Greenpeace flagship checks in at Sundarbans

Rainbow Warrior, the Greenpeace flagship and environment icon, has docked in the Sundarbans in West Bengal to campaign for protecting the world's largest mangrove forest in coastal West Bengal from the adverse affects of global warming. Greenpeace will educate the local youth on ways to save the islands.

Rainbow Warrior is in Kolkata en route to Bali, Indonesia, where governments will gather in December to strengthen the Kyoto Protocol to combat climate change. Kolkata is the first port of call on this campaign.

Greenpeace will engage in activities to raise awareness on climate change, probe India's stand on the issue and rally for clean energy.

The Rainbow Warrior ship tour is part of the Greenpeace global campaign to raise public concern and catalyse governments, including the Indian government, into action so that the global temperature rise does not exceed 2 degrees centigrade.

According to Greenpeace energy campaigner Soumyabrata Rahut, the team of six people would question whether the Indian government is considering making emission reduction mandatory and what it implies in terms of shifting from dependence on dirty fossil fuels like coal to clean renewable energy sources.

In this context, the Sunderbans of West Bengal is vulnerable to climate change. "It is a hotspot that will get inundated by rising sea levels if the government does not act. Climate change is no longer a conjecture. It is here and now. The disappearing islands in the Sunderbans bears testimony," said Rahut.

"Kolkata is extremely vulnerable to climate change impacts. It often experiences intense cyclonic activity common in the Bay of Bengal. This, aggravated by rising sea-levels, is a big threat to the city if temperature rise is not kept well below two degrees," Greenpeace Climate and Energy Campaigner Vinita Gopal said.

According to the 4th Assessment Report of the UN's Inter-governmental panel on climate change, global sea level would rise by the end of the century if greenhouse gas emissions remained unchecked. It could threaten cities such as Kolkata and cause massive displacement of coastal communities.

A recent United Nations study revealed that a mere 45 cm rise in the sea level will destroy 75 percent of the forests spread over a 10,000 sq km area in India's eastern state of West Bengal and Bangladesh.

Studies also reveal that the sea level was rising 3.14 mm a year in the Sunderbans against a global average of 2 mm, threatening low-lying areas of India and Bangladesh.

Therefore, demanding an 'Energy Revolution' to prevent climate change, Greenpeace is campaigning for progressive energy efficiency legislation to phase out energy guzzling products like incandescent bulbs. By banning such bulbs, India can cut its carbon dioxide emissions by 5.5 million tonne.

According to Greenpeace, this is a simple, quick and durable step and can lead to 4 per cent cut in India's carbon dioxide emissions.

Pointed out Vivek Sharma, a Greenpeace campaigner, "We have to hold back carbon dioxide emissions. Carbon dioxide emissions are generated by the way we consume energy, through modes of transportation, etc. For instance, kerosene lanterns generates huge amount of carbon dioxide, which can be controlled if one switched to solar lanterns."

Greenpeace also used the example of Mysore Palace as the most glaring instance of this wastage. To create its world-famous illumination, this tourist attraction, Mysore Palace, uses around 96,000 ordinary light-bulbs, consuming close to 120,000 kWh of electricity every year.

If the palace shifted to CFLs, 80,000 kWh of electricity could be saved (worth over Rs.41 lakhs in taxpayers' money). This could also reduce annual carbon dioxide emissions by 46,632 kgs. Over five years (the average life of a CFL), that's a whopping 233 tonnes.