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Multiplying Carbon Neutral Neighborhood Discussions (CNNDs) for reducing the emission of
GHGs
-Dr. Muhammad Mukhtar Alam
The reports on the impacts of climate change caused by the globalization of non-renewable resource
based consumption, production, habitats and transport and so on are well known such as global
warming, deforestation, rise in sea level, melting of glaciers and others. Internal Panel on Climate on
Climate Change has been producing reports on the impacts of the climate change. We need to work
for minimizing the emissions of the green house gases. Climate change through with rise in
temperature of earth, change in rainfall patterns caused due to emission of gases that is raising the
temperature of earth as the amount of green house gases generated is much more than the capacity of
the green cover for absorbing. Impact are being felt everywhere with impacts beyond the national
boundaries. There are several recorded evidences that has caused nations to take on the challenge of
global warming .Since 1997 UN intergovernmental panel on climate change has been meeting and
deliberating on the issue . There are several national responses and international agreements. Recently
China and United States has expressed agreement work on climate. Speaking on occasion of APEC
summit in Sydney, Australia Mr. Hu Jintao maintained that “the United Nations Framework
convention remain the main channel for the international efforts” to address climate change (The
Hindu, September 7, 2007).
The Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which
emphasised the far-reaching consequences that continued global warming would have across the
world, has given fresh impetus to finding solution to the problem. The summit meeting of the Group
of Eight industrialised countries (G8) held in June 2007 in Germany saw the launch of new initiatives
for collective action by both rich nations and fast-growing developing countries to combat climate
change. In its Fourth Assessment Report, the IPCC, the international body that has the task of
weighing scientific evidence on climate change, pointed to definitive evidence that global
atmospheric concentration of key greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide had “increased markedly
as a result of human activities since 1750”. These gases were trapping the Earth’s heat that would
otherwise have radiated out into space. If the build-up of greenhouse gases and the resultant warming
of the planet were allowed to continue unchecked, there would be irreversible damage to the ecosystems across the world with suffering for the billions. Already we have evidences about the villages
in Gujarat relocating itself away from sea as more and more coastal area are getting submerged in the
sea.
Considering the urgent need to respond to climate change, Sewa, Labour League Foundation, Sufi
Trust, Centre for Ecological Audit, Social Inclusion and Governance, a joint initiative of Sewa,
Labour Foundation and Sufi Trust has suggested the following measures:
1. Multiplication of carbon neutral neighbourhood discussions across the cities and villages:
These discussions will be initiated by youth and community elders in the neighbourhood where
they gather for collective prayer, discussions. The recommendations of the discussion
simultaneous action may be presented in the form of a memorandum to the world leader gathered
in various summits. The first summit that was covered was the Green House Gas Summit held in
Indonesia. The discussions will have local, national and global impacts. Local impact will be
generated through transformation of the leisure use pattern, consumption pattern. Email will be
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used for transmitting the message globally through the e-group posts. The discussions will be
facilitated by volunteers or the resident welfare associations will be provided with discussion kits.
Volunteers could collect feedback on improving the mass communication strategies for reducing
personal contribution to the green house gases. It is believed that the discussions on the urgency
of reducing green house gases will lead to the transformation of personal level consumption
patterns. CEASIG believes that personal responses are critical for transformation of the
consumption of pattern. Unsustainable consumption patterns can be halted with the personal
responses. Personal responses are always part of the global responses. Carbon neutral
neighbourhood discussions (CNNDs) will multiply ecologically safe responses across the urban
and rural areas.
Multiplication of ecologically safe responses through promotion of green journalism:
Production of analytical and advisory outputs through journalists is critical and they are one of
the major stakeholders in shaping the opinions, consumption patterns. Journalists writing on
lifestyle can substantially influence the consumption pattern of people in the urban. They can help
in shaping the tastes and defining the choices. Journalists are important is generating democratic
consensus for halting unsustainable consumption patterns. In our times, journalists play a very
critical and sometimes they are responsible for defining the social, cultural and political trends.
Labour League Foundation wishes to secure the future of working class with ecologically
sustainable habitats, consumption patterns.
Catalysing green politics /open politics: Labour league Foundation and Centre for Ecological
Audit, Social Inclusion and Governance will be supporting the process for open and transparent
politics for instilling the importance of green ideals. It will be organising meetings with the
representatives of the various political parties and seek inclusion of ecological considerations in
the election manifestoes.
Transformation of leisure use patterns: Labour League Foundations wishes to realise the
millennium development goals for eliminating the unsustainable consumption patterns and it
wishes to do so through suggesting transformation of the leisure use pattern. It wishes to do so
through suggesting adoption of faith based measures that are common across the religious texts.
As indicated through the diagrammatic representation of the impact of adoption of faith based
measures, it wishes to generate interfaith consensus for acting simultaneously for transforming
the leisure use patterns.
Calculation of ecological footprints, eliminating ecological rucksacks: Labour League
Foundation wishes to disseminate the practice of measuring ecological footprints for getting the
desired actions for reducing the number of decisions involving emission of green house gases.
Ecological Audit of the consumption patterns: The ecological audit is a concept proposed by
the chairman of Labour League Foundation and it will be used along with the calculation of
ecological footprints for assessing the impact of various decision, consumption and production
patterns.
Ecological Audit of the production patterns: Production processes need to be assessed for
sustainability. There are ecologically sustainable and unsustainable production processes. The
workshops with corporations interested in realising the millennium development goals will be
conducted for getting in the changes in production processes.
Ecological Audit of the transport patterns: Renewable resource based transport systems are
sustainable and non-renewable resource based transport systems are not sustainable. Ecological
Audit of the transport systems will be done with ministries dealing with transport.
Ecological Audit of the leisure use patterns: There are leisure use patterns that do not use green
house gas producing fossil fuels and there are leisure use pattern that are based on renewable
resources and that does not involve consumption of fossil fuels. Workshop with the
neighbourhood discussion leaders and resident welfare associations should be conducted for
necessary transformation of leisure use patterns. Children, youths and elders should be
encouraged to adopt faith based measures for relaxation and stress busting.
10. Interfaith dialogue for addressing the climate change, farmer’s suicides, and social security
for workers in unorganized sector, transforming finance sector: Appreciation of the common
commands for prayer, donation, compassion, charity and prohibition of usury, adultery, and
homosexuality is needed with wider dissemination of the same. Adoption of these commands
addresses the challenge of climate change, ecologically hostile usurious system; Inter-faith
dialogue will ensure generation of responses across the faith groups. Delhi has a vibrant culture of
interfaith dialogue. Sant Rajinder Singh of Sawan Kripal Ashram has been conducting the same
for many years. Organisations/ individuals independently or in collaboration with other
organisation may work for generating more forums of interfaith dialogue with special reference to
mitigating climate change.
11. National Convention on Inter Faith common responses for addressing the climate change:
A national convention will be organised for generating consensus for adoption of faith based
measures for addressing the climate change. There are cultural responses for fighting the atheistic
neo-liberal cultural trends emanating from Europe and copied by youth in the name of
globalisation and modernity. National Convention could address the issue of climate change
through adopting the interfaith commons while maintaining in some forms of dietary, sartorial,
linguistic, religious diversity.
12. Youth colloquiums ( Majlis-e-Naujawan)for contributing in the mitigation of the impacts of
climate change: LLF recognises the critical role of youths as an organisation led by youths.
Green youth forums formed and discussions are held for getting the desired response pattern for
halting the expansion of unsustainable consumption pattern and leisure use pattern through
adoption of faith based measures.
What are carbon neutral neighborhood discussions?
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The discussions, conversation, conferences that are held in the neighborhood with all who can be
reached by foot or carbon neutral transport such as bicycle, bullock carts, horse driven carriages
and others
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The discussion that we hold at home and in the neighborhood spaces such as parks, tea/ coffee
,vegetable shops, milk shops-all in the neighborhood and nearby habitations, localities and .
CNNDs on what?

Personal responses for reducing the emission of green house gases

Transforming travel decisions for energy intensive leisure i.e. Leisure using GHG emitting
transport and venues such as bars and discotheques
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Alternative ways for getting the feeling of wellbeing including faith base practices such as
practice of prayer, meditation individually and collectively
CNNDs with whom?

With all irrespective of class, caste, race, religion, ethnicity, gender etc. as we all are contributors
to the emission of green house gases in various measures and the impacts of the climate change
are affecting us all

With children who could contribute through avoiding the green house gas emitting engagements
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With women who are the potential consumers of the fossil fuel based energy, services and leisure
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With youth who are the potential consumers of the fossil fuel based energy, services and leisure
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With community leaders who are the potential consumers of the fossil fuel based energy, services
and leisure
With all potential emitter of Green House Gases:

Who are potential contributor to the emission of green house gases

All of us are the potential contributor to the emission of green house gases
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Both poor and rich, black and white, brown and yellow
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Across the nations, across the neighborhoods
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With men and women across the age groups
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With friends and foes
What is needed for CNNDs?
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Information on climate change and its reasons
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Commitments for communicating the same
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Setting personal examples of one is responding for addressing the impacts of climate change
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Desire to talk to people in the neighborhood
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Spaces for conducting the CNNDs
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A group of friends or relatives in the neighborhood
Communicating ecological audit:

Ecological audit of the consumption patterns: there is need to communicate ecological audit of
the consumption patterns so that we are sure that we consume for survival and not for luxury and
exhibition.
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Ecological audit of the transport patterns- reduction in fossil fuel based transport is critical for
reducing emission of green house gases. It is important to consider the interests of future
generations for ecological safe habitats. Fossil fuel based transports have a short history and short
future. There is need to prepare for the end of Petro-modern times
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Ecological audit of the use of water, energy, food and time
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Ecological audit of the travel needs
Impacts :

Reduction in the personal contribution to the emission of green house gases
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Multiplication of the discussion across the neighborhoods
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Multiplication of the personal decisions for reducing the emission of green house gases
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Adoption of neighborhood carbon neutral measures for leisure ,relaxation, spiritual wellbeing and
procuring the provisions