Press release - June 17, 2009
BANGALORE, India — Greenpeace and students from various colleges in the city, today, raised alarm about the increasing threat of climate change on the Indian monsoon while conducting climate raids across various shops in the city today. Activists wearing life rings went on ‘energy’ raids in shops on Church Street and Brigade road assessing the energy efficiency at these places and informing people about the threat of climate change affecting monsoons.
Citizens, aspiring to be 'Green Idols', sign the petition at Church Street, Bangalore, along with Greenpeace activists, urging local MPs to support the demand for a Renewable Energy Law in the country.
"Climate change is increasing at an alarming rate and this is
mostly due to our electricity that comes from coal powered power
plants. This change is going to impact our lives immensely. The
most prominent and visible impact has been the monsoon that has
been changing" said Jason Jacob, Public Engagement Campaigner from
Greenpeace.
The Indian monsoon which is the lifeline of the subcontinent
will be significantly affected by climate change, according to a
Greenpeace paper titled 'Monsoon Wager: Climate change and the
Indian Monsoon' (1). Stability and predictability of the monsoons
are critical to India's economy society and ecology including our
agriculture and food supply chain. Changes in the monsoon will have
far reaching social and economic impacts.
"The lives of millions of Indians, farmers, city dwellers,
depend on the monsoon. Bangalore has been at the receiving end of
changing weather patterns with summers becoming hotter and monsoons
very erratic and unpredictable." said Brikesh, Climate campaigner,
Greenpeace India. "An ambitious Renewable Energy law is one
important step India can take to tackle climate change. Students
from various schools and colleges in the city, along with
Greenpeace will be interacting with people in various parts of the
city over the next few months to inform people about the urgency to
start acting on this issue" he added.
Greenpeace has launched a campaign across the country to engage
with people and get them to demand to their respective MPs to
support the RE law. Greenpeace along with citizens and MPs will
then present signed petitions to the Prime Minister of India
demanding for an ambitious central Renewable Energy Law in the
country.
The Karnataka government is in the process of drafting a
Renewable energy law to increase renewable energy uptake, making
Karnataka a pioneer in the country to take on the lead. "Greenpeace
welcomes the initiative of the State Government for a RE future of
Karnataka. We want people to become aware of this and start
contributing towards addressing climate change in their respective
ways. Bangalore and India cannot allow the delicate balance of the
monsoon to be thrown awry; we cannot afford to adapt if the
monsoons are impacted, we simply have to stop that from happening",
an activist said.
For further information, contact
Syed Mehboob, Greenpeace Communications, +91 97313 01983; 
Jason Jacob, Public Engagement Campaigner, Greenpeace +91 99800 56315, 
Notes to Editor
India’s Monsoon Wager: Climate change and the Indian monsoon- http://www.greenpeace.org/india/press/reports/monsoon-wager