Sunny climate stormy climate | Weekly digest #64
Climate change enters the world of pop culture in India, A new Christian handbook calls for climate action and the government is cutting down a forest in the middle of Hyderabad.
Hello folks!
Before we begin this week’s digest, I’d like share two other pieces I wrote last month -
I asked an AI Chatbot: How important is recycling to address climate change?
Also, I will be taking a break from the regularly weekly news digest (like this one) for the rest of April. Working on a few other projects this month and will hopefully get back to the weekly news curations next month.
Now on to this weeks dose of climate news where I bring two sunny stories that gives hope and one stormy one that is a cause for alarm. Hope you like them!
🌞 Sunny news 🌞
1. Climate change makes it to pop culture!
What are we talking about?
Climate change is generally considered a depressing topic reserved for serious discussions in conference rooms and board meetings, but a bunch of creative folks are changing that. There are now increasing instances of climate change making it into the mainstream. Some examples are:
‘Laughs per minute: Breathless edition’: This is a stand up comedy show focused on air quality that recently saw its second edition take place in Mumbai. No points for guessing where the first edition took place - Delhi! The show had 25 comics including the likes of Aditi Mittal and Adar Malik each given 60 seconds to crack jokes on Mumbai’s air quality
Plan B/C/D is a hilariously dark comic theatre act by artist Meghana A.T. that at least gets people asking questions on climate change.
Other examples are the Oscar nominated movie ‘All that breathes’, a song by Ankur Tewari ‘Dhuaan dhuaan’ and a line of stoles ‘Vaasla’ that uses the stitches on it to tell a story about poor air quality.
Why does this matter?
It’s critical that the conversation on climate change breaks out of boardrooms and conferences. It needs to be topic we all understand and act on. Popular culture can play a very important role in mainstreaming discussions around climate change, and so these signs are quite encouraging.
Sources for further reading
While we are on the topic, we have been trying to make climate news mainstream ourselves. Pulling all stops with this one - talking about vada pav!
2. The World council of churches urges Christians worldwide to take climate action
What are we talking about?
The World Council of Churches released a handbook called ‘Hope for children through climate justice’ that urges Christians across the world to take part in climate action and work towards creating a livable future for our children.
It doesn’t leave it at vague inspiration, but talks specifically about using litigation to hold financiers accountable. “A targeted legal intervention that increases the costs of doing business for fossil fuel firms could foreseeably have significant system level knock-on effects, for example, making renewable energy technologies cheaper than fossil fuels,” says the handbook.
It makes it very clear that we need to take a systemic approach saying “A focus on financial actors offers a rare opportunity for systemic impact that could be unrealisable through the targeting of individual fossil fuel firms.”
Why does this matter?
Religion has historically been and continues to be one of the strongest forces driving humanity. If used well, it could become a force multiplier in inspiring climate action.
Sources for further reading
🌩️ Stormy news 🌩️
3. Government clearing 400 acres of forested land in Hyderabad, destroying one of the last green spaces in the city
What are we talking about?
The government has proposed to auction off 400 acres of forested land in the Kancha Gachibowli area of Hyderabad. It is slated to be developed into an IT park and other infrastructure projects
This land is adjacent to the University of Hyderabad (UoH) and the government’s move has sparked protests from the students. However, the government has stated that the land does not belong to the University and had continued to raze trees from Sunday night. According to aerial images, a large extent of the forest has already been cleared.
The government continues to assert that these developments are crucial for the city's growth and that compensatory afforestation measures are being implemented to mitigate environmental impacts.
Why does this matter?
Loss of Biodiversity: The clearing of forest land has led to the displacement of wildlife and the loss of biodiversity, as these forests serve as habitats for more than 450 species of flora and fauna.
Climate Impact: This forest serves as a vital lung for the city and deforestation will result in increased carbon emissions and potentially exacerbating urban heat island effects.
Water Resources: The removal of trees impacts groundwater recharge and can lead to soil erosion, affecting water availability and quality in the region.
Sources for further reading
You can read previous editions of the newsletter -
Sunny climate, stormy climate | News Digest #63
Sunny climate, stormy climate | News Digest #62
Sunny climate, stormy climate | News Digest #61
If you liked this newsletter, please hit like or leave a comment. If you are a climate champion and want to take this conversation to more people, please share the newsletter with a friend, family member or colleague who may like it too!