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Editor’s Note

Warning: Planet-warming

hitting toddler’s health

WHEN MOST INDIAN media is infested with politi- developing leaving them more susceptible to diseases
cal news in the aftermath of Maharashtra chaos, we at and environmental pollutants.
Tehelka decided to do a cover story on the devastating Also the damage done in early childhood is persis-
impact climate change will have on our toddlers’ health. tent and pervasive, with health consequences lasting
Our cover story “A reality check: How climate change is for a lifetime. There is an urgent need for action from
affecting our kids” points to an impending apocalypse all countries to cut greenhouse gas emissions to ensure
which is looming large as efforts to reduce gaseous wellbeing of children, as the climate change will come
emissions fall short of the aim to keep the change in to define the health of an entire generation.
temperature at 2°C, as per the Paris agreement. The report also warns that as temperatures rise,
The result of this criminal failure can be seen in the harvests will shrink, food security with be threatened
global warming, swirling rivers, floods and droughts at driving up food prices hitting the next generation. The
the same time, large incident of wildfires and melting challenge is grave and there is dire need to dramatically
glaciers. The acceleration of toxic emissions has led to a reduce emissions by 2050 to meet Sustainable Develop-
spike in dengue, diarrhea, cholera and other infectious ment Goals. We shall also have to shun coal and give a
diseases particularly affecting the children. push to renewable energy.
As per a new report published in the world’s inde- Extreme heat will lead to 22 billion additional hours
pendent medical research journal The Lancet, is a col- of work lost, the report warned citing Wet Bulb Globe
laboration between 120 experts from 35 institutions, Temperature (WBGT) measurement, which estimates
including the World Health Organization, Univer- productivity loss at 0.8-5 per cent with every degree
sity College London, and the Tsinghua University in Celsius rise in temperature beyond 24°C.
Beijing, children will suffer most from the rise in infec- The announcement by Prime Minister Narendra
tious diseases. Modi at the recently concluded United Nations
Nothing short of a 7.4 per cent year-on-year cut in Climate Action Summit committing to increasing India’s
fossil CO2 emissions from 2019 to 2050 will limit global renewable energy (RE) target to 450 gig watts as a part
warming to the more ambitious goal of 1.5°C. The report of a stronger climate action plan, gives some hope amid
suggests that a child born today will face a world on all the chaos. Rightly, “Need, not greed” and “an ounce
average over 4˚C warmer by their 71st birthday. of practice is worth more than a ton of preaching” has
Researchers point out that children are particularly been the guiding principle of India to tackle climate
vulnerable to the health risks of a changing climate change.
because their bodies and immune systems are still CHARANJIT AHUJA

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VOLUME 16, ISSUE NO. 24, RELEASED ON 29 NOVEMBER, NUMBER OF PAGES INCLUDING COVER 68
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