My name is Ahsanul Alam Kishore, a current post grad student in Carbon Management and Renewable energy at the On Saturday 8th December, at 3.30pm, I will march to raise awareness of global warming. I specifically want to highlight the need for long term defence mechanisms against the problems caused by global warming and to make people aware that, as individuals, we can help reduce climate change by efficiently using energy.
We all have recently heard or read about the devastating super Cyclone “SIDR” which hit the south western coastal region of Bangladesh at wind speeds of upto 150mph. The horrific lash of this cyclone is said to have claimed approximately 10,000 lives and thousands of livestock. More than three million people are now homeless. Their shanty tin houses are all blown away, all the crops destroyed and their precious cattle drowned.
A week on, the devastated people are still finding dead bodies of loved ones among the huge pile of carnage. Drinking water completely polluted with huge number of rotting human and animals in the river, lakes and pond water.
A 25million metric tonnes loss of rice cultivation on top of losses from the severe monsoon flooding in June has bought the countries economic growth to a grinding halt. The government requested the world for help and assistance for which most solvent nations like
As usual following a huge natural disaster and the death of thousands of poor people everyone becomes temporarily concerned about global warming and natural calamities. All the developed nations urge to help the effected areas with financial aid, medicine and other various donations. These donations do not hold any sustainable promise for the future. For many years it has been seen that financial aid in most cases do not ever reach all the effected and also it does not give them any realistic defence against such natural disasters in the future.
For disaster prone countries of the world for example
As the post cyclone situation stands now in
At this point all the international aid is only concerned about helping the people with food and essential for now and then in a few days time its all forgotten. Poor people will still die in a few months time when the next disaster hit again, this is why is the country desperately need not only financial but also long run technological sustainable assistance to be build an effective defence and able to face these disasters in the future.
A lot of the third world are making negligible carbon emission compared to the developed nations and the fact that these developed nations have been doing so for much longer than any of the under developed countries, makes developed nations predominantly responsible for the unpredictable weather change and therefore the lives of all those who do not even have electricity at home. Yet it is painfully true that the ones who do not use electricity and drive cars are the ones who are paying with their lives for our luxury.
Most of the damage done cannot be reversed but as we the humans armed with our technological advancement have made the highest contribution to the global warming, we are also equipped with intelligence to help undo our part. Very simple things like switching electrical appliances off rather than stand by, reducing the washing machine temperature by 5°, taking a walk on a nice day instead of driving, could be a big help.
I would like to bring to people’s attention the fact that simple carelessness and useless luxuries in the well off world is actually costing lives of people who never even imagine enjoying anywhere near as much luxury in their entire life. Forget about driving cars, most of them do not even have electricity in their huts.
In order to raise awareness, I will March from the Crichton campus to the Whitesands where the council office is, wearing only the clothes that the general poor public in Bangladesh would be wearing this winter. (This is like a long cotton kilt, no shoes or top, to give an idea of how people live in the third world). I want to make this march from University and through town to get people to support my cause. The march will end in the councillor’s office and I will submit my letter there.
Please contact me with your opinion and if you think the cause is right then I would welcome your support.
Ahsanul Alam Kishore
07985444900
Email: ahsanul.kishore@gmail.com
Matheesha Amarasekara
07507525644
Email: matheesha.amarasekara@gmail.com
