Rajendra Pachauri puts science at the fore
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change chair Rajendra Pachauri is a follower of the Vasudhaiva Kutumbakan philosophy (Photo: Hasse Ferrold)Each one of us can show more respect towards Mother Nature by changing our lifestyle, believes Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) chair Rajendra Pachauri. He is a follower of the Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam philosophy, which considers the universe to be like a family
Video:Chu and Pachauri in Copenhagen
Interview by Jasmina Šopova
In 2007 the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to the IPCC which you chair, and to America’s former vice-president Al Gore. Could this be seen as a sign of change in the world’s attitude towards global warming?
Indeed the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to the IPCC and Mr. Al Gore is an important statement on what the Norwegian Nobel Committee sees as a danger to peace arising out of unmitigated climate change. Since the Nobel Peace Prize and the significance attached to it get a great deal of attention and coverage worldwide, hopefully people’s attitude towards this issue will be affected as a result.
What are the impacts of climate change on peace?
The impacts of climate change on peace can be numerous: first, the availability of water is decreasing – water resources are under high stress in several parts of the world. Second, extreme events such as heat waves, floods, droughts and extreme precipitation and coastal flooding as a result of sea level rise, can lead to population movements on a sizeable scale. The migration of large numbers of people can have an impact on peace since the locations where such people move to may find this to be an unacceptable imposition. Finally, the impacts of climate change on agriculture could also lead to large scale malnutrition, hunger and deprivation, which could end in conflict within communities and further movement of large numbers away from areas where food is scarce.
In your Nobel lecture, you say that scholars do not pay enough attention to the inequities arising from these changes, although they are part of the most significant aspects of the impacts of climate change. Could you develop this idea?
Scholars have not paid adequate attention to the equity implications of climate change because thus far research has largely focused on the physical science aspects of climate change, the vulnerability aspects as well as on the options for mitigation. Now, however, there is growing awareness about equity as an ethical issue related to climate change.
You head The Energy and Resource Institute which developed a germ that breaks down petrol. Can you explain how it works and what the results are?
We have a major biotechnology programme in The Energy and Resources Institute, and some of our work has resulted in the development of microbes that consume petroleum products. This technology is being used now quite extensively for cleaning up oil spills and oil sludge deposits. Once the oil has been completely eaten up, the microbes perish without any environmental effects.
You subscribe to the philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, which means the whole universe is one family. What is the role of Indian traditional culture in your work?
It is difficult for me to identify what role Indian tradition and culture play in my work, but having been brought up in this country and holding Indian tradition in great respect, I suppose everything I do is influenced by my upbringing and beliefs.
You believe that each one of us can do something for a better and safer world. What advice would you give our readers? Each one of us can do a great deal to make this world better and safer. First, we must develop a belief in the need for protecting the environment. We must also realize the danger of treating Mother Nature with disrespect and of damaging the earth’s ecosystems and natural resources. We could then find ways to minimise our footprint on the earth’s natural resources and ecosystems. This would involve simple things like switching off lights when we leave the room, using efficient energy consuming devices, using energy efficient transport such as public transport, promoting the use of renewable forms of energy … We can bring about a lifestyle change in which we reduce, reuse and recycle products that we have become accustomed to. Technology will also bring about change towards lowering the intensity of natural resource use, which in turn should be supported by policies. But lifestyle changes are important too.
The article is from The Courier of UNESCO number 2009-10, edited by the Danish journalist Niels Boel
