Pafulla Samantara thinks the two crises plaguing mankind, global warming and degradation of human civilisation, are interlinked. Opening a seminar on 'Climate emergency and industrialisation' here on Sunday, Mr.Samantara, winner of The Goldman Environmental Prize, said that the industrialisation method followed at present, prioritises urbanisation and that it did not support restoration of the environment.
“Humans are not superior to other organisms that suffer from global warming. However, we are the last link in the evolution chain and hence have an added responsibility to take care of nature and its resources,” Mr. Samantara said, adding that it was the marginalised sections, tribespeople, farmers, and common workers, who suffer more from climate change compared to the rich and influential. “Exploitation, overconsumption, and creating hatred among people in the name of religion, caste, and culture, are the reasons for degradation of human civilisation. This has a direct impact on the environment,” he said.
He added that ensuring climate justice is one of the greatest challenges of our times and urged students to ask questions such as 'What kind of development, at what cost, and for whom' before giving nods to projects around them.
Mr. Samantara suggested decentralised methods, using simple machinery for developmental projects in general, rather than massive corporate projects. He said that reducing consumption was the only way out.
The seminar was organised by the Green Kerala Movement, and secretary T.V. Rajan was the moderator. Later Satheesh Babu Kollambalath spoke on ‘Role of rivers in conservation of biodiversity’.
Mr. Samantara later visited the K-Rail protests at Kattilapeedika here, on the occasion of the second anniversary of the protest.
