Marching The Climate Change Away – COP21

The much awaited COP21 has started in Paris and with that, the news from all around the world is coming about the people being gathered on the streets and organized the “Climate March” [1,2,3]  to show their leaders that they very well understand now that how dangerous the climate change problem has become and want their leaders to take some genuine decisions to fight with this global challenge and save millions of life across the globe. We really are not left with any more choice but to take some strict steps immediately. A massive climate march was organized by the people of Australia in Melbourne and the message was loud and clear from their side to the leaders that there is no planet B for us and we need to protect our only planet Earth. On the other hand in Scotland, creative events took place under the banner ArtCOP21 to build pressure on the world leaders and to show support for a clean and green future. The recent UN report has already declared that year 2015 has been recorded  as the hottest year in the history and we are actually witnessing the consequences[4]. Here in India, summers have been furious enough to burn everything away and unstable monsoon almost ruined the agriculture, drought in some part of our country[5]  has already made the life of the people difficult and recent reports of heavy rainfall in Chennai[6] that almost flooded the streets of this metro city has proved that climate danger is just around the corner and merely talking and planning about it won’t do the trick, what is needed at this point of time is an honest action to combat and find solutions. After the news of big fossil giants sponsoring COP21 event in Paris came into light, serious questions are arising whether our leaders are actually serious about this issue? Including fossil fuel companies in climate negotiations will surely affect the talks and in a way will influence it negatively. Seeing such attitude of the leaders, globally, people now really don’t want to leave any stone unturned.
The climate leaders are doing all sort of activities from a massive online signature campaign to a climate rally. Artists in their own way are trying to make people aware about the importance of this year’s climate negotiations and trying to give out the message to the leaders by illustrating or painting[7,8] because now almost everyone have understood that if they won’t stand up for their life, for their loved ones life, then who will? Frankly speaking, after the news of some big fossil giants sponsoring the COP21 event and our leaders know about it, we really can’t trust our leaders and minds are filled with doubts and fear and hence, it is better to keep raising the voice in support of a strong climate policy to safeguard the future of the world. It’s a symbolic effort from people to ensure climate justice and the leaders too must join the people and must respect their sentiments in this regard.
This fact is not hidden from anyone that previous climate negotiations have almost failed to touch the essence of the burning issue and has proved unsuccessful in addressing the problem of global warming.[9]  With previous experiences, a question is rising up in everyone’s mind; can the UN summit in Paris save the world? Thankfully, this time, the climate negotiations have become everyone’s business and this has become possible only after the sustained efforts of climate leaders all over the world and also because of the own experiences of people, the climate problems which they are now have started coming across with sudden rise in temperature, frequent melting of glaciers, floods & famines and also diseases popping up due to air and water pollution. All this has highlighted the sense of insecurity among the masses across the globe and they now want to make sure what they have faced must not become the future of their younger ones.
As the governments of more than 190 nations will sit, brainstorm to come out with a new and more purposeful climate agreement, they will have to keep in mind both scientific and political realities. To come up with a successful plan they will need to first fully understand that how climate change is already affecting the lives of the people. We realize it or not, but the climate change is slowly eating away people’s rights to clean water, health and social security. Our leaders have to ensure that the negotiations must be focusing all these facts and that the voices of the most marginalized group must not leave unheard.

References

1. (http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/74520024/new-zealanders-rally-to-global-peoples-climate-march-call-for-action)
2. (http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/thousands-march-in-brisbane-for-climate-change-action-20151128-glahpd.html)
3. (http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/thousands-expected-at-melbourne-cbd-rally-ahead-of-paris-climate-summit-20151127-gl9lz8.html)
4.  (http://fortune.com/2015/11/25/united-nations-record-hot/)
5. (http://www.livemint.com/Politics/LYKaOuB5oVgnwWFmtjbSoJ/Rural-distress-worsens-across-India.html)
6. (http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/heavy-rains-continue-to-batter-tamil-nadu-176-dead/1/531325.html)
7. (http://capitalandmain.com/latest-news/issues/environment/the-heats-on-an-l-a-arts-festival-tackles-climate-change-1125/)
8. http://www.ilfordrecorder.co.uk/news/wanstead_artists_create_banner_for_climate_change_march_1_4325474)
9. (http://www.cityam.com/229781/cop-21-paris-climate-summit-climate-responsibility-will-not-come-for-free)