prerna singh bindra

Bittu Sahgal and I made a presentation to the Parliamentary Forum on Global Warming and Climate Change. Not one MP was a climate sceptic. Not one questioned the disastrous consequences of Climate change. All recognised we were facing the consequences now. All agreed that the loss of forests is a disaster. Noone underestimated the value of forests.

One asked how could small rivers-reduced to a filthy trickle could be restored to life. Another wanted the message of Tiger as the symbol of a healthy eco-system to be better decimated. An MP from Kerala (bless him!)questioned why was the forest department plating exotics which were of little value and depleting ground water. Why not indigenous trees? Another from Sikkim (bless him too) wants a working group of MPs from the Mountain States.

I rarely engage with the politicians –but coming so soon after the rather enthusiastic response from the MPs to a talk I gave on tigers, this gives me some hope.

But, will this interest, this knowledge translate into action?

Will our political representatives take hard decisions to protect wildlife? Environment?

Livelihoods?

We wait. We hope.

Will write a longer piece on this shortly.