriously affecting their livelihoods, the government will remain unconvinced until there is enough scientific evidence to confirm these claims.
Mr Jigmel Takpa, environment and forests minister in Ladakh, said, “If people say that climate change exists, then we need scientific research; only then we can tell if it exists or not. By only asking the public, we will not gather credible evidence to show the world.
“The government are doing a lot towards minimising carbon levels by introducing renewable energy sources. It is debateable whether climate change does exist, however the government are acting now to devise solutions for the possible future."
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