Impact of Climate Chanage on the Society and Economy as Depicted in Print Media

7/31/2019 Impact of Climate Chanage on the Society and Economy as Depicted in Print Media

1/10

Seminar Paper

Virinder Singh Bhatia

Impact of Environment on Agricultural SectorWorld is very much facing environment related problems. Everyone is concerned about

the increasing heat of earth planet. In India, a big majority of people is actually ignorant about

environment issues. There is a great need to spread awareness regarding pollution among the

masses. There is great need to save earth for the mankind. The projected rise in global

temperature could be cut in half in coming years if world governments focused on reducing

emission of two harmful pollutants black carbon and ground level ozone, including methane

rather than co2 alone 2. According to a report, 9 of the 10 warmest years on record have occurred

since the beginning of 2001. The earth has been warming in fits and starts for decades, and a large

majority of climatologists are of the opinion that humans are releasing heat-trapping gases likeCo2 in the atmosphere. The co2 level has increased about 40% since the industrial revolution.

The climate is continuing to show the influence of green-house gasses 3. The Intergovernmental

Panel on Climate Change has also reported that agriculture is responsible for over a quarter of

total global greenhouse gas emissions.

Environment change and agriculture are interrelated processes. Global warming has

significant effects on agriculture. The overall effect of climate change on agriculture will depend

upon the balance of these effects. Because weather is still a key factor in agricultural productivity.

There is every chance that yields are likely to fall for even small climate changes. This induced by

increasing greenhouse gases is likely to affect crops differently from region to region. Rapidclimate change, however, could harm agriculture in many countries, especially those that are

already suffering from rather poor soil and climate conditions, because there is less time for

optimum natural selection and adaption.

Increasing temperature on the earth has made significant impact in the agro sector and

economy of the country. A close look at the contents of print media reveals the effects of climate

change. Environment has made significant effects on human health, rainfall, water resources,

rising sea level, crops, habitats and flora and fauna. A report from the Inter-government Panel on

climate change (IPCC) and few other global studies suggest that prospects of 10 to 40 percent

losses in crop production in India by the end of 21

st

century will be resulting from increase intemperature. Studies carried out at the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) suggests

that one degree rise in temperature results in 4-5 million tones lose of wheat production 4. It is a

fact that duration of crop growth cycles are related to temperature. An increase in temperature will

speed up development. In the case of an annual crop, the duration between sowing land harvesting

will shorten between one and Mridul Hazarika, director of the Tea Research Association, said that

temperatures have risen two degree in Assam in the past eight decades. This has lead to a short fall


2/10

in production of Assam tea 5. Now scientists are analyzing temperature statistics to determine

links between temperature rise and tea yields. Debakanta Handique a climate scientist in Assam is

of the view that clearly climate change is bound to have major impact on tea industry 6. It is true

that climate change is affecting the cultivation of Assam tea with rising temperature and reducing

yields and altering the distinctive flavor of Assam tea.

Climate Change Science Assessment Report has predicted increase in overall rainfall but

lesser number of rainy days. This variation of rainfall pattern will mean that Indias main

agriculture states such as Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, parts of U.P., Bihar and

Orissa will face more severe droughts. The report prepared by Indian Network for Climate Change

Assessment (INCCA) shows that import on agriculture could be huge, fall in rice and maize

production between 5 to 20% an in certain areas such as coast of Andhra Pradesh by up to 35% 7.

Further, it is stated that global warming may rob basmati of its fragrance and not grow long

enough, are the views of H. Pathak, principal investigator of Indian Agricultural Research

Institutes climate challenge program. Pathak further stated that IARI has been receiving

complaints from farmers about a sudden warming damaging to rice crops 8. Global warming is

going to hit rice and wheat yields. Wheat yield in 2050 will be reduced by 30% and rice yield will

be 15%. These views were expressed in a conference on preparing agriculture for climate change

at Punjab Agriculture University, Ludhiana 9.

According to Daniel Hillel, Professor Emeritus, Columbia University, Third part of the

total population of the world is already hungry. The way the environment is being degraded for

vested interests, the number will be doubled in coming years 10. So there is emergent need to

protect the environment. It is also a truth that small and marginal farmers from across Rajisthan

giving their testimonies at public hearing on climate change feared that they would be the worst

suffers of global warming manifesting itself through unusual trends such as erratic rainfall,

shrinking forest cover, rising temperature and increasing food insecurity 11. Professor Cristina

Tirado, University of California, Los Angeles said at the annual meeting of the American

Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) that in 2020, the UN has projected that we

will have 50 million environment refugees due to food storages sparked by climate change 12.

FAO has also warned that 2011 may witness a global food crisis, proactive action is needed to

meet the challenge of price volatility, chronic hunger, agrarian despair and climate change 13.

Human beings may be partially to blame for the increasing intensity of rain and snow

storms according to climate study report. Human-induced rise in green house gasses has been

directly linked to intensify of extreme rain and snow 14. According to Prodipto Ghosh, a member

of the Prime Ministers Council of Climate Change that Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh will face

serious challenges due to climate change including scarcity of water resources and power supply.

He expressed his views in a seminar on Climate, Carbon & Copenhagen organized by the Society

of Science & Technology in India at Punjab University, Chandigarh. The region shall face

problems of fresh water from November to June as well as increased pressure on electricity

demand due to high temperature in summer, which could also mean a possible increase in


3/10


4/10

population growth, economic and land use change 25. Further it is said that climate change itself

accelerates climate change. As the climate heats up, rainforest tree fall and burry, releasing the

carbon locked up in them. In turn, accelerate warming further 26. It is also a fact that climate

change brings unforeseen bugs. Because these tiny bugs are leaving their natural habitat 27.

Climate change has made serious effects on agricultural production. S. Manjit Singh Kang,Vice Chancellor, Punjab Agriculture University, Ludhiana has stated in a article that there is a

possibility of 30% decrease of maize production by 2030 in South Africa and 10% decrease in

production of rice, barley and maize in South Asia due to green house effect 29.

Although print media is trying to make a attempt to aware the people regarding the impact

of rising temperature of earth, but it is not enough. There should be a policy of print media

regarding environmental issues. Enough space is required for this particular issue in the

newspapers. A space of full page be provided for environment on the pattern of business or sports

page. Because the awareness of climate change is must for the masses. Special attention should be

paid for this problem so that everybody should aware of environment of the earth. Today,editorials, special articles, features and interviews are required to be published regularly. This is

the need of the hour. As we see that almost only environment news are published whenever a

major climate summit takes place. This cannot be justified as the environment issues is one of the

major issues of the world. There are special pages for film updates, business, sports etc., published

in the newspapers. There are films, current affairs, political, and business magazine published in

India but there is no environment magazine publish in India. This is not a healthy sign regarding

environment. As we see, only 9 editorials, 37 articles, 9 interviews, 2 letters to the editor, 7

photographs, 2 cartoons, 3 book reviews and 27 reports regarding environment issues published in

various national newspapers. Rest things are the news stories which are published in the

newspapers for the last one year. This number is much lower as a reader expects more from

various media houses.

Agricultural technologies and harnessing them to enable developing countries to adapt their

agricultural systems to changing climate will require innovations in policy and institutions as well.

In this context , institutions and policies are important at multiple scales. In this regards, print

media may motivate well as it is competent to aware and awaken its readers. Only if readers are

aware of a particular issue than the motive of a newspaper is fulfilled. As a result one may say that

if earth is safe then mankind is also safe.


5/10

References:

1. Hindustan Times, Chandigarh, October 20, 2010.

2. Hindustan Times, Chandigarh, November 26, 2011.

3. Hindustan Time, Chandigarh, January 14, 2011.

4. Hindustan Times, Chandigarh, February 08, 2011

5. Times of India, Chandigarh, January 01, 2011.

6. Hindu, Delhi, December 29, 2010.



9. The Tribune, Chandigarh, February 07, 2011.

10. The Tribune, Chandigarh, February, 07, 2011.


12. Times of India, Chandigarh, February 24, 2011.


14. Times of India, December 20, 2010.


6/10

15. Times of India, February 20, 2011.

16. Hindu, Delhi, February 08, 2010.

17. Hindustan Times, November 14, 2010.

18. Times of India, Chandigarh, April 25, 2010.

19. Hindustan Times, Chandigarh, February 01, 2010.

20. Hindustan Times, Chandigarh, July 20, 2010.


22. Times of India, Chandigarh, November 18, 2010.

23. The Tribune, Chandigarh, December 06, 2009.

24. Hindustan Times, Chandigarh, September 17, 2010.

25. Indian Express, Chandigarh, December 20, 2009.

26. Hindustan Times, Chandigarh, August 25, 2010.

27. Indian Express, Chandigarh, December 20, 2009.

28. Hindustan Times, Chandigarh, August 23, 2010.

29. The Tribune, Chandigarh, March 31, 2010.

30. Punjabi Tribune, Chandigarh, March 17, 2011.


On October 19, 2010, India launched National Green Tribunal, a special court to look into all

environment issues, replacing the existing environment appellate authority. Former SupremeCourt judge Lokeswar Singh Panta became the first chairperson of the tribunal having four

regional benches to function in the circuit mode. The tribunal will have 20 members who are

experts in environmental sciences and will have the power to issue directions on the cases related

to pollution. Union Environmental Minister Jairam Ramesh has said that anybody and everybody

can approach the tribunal to claim civil damages arising out of inadequate implementations of

environment laws 1.


7/10

According to a report, that the potential loss of coastal lands and farmlands, we forget these islands

and that their smaller size makes it even likelier that they will be drowned out as sea levels rise 18.

Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment, Chandigarh (SASE) says that between 1984 and 2008

the mean temperature over the western Himalayas has increased by 2 degree C. 19. Study carriedout by American and Canadian scientists, published in Nature Geo-science that Himalayan

glaciers are likely to shrink by 10% by 2100. And Alpine glaciers may shrink by about 75% by the

end of this century. Melting of ice sheets in the Arctic regions of Canada and Russia Alaska,

northern Norway and Antarctica are likely to contribute most to the rise in global sea level of an

estimated 12 cm by 2100, 20. Prof. Andreas Muenchow of the University of Delaware has stated

that a giant sheet of ice measuring 260 sq km has broken off a glacier in Greenland. The block of

ice separated from the Petermann Glacier on the north-west coast of Greenland. It is the largest

Arctic iceberg to calve since 1962. The photograph of the glacier is published in Hindustan Times,

Chandigarh dated August 8, 2010.

According to a study conducted by PGI, Chandigarh in 2002-04 that air pollution causes 200

premature deaths annually in Ludhiana. This study relies on the data collected by the Punjab

Pollution control Board that showed an annual average of Residual Suspended Particulate Matter

(RSPM) levels in the city exceeding the national standards by almost five times. As per the WHO

figures, standard level of RSPM is 56 Microgram/cum but in Ludhiana, it was 225 microgram/cum

in 2002-04, which perhaps have gone higher by now 28.

The need of the hour is that the development benefits that India can capture with a well-designed low carbon strategy include energy security cleaner air in cities and better waste

management. We celebrate earth hour on the last Saturday of March but almost 300 million people

in India dont have access to electricity. For them every hour is earth hour 30.


8/10

Annually Progress Report (01-04-2011 to 31-03-2012)

Virinder Singh Bhatia

Topic : Environmental Issues And Media: A Critical Study Of LeadingNational English Dailies.

Following tasks were undertaken towards pursuing Ph.D in Journalism & Mass

Communication, Punjabi University, Patiala in the last year.

Collection of Data

In the last year ending 31st March, 2011, I have collected relevant material from the

concerned national newspapers for further research. Related material such as magazines and books

etc. are being consulted. For this purpose, visited to libraries to go through the required

information. Data collected so for is being analyzed.

Analyse of Data

It is a fact that print media is trying to make a attempt to aware the people regarding the

impact of environment of earth planet. But these attempts are not enough. There should be a

policy of print media regarding environmental issues. Enough space is required for this particular


9/10

issue in the newspapers. A space of full page be provided for environment on the pattern of

business or sports page. Because the awareness of climate change is must for the masses. Special

attention should be paid for this problem so that everybody should aware of environment of the

earth. Today, editorials, special articles, features and interviews are urgently required to be

published regularly. This is the need of the hour. As we see that almost only environment news are

published whenever a major climate summit takes place. This cannot be justified as the

environment issues is one of the major issues of the world. There are special pages for film

updates, business, sports, current affairs magazines in the newspapers. But there is no environment

magazine publish in India. This is not a healthy sign regarding environment. As we see, only 9

editorials, 37 articles, 9 interviews, 2 letters to the editor, 7 photographs, 2 cartoons, 3 book

reviews and 27 reports regarding environment issues published in various national newspapers.

Rest things are the news stories which are published in the newspapers for the last one year. This

number is much lower as a reader expects more from various media houses.

The main motive of any newspaper is to aware and awaken its readers from any

issue facing the universe. Only if readers are aware of a particular issue than the motive of a

newspaper is fulfilled. As a result one may say that if earth is safe then mankind is also safe.

(Supervisor) (Researcher)


10/10

Documents

Impact of Climate Chanage on the Society and Economy as Depicted in Print Media