A webinar on the theme ‘Individual and collective roles to combat climate change’ was organised under the auspices of the Orissa Environmental Society (OES) on Sunday.
While president of OES Dr Sundara Narayana Patro chaired the meeting, chief speaker of the occasion was Director, India and South Asia, The Climate Reality Project India, New Delhi, Aditya Pundir. In his speech, Pundir highlighted the various climate-related disasters occurring globally and described how the ecosystems and diverse species inhabiting them, including humanity, are increasingly affected by these happenings.
He emphasized that it was imperative for the Government to limit the use of fossil fuels to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and prioritise alternative energy sources such as solar energy.
On the other hand, the people of Odisha must prepare and empower themselves to cope with the adverse effects of climate change as well as to make their own contribution to combat the most pressing challenge of time, he stated. In his presidential address, Dr Patro emphasized the need to adopt simple lifestyles, protect natural resources, respect nature and identify ways to address climate change adhering to Gandhiji's teachings. OES secretary Dr Jaya Krushna Panigrahi in his welcome address acknowledged the seriousness of climate change and expressed that it is the moral responsibility of everyone, from an individual to the globe, to make their own contribution for mitigating the impacts. Prafulla Kumar Dhal, life member introduced the guests. During the interaction session various questions raised by the delegates were discussed. The webinar ended with vote of thanks by the OES vice president Dr Lala AK Singh. Many environmentalists, academics and nature lovers attended.
