The Climate Solution
Author : Mridula Ramesh
Publisher : Hachette India, Rs 550
The book undertakes the important task of making theories and facts about climate change accessible to common people, says SRINATH RANGARAJAN
The fact that climate change has become a ubiquitous phenomenon needs no emphasis. The effects are there for all to see in the form of frequent and intense heat waves, longer periods of drought, heavier precipitation and flooding, and destruction of coral reefs. In this context, there is no dearth of literature regarding the negative consequences that human-induced change in climate can create. But, to raise awareness in a manner that is comprehensible to not just experts but also to laymen, and to create solutions through “adaptation”, is a difficult task indeed.
The author addresses this task in two parts in this book. The first part deals with understanding the science behind climate-related phenomenon and its effects in the form of various long-lasting consequences. The second part deals with a variety of proposed solutions.
The beauty of this book lies in the foundation that it lays for future course of action. The book clearly states that climate change and its impact is a reality with which we need to live. In stating so, the author considers the damage that warming-induced temperature increase has created. For comparison, it uses pre-Industrial Revolution days as the base line.
For reversing this trend, the process of adaptation is suggested, without reducing the emphasis on mitigation. Further emphasising on the role of adaptation, Ramesh beautifully describes why adaptation is more pertinent to developing countries than to the developed ones. It also talks about how the damage caused by developed nations is unfairly hurting the developing nations and the Third World.
The book, in its two parts, elaborates on the various causes and aspects of climate change. Even though climate change is a topic that has been widely discussed, the author manages to come up with some rather unique and insightful arguments. In the introductory part itself, Ramesh makes it clear that scientific reports on climate have been quite conservative. They have understated the consequences of human interference on the climate.
She talks about Israel and explains how its water-based innovations have helped it. later, she elaborates on why India needs to provide a conducive environment for climate start-ups to flourish. In the enormous corpus of literature on climate change in India, the important role that climate start-ups can play has not been dealt with in as much detail as it has been in this book.
The second part of the book lays even more focus on the solutions aspect. It is laced with stories of “climate heroes” from different parts of India who have led by example. One such story is of Ergos, a Bengaluru-based company. It also talks about Dr Rajendra Singh, the “waterman of India”. The author also shares experiences from her own family which are quite inspirational. Ramesh talks at length about the need to regulate water charges in India as it is the the most-needed resource in our country.
While a person who hasn’t followed much of climate change is sure to find this book insightful; climate enthusiasts or policy makers who hope to find a takeaway for implementation might not find it equally exciting. Much of what is written in the first part of the book is already in the public domain. Even in the second part, some of the solutions proposed look a little too simplistic and do not explain their feasibility in a holistic manner. The big debates on “Clean environment versus development” and on “How much one should sacrifice for achieving the other” do not find much space here.
To an expert, the fact that some points are missing becomes all the more clear while reading the last chapter that lists out the actions one should take. To the cynics, it seems Utopian when one urges people to walk more instead of using motor vehicles or to eat less meat. But the important thing to remember is that in a country like India, if we can motivate even some people to adopt these measures, we can see a big change. The beauty of this book lies in the fact that it does not get too scientific or academic in its nature. Its language is simple and clear. On the whole, the book is a good read on an all-pervasive issues and offers fresh perspectives and hope that is rooted in pragmatism.
The reviewer is a Senior Engineer