Ozonomics: Time to act
In 1994, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 16 September as the International Day for Preservation of Ozone Layer, commemorating the 1987 Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (Resolution 49/114). On 16 September 2009, the Vienna Convention and the Montreal Protocol became the first treaties in the history of United Nations to achieve universal ratification.
A pale blue gas, ozone carries a pungent smell and was first isolated by a German scientist Christian Friedrich Schönbein in 1839. September 2000 witnessed the largest ozone hole in our planet’s recorded history exceeding 28.4 million square km – almost eight times the size of India. Depletion of ozone layer has a cascading economic impact estimated upwards of $64 billion annually. However, its recovery is on track to shield the Antarctic by 2066 and the Arctic by 2040.
While ozone layer permeates the stratosphere hovering variably from 15-30 km altitudes, it also forms at ground level spurred by automobiles, crop burning and other industrial pollutants. Beginning early May to October each year, Gurugram and Delhi NCR experiences surface ozone levels breaching permissible limits with concentrations of more than 100 micrograms. This is considerably above the World Health Organization (WHO) air quality guidelines of 60 micrograms. Breathing ground-level ozone can cause or worsen various pulmonary health issues, ranging from chest pain and coughing to bronchitis, emphysema and asthma. It can inflame the lining of the lungs and leave the lung tissue scarred over time.
With over 354 million vehicles on Indian roads, contributing 80 per cent towards GHG emissions, they are a major cause of air pollution in urban areas, contributing 20–30 per cent of PM2.5 at breathing levels. PM2.5 refers to particles 100 times thinner than a human hair that remain suspended in the air for a long time. With 75 per cent of electricity generated by 282 coal-fired plants in India, switching to electric vehicles has obvious limitations, that calls for envisaging a sustainable long-term ecosystem of collated renewable solutions.
Despite low per capita CO2 emissions, India as a developing industrial power, is the world’s third-largest emitter of toxic gases. Unlike developed nations with mature GHG (Green House Gas) infrastructure, India has yet to build an ecosystem of sustainable energy practices. When India hosted G20 last year, members reaffirmed their commitment to mobilize $100 billion annually through 2025 to address the needs of developing countries. While India currently generates over 33 per cent of its energy (about 144 GigaWatts) through renewable sources, it plans to address 50 per cent of its renewable targets by amping-up energy capacity to 500 GW by 2030. India’s regenerative efforts are on the rise (but not fast and feverish enough) on a multitude of fronts including resilient and sustainable farming practices, increasing dam hydro-power capacity, biomass, wind, groundwater recycling capacity, planting mangroves, advancing solar and exploring new technologies to reduce the carbon footprint across the board.
The biggest gap in the carbon conversations is lack of awareness and a sense of avarice-ridden apathy about climate change – its complexity, its mitigation measures and the economics of clean energy. There is a need for educating both the electorate and the elected, on consequences of delayed action and the irrevocable price of inaction. Our academic programs must dovetail with the understanding of green policy, examination of carbon sequestration technologies, exploration of innovation, engagement in carbon credits and conversations around sustainable trends pegged to incentivized implementation timelines. In addition to the academe, there is a growing need for executive training in the realm of Climate Leadership and Sustainability amid C-Suite executives and the administrative cadre to precipitate seamless dialogue and consensus building between environmental laws, policy, administrative requirements, regulatory affairs and capacity development aimed at long-term sustainability and revised viability of pro-active practice.
A number of countries are beginning to emerge from their archaic ossified notions of ignoring the climate crises and planetary health, to invest in climate literacy at an accelerated pace. Learning and training institutions combined with living climatoriums and oceanariums are being conceived to bring awareness to the two lungs sustaining the planet by sequestering carbon. The blue lung that symbolizes sustainable ocean and the green lung representing the rainforests – both facing imminent threats of ever-burgeoning invasive Anthropocene.
The old adage rings quintessentially true – teach someone to sell a product you get but a mere transient transaction; enhance the ability to tell a story (of Climate Change) that is an existential threat, you get a Movement. As Gandhiji often remarked – BE the movement.