Climate Emergency

India lost one of its most renowned agricultural scientists, MS Swaminathan, on September 28th, 2023. He not just spearheaded the green revolution and pulled the South Asian masses out of a famine, but also contributed immensely to this field by engaging in solution-oriented deliberations and discussions with various stakeholders. He involved farmers into his mission. He involved politicians in his mission, and the global scientists too.

In this episode, Sharada Balasubramanian talks to R Ramkumar, agricultural economist from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai. Ramkumar talks about various unknown aspects of the green revolution and the contribution of Swaminathan not just to India, but to the world’s agriculture.

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Solar energy has been an important player in India’s energy transition. But how does the growth of solar align with the global targets of reducing emissions and alleviating energy poverty? How do we see the world's transition towards clean energy? How do we eliminate disparities in energy access? How do we make sure that renewables are cost-effective?

To delve into this further, Suno India’s Sneha Richhariya talked to Dr. Ajay Mathur, Director General of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and discussed a range of issues, from current challenges to the solar industry to ISA’s journey so far and the expectations at the climate change conference this year.

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On October 4th, a glacial lake outburst event struck North Sikkim, sending shockwaves across the northeastern state. This event unfolded at Lhonak Lake in North Sikkim, causing an abrupt and alarming surge in the water level of the Teesta River. The floodwaters reached the Teesta III Dam in Chungthang around midnight, resulting in the dam's destruction within mere minutes.

While initial reports suggested that a cloudburst may have triggered the glacial lake outburst, scientific investigations are ongoing to uncover the true underlying causes of this phenomenon. In this episode of Climate Emergency, reporter Sneha Richhariya talks to local residents to understand the situation on ground and speaks to Prof. Vimal Khawas  from the Special Centre for the Study of North East India at Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi about the factors driving this event, with an emphasis on how climate change has exacerbated it.

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Bengaluru is currently experiencing significant and diverse forms of urban growth. Numerous environmental studies have consistently highlighted the adverse impact of intense urbanization on the city's environment. However, the city is now also gaining attention in discussions about its susceptibility to climate change. Unfortunately, the most severe consequences of this situation are affecting those residing in informal settlements throughout Bengaluru.

Due to the lack of resources, the priorities of these residents in these settlements do not include climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies. Then how do we make these residents an active participant in the agenda of climate change?

In this episode of Climate Emergency, host Sneha Richhariya talks to Bijal Brahmbhatt, who is the executive director of Mahila Housing Trust, which is a grassroots organization that works to strengthen women in the urban informal sector. MHT is also a part of Ellara Bengaluru, which is a union of NGOs, academia, civic society authorities to jointly work on building a climate-change resilient Bengaluru.

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Bundelkhand region in central India is infamous for its frequent droughts. Due to the lack of water, farmers in this region have either been aligning their farming with seasonal rainfall patterns or are dependent on diesel or electricity operated pumps for irrigation. But the erratic rainfall, prolonged droughts and poor electricity supply have disrupted farming practices, making them riskier. 

Pumping ground water using solar energy is now seen as the solution to these water woes. The Central government started the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha Evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (PM-Kusum) scheme in 2019 to overcome challenges of irrigation supply. Through this scheme the government subsidises these solar pumps for the farmers. However, solar water pumps rely on existing or available groundwater, which is already scarce in the region.

In this episode, Suno India’s Sneha Richhariya travels across three districts of central India’s drought-hit Bundelkhand region to understand if solar water pumps can solve the issue of irrigation for the farmers and figure if it possesses a threat to its groundwater levels.

Note: This report was produced with the support of Internews’ Earth Journalism Network. It was originally published by Suno India on 28 September 2023. 

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In this episode of the Climate Emergency podcast, Editor and host for this episode Rakesh Kamal speaks with Aditi Tandon, a production editor with Mongabay India and a fact-checking trainer with the Google News Initiative India Training Network. They discuss greenwashing and its role in climate misinformation.

Greenwashing is the practice of making misleading or deceptive claims about the environmental benefits of a product or service. This can make it more difficult for consumers to make informed choices about the products they buy, and it can also give companies a free pass to pollute the environment.

In this episode, Aditi and Rakesh explore the different ways that greenwashing is used, and they discuss the challenges of detecting and preventing it. They also talk about the role that consumers can play in holding companies accountable for their environmental claims.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone who is concerned about climate change and the spread of misinformation. It provides important insights into how greenwashing can be used to deceive consumers and undermine efforts to address the climate crisis.

*Call to Action:*

If you are concerned about greenwashing, there are a few things you can do:

* Be aware of the signs of greenwashing.
* Do your research before you buy a product or service.
* Contact companies that you believe are engaging in greenwashing.
* Support organizations that are working to combat greenwashing.

Together, we can make a difference in the fight against climate change.

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In this episode of the Climate Emergency podcast, host Rakesh Kamal talks to independent journalist and trainer Mayank aggarwal about the importance of climate literacy and the need to train media organizations and journalists in fighting climate misinformation.

They explore the role of journalists and media organizations in combating this growing problem and discuss the importance of responsible reporting in shaping public opinion and driving meaningful action.

Join us as we uncover the challenges faced by reporters in an era of misinformation, and discover ways we can collectively address this urgent issue for a sustainable future.

*Episode highlights:*

* The rise of climate misinformation and its impact on public opinion
* The role of journalists and media organizations in combating climate misinformation
* The importance of responsible reporting in shaping public opinion
* Ways to address climate misinformation and build a more sustainable future

*Listen now to learn more about this important issue!*

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Join Rakesh Kamal, Editor of Climate Emergency Podcast, in this episode as he delves deep into the intricate matter of climate misinformation and its far-reaching consequences for the global north and south. He speaks with Aditi Tandon, production editor with Mongabay India, and a fact-checking trainer with the Google News Initiative India Training Network. She discusses the significance of narratives in climate negotiations to the detrimental effects of misinformation and the vital role of accurate information in tackling the urgent climate crisis. Tune in now to gain valuable insights into this pressing issue.

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In India, we witness misinformation rampantly on social media platforms. Edited video clips and photographs of politicians/ celebrities without context are unfortunately quite common. During the peak of the COVID pandemic, health misinformation was rampant. And we saw how misinformation spread faster and is very harmful especially during situations of panic when people are willing to believe anything. And that is what climate change does, it creates those emergency situations because of extreme weather events which are on the rise. 

Introducing "Climate Check," our new podcast mini-series on Climate misinformation in India. In the upcoming 3 episodes, we'll focus on the spread and impact of climate misinformation, the importance of climate literacy, and the need for collective action. We'll address misleading claims that confuse and disrupt real climate action. 

Climate misinformation involves disseminating false or misleading information about climate change, its causes, impacts, and solutions. It distorts facts, cherry-picks data, and manipulates evidence to deny or downplay the reality and seriousness of climate change. Discussing it is crucial because misinformation confuses people, hampers decision-making, and delays necessary actions. To protect the environment and make informed choices, accurate information is vital. 

Our mini-series will explore these issues and more, ensuring accurate information prevails and empowering individuals. Stay tuned for our three enlightening episodes on climate misinformation. 

In the first episode, Rakesh Kamal, Editor of the Climate Emergency podcast and co-founder of Suno India talks to  Rakesh Reddy Dubbudu, Founder of Factly about the spread of misinformation and introduces Climate misinformation. 

This mini-series is supported by Check Global Independent Media Response Fund.

Additional material

https://soundcloud.com/dhirendra-rai-745607051/suresh-audio-on-keral-flood

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oy0E7h-_Ic8&ab_channel=IndianNationalCongress

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6C1p4HUHlfE&ab_channel=Sadhguru

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The peril of climate change is not new to Sundarbans. But in recent years, climate disasters, mostly in the form of cyclones,  are occurring all too frequently. What are the reasons for worsening climate change? How does this affect daily life? Must people brace themselves for future disasters? In this episode, Urvashi Sarkar spoke with Pintu Das who shares a first-person account of the 2009 Aila cyclone, and Prof. Sugata Hazra of Jadavpur University, Kolkata who studies climate change and rising sea levels in Sundarbans.

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