Bhubaneswar, Feb. 9: Apart from reducing carbon footprints, the strategy to combat climate change would be to adopt proven technologies and integrate the same to improve systems, an eminent expert has said. “We have to adopt proven technologies and provide tangible benefits quickly to the communities. The key was to make efficient use of technology to reduce use of energy,” Dr. Sundaresan Subramanian, global consultant on issues of energy and environment, said while addressing an International Workshop on Climate Change at the Institute of Business and Computer Studies (IBCS), SOA University’s faculty of management sciences, on Wednesday. Speaking on climate change, Dr. Subramanian said human activities had significantly contributed to the phenomenon since the industrial revolution in Europe in the 18th century and life style changes had been further accentuating the problem. “We are going for efficient cars, appliances and devices further raising the energy demand requiring more burning of fuel to create energy,” he said. The 2-day workshop, which concluded on Wednesday, was organized by the US-based Rivers of the World Foundation (ROWF) and ‘Analyst Odisha’ in collaboration with the SOA University. Researchers and faculty members attended the workshop.
The workshop was also addressed by Dr. Subijoy Dutta, Founding Director of ROWF and an expert on water and hazardous waste management, Prof. M.C.Dash, former Chairman of the Odisha Pollution Control Board, Mr. P.K.Dhal, Member, ROWF and Prof. Anup Samantaray, Dean of IBCS.
Referring to India, Dr. Subramanian said technology, which was advancing fast, has to be taken advantage of to meet the challenge. “Pollution here is all around—in air and water– besides the complex problem of waste management to deal with,” he said.
People must help by reducing energy use at home by adopting energy saving practices, making use of renewable energy wherever possible, conserving water at all cost and spreading awareness of green practices, Dr. Subramanian said.
President of the ROWF Prof. William E. Roper, who is also a Professor at the Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, USA, also spoke to the participants through web conferencing explaining about use of remote sensing for identification of wetlands, subsidence areas, erosion and slide regions, historic and culture sites and conservation of endangered wildlife habitat.
Remote sensing, he said, could aid a plethora of activities to contain degeneration of soil, vegetation, river and other natural heritages.
