Educate youth on global warming, climate change

Stressing the need to make the students and youth of the country aware about the issues of global warming, climate change and energy conservation, Professor Varun Sahni, the Vice Chancellor of University of Jammu today said that these burning issues were no longer any hypothesis but were “real issues of public debate”.
Speaking at the inauguration of Eni Children’s Education Programme on “Petroleum Geology, Global Warming and Energy Efficiency Campaign” here at S. P College Srinagar today which was organized by the University of Jammu in collaboration with Maghreb Petroleum Research Group, University College London, Directorate of School Education, J&K and S.P. College Srinagar, Professor Sahni, himself a internationally acclaimed defense analyst, said that Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was already working on the issues of global warming and climate but one needed to understand that there were human activities behind issues like global warming which have some consequences on the planetary ecosystems. 
 “Such issues will not be resolved by any single country unless all of us join hands together. In fact, the issues of concern should not be development versus environment or energy versus environment,” he said adding the policy dilemmas should never be about choosing good or bad but the two goods. The policy dilemmas before the policy makers, he added, should be to use both of these together so that energy and development can go together.
 “What is extremely important is to plan a policy by which we are able to strike a right balance between the two and thus work towards making our planet a better place to live,” asserted Prof Sahni adding that it was extremely important to make our children aware and understand what are the challenges ahead in our planetary ecosystem.
He said it was not only important for the students and youth to understand the challenges and issues in our planetary ecosystems but it was equally important for them to spread out this message among their friends, students, brothers, sisters and the whole society. He also said that the University of Jammu is doing a tremendous job in making the children, our future generation, aware about the issues and challenges in the field of energy conservation and global warming which are extremely important. 
He said that it was equally important to understand the issues in terms of basic and earth science as we are located in High Himalayas and which is a very fragile area is and undertaking earth science is the most important thing for the students.
He also underscored the need to strength the partnerships with our sister universities and educational institutions. He said we needed to join hand with our sister universities in this endeavour.
Earlier, Dr Ali. Mohd Mir, Principal of S P College Srinagar addressed the august gathering which included over 200 school children and accompanying teachers from various schools of Kashmir valley and acclaimed scientists and researchers from all over the world who converged in Srinagar for the event. He said policy of sustainable development has to be followed to check global warming and climate changes.
Dr. Bindra Thusu, MPRG, University College London, Visiting Professor, JU, while speaking at the occasion, till now over 1000 boys and girls have been sensitized in Jammu, Kargil, Leh, Jaislmer and Jodhpur where such Energy Efficiency Campaigns have been initiated for the students. He said today’s event which would spread awareness among over 200 students, would further spread the awareness in entire Kashmir valley. 
Prof. G. M. Bhat, Principal Convenor, EEC, informed that UCL would soon go international in collaboration with University of Jammu and would conduct similar programmes in six countries including Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, Angola and Congo in the next two years. 
Mr. Franco Conticini, General Manager, Eni India, and Mr. Andrea Degli Alsanndrini also addressed the students.
Dr. Jonathan Craig, Vice-President, Regional Studies and Exploration Opportunities Selection, E&P Division, Eni S.p.A. Milan spoke to the children regarding petroleum geology which was followed by simple exercises for the students. Another practical session included a lecture by Dr Jonathan Craig on global warming followed by the more exercises for the students. He also informed the children that Eni is a major integrated energy company, committed to growth in the activities of finding, producing, transporting, transforming and marketing oil and gas. The Company has global operations in 70 countries and out 77,000 employees, a total of 1000 employees are in India.
Never before any such an initiative has been taken in Kashmir Valley. It is first programme of its kind to address these issues with the new generation in Kashmir valley. 
The focus of the workshop was to provide essential basic education in Geosciences to the school children of Kashmir valley. Kashmir, as such, is already witnessing impact of global warming; the glaciers in the region are melting and the temperature is also rising. There is a very little snowfall in the valley since past few years due to global warming.
As there is a limited awareness among the school children on such themes, the most important component of the lecture series and exercises in this workshop for valley children was to make them aware about the critical global issues of the current energy crisis, depleting fossil fuel resources, alternative energy resources, energy efficiency and global warming. 
The students participated in the workshop enthusiastically. They also made posters on the theme of global warming and climate change. Later prizes were distributed among the students. First prize of ENi Milam was given to Shahida Ashraf, student of class 11 at GGHS Verinag, second prize of University College London was awarded to Hina Ashraf, GHSS Kothibagh, third prize went to Salma and Ishrat of GGHS Kulgam.
Consolation prizes were given to Jehangr, GBHS Telbal, Sabia Abdullah, GGHSS Nishat, Shiekh Zaffar, GBHS Laar, Ganderbal, Shauket Ali Khan of Kulgam High School, Umer Hussian Shahn of Aram, Bandipore, Nilofer Tabassum of Budgam and Ms Nusrat of Pahalgam School.
The experts of the event were Mr. R.L.Kashkari and Dr. B.K.Raina, both former directors of Geological Survey of India, Dr. B.L.Dhar, Forest Research Insitute, Dehradun.