Bipasha writes on global warming

By: Bipasha Basu, IndiaFM
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
I'm glad IIFA and the Indian film fraternity are being such an enthusiastic supporter of the Global Cool project. Global warming is a serious concern and I hope the world's leaders start to take notice of it.

I met Sienna Miller on her trip to India. I was aware of the issues, but Sienna explained to me that India was one the countries in the direct path of an impending storm. Since India is an agricultural economy, climate change can have disastrous consequences on our lives.

Global warming will also see oceans rising and coastal areas flooding. We have enough of that already. Every year, people lose their lives in cyclones and floods. And global warming is only going to make that worse.

Climate change isn't as benign as it sounds. Think of the droughts and famines that India has faced so often. Global warming will make them a recurring feature. We have a country that lives below poverty lines defined by every authority on the planet. We can hardly afford to wait to see more people die of hunger.

India has a large population and our cities expend large amounts of carbon into the air. There are simple ways to reduce this. It makes perfect sense as well. There are very few resources available to us. The less we use, the better it is for the environment. The more we economize the more we will have left in the future.

In the movies, it's always the brave fighting heroes who are called on to save the planet. But in reality, the battle for the planet will be won by ordinary people who quietly conserve fossil fuels and electricity.