In Brief

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="100" caption="From cseindia.org"][/caption]

Grassroots social environmental movements in developing countries might point the way for new approaches in tackling climate change, ‘the biggest challenge of our century’ (the 2008 Narayanan Oration, at the Australia South Asia Research Centre).

Building from the bottom-up, looking closely at principles of equity and need, is what should be encouraged. The environmental movement of the rich is not working, as it is looking for small answers to big problems. Biofuels, which do not decrease demand for fuel, are one example. Instead, we ought to look to more ‘natural’ technologies: technologies that work to nature’s cycles and vicissitudes, linking to Anil Agarwal’s conception of the 21^st century being the century of the environment. In this undertaking, economies ought to look to ‘weaker sources of energy’ and invest in renewables, which are the most important and powerful form of energy production in the long term.

There are political factors influencing climate change policy, many of them related to the treatment of China and India. There is an increasing tendency for Western nations to demonise these two countries for their increasing carbon output, whilst ignoring their own significant contributions to the problem. The West’s hysteria is growing. But so is its inaction. China and India do not intend to pollute, nor is it in their interests to pollute to become wealthy, then 'clean up'. Instead, China and India ought to invest in energy efficiency, minimising their contribution to climate change.