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Plant trees, adopt animals and invest in solar energy: U.P. minister
“The day is not far when Lucknow residents will have to deal with temperatures as high as 50 degrees Celsius
“The day is not far when Lucknow residents will have to deal with temperatures as high as 50 degrees Celsius. Carbon dioxide levels have risen significantly, owing primarily to the combustion of automobile fuels, coal, and petroleum,” said Arun Saxena, UP minister of environment, forests and climate change.
The minister was speaking at a convention on ‘Environmental corporate social responsibility dimensions’ hosted by The Indo-American Chamber of Commerce (IACC) at a city hotel. The minister also reflected on a time when the temperature in Lucknow was not as high as it is now, stating that 50-55 years ago, the weather in Lucknow was optimum, as opposed to now, when temperatures can reach 34-40 degrees during the day.
Highlighting the need to address the increasing environmental issues, he said, “There is no Planet B in this universe. Hence, we have to save the environment by planting more trees, which will also lower the level of CO2.” He also requested companies and individuals to adopt zoo animals and bear their expenses so they could be protected.
“It’s high time we save the environment and our humanity. We must repay the environment because the paper we used for education was manufactured by cutting down trees. Now that we are educated and earning money from our education, we must repay.”
The environment minister also requested representatives of companies to increase the use of solar energy in their offices and set an example for common people. He also urged them to set up their companies and even promised all help from the government.
“Over the last few years, CSR (corporate social responsibility) financing has climbed by 139%, amounting to nearly $1 billion. India is among the top countries regarding CSR. Our companies are much ahead in making CSR, including companies like Tata and Ultratech are among those on the top of the list,” said Aparna Bisht Yadav, politician and social activist.
Other speakers were Manoj Singh, additional chief secretary, forests, environment and climate change, Mamta Sanjeev Dubey, IFS, Mukesh Kumar, MD UP, Forest Corporation, Abhishek Tiwari, secretary, environment, Ajay Sharma, member secretary, UP Pollution Board, Arun Karna, regional vice-president, IACC, Kapil Kaul, president, IACC, Mukesh Bahadur Singh, chairman, IACC, Lucknow.
