Greenpeace calls for a ban on the bulb to save Mumbai from rising sea levelsFloats giant life ring at Gateway of India
August 01, 2007
Mumbai, India — Greenpeace today highlighted the threat Mumbai faces from rising sea levels as a result of global warming by floating a massive life ring, 66 ft in diameter, with a call to 'Ban the Bulb' and reduce India's CO2 emissions by 55 million tonnes annually. The recent report released by the United Nations forum of scientists, the IPCC(1), predicts a global sea level rise of up to 50 cm by the end of the century. This would have devastating impacts on the future of the financial capital of the country.
Greenpeace activists float a 66 feet life ring at the Gateway of India with a call to 'Ban the Bulb' and fight climate change. Parts of Mumbai, are threatened with submergence if global temperature rise is not kept below 2 degree centigrade. Phasing out the incandescent light bulb would lead to reductions in India's carbon-di-oxide emissions by 55 million tonnes and also save upto 12000 MW of power annually.
"The predicted rise in sea level of 50 cms together with storms and frequent floods would render most of Mumbai's low-lying areas uninhabitable. This is reality and not scare-mongering", said Vinuta Gopal, Climate and Energy Campaigner, Greenpeace. "The good news is that we can stop the worst impacts of climate change if we start taking clear steps to cut wasteful emissions. For instance, the bulb is a climate hazard since it wastes 90% of the energy it consumes to produce light. The alternatives exist, and all that we need is the political will to phase this climate killer out"
According to a study by TERI(2) in 1996, on the potential impacts of a one meter sea level rise on the Indian coastline, a total area of 5763 square kilometers could be inundated and almost 7.1 million i.e., 4.6 % of coastal population could be directly affected. The economic costs of this are estimated to be a whopping US$ 71 billion! Mumbai is listed as one of the most vulnerable areas along the Indian coastline, and its financial importance to the entire country raises the economic stakes of such impact exponentially.
"We have a small window of 10 years to correct the many decades of unsustainable practices that has put us on the threshold of such catastrophic impacts. Its time for our politicians and business mandarins to pull their heads out of the sand and in their own interest as much as the environment, take steps to fight climate change now", added Vinuta Gopal.
Greenpeace is campaigning for a legislation to phase out of the incandescent bulb by 2010 by establishing efficiency standards. The legislation would also put in place systems that make the energy saving lights accessible to all and address the safe disposal and recycling of CFLs. While the Prime Minister has recently announced a CFL Bacchat Yojana, in the first ever meeting of the Climate Council, Greenpeace believes that such a proposal would serve as a solution to the climate crisis only if there are clear and aggressive timelines set for the phase out of the incandescent bulb.
According to a study by TERI(2) in 1996, on the potential impacts of a one meter sea level rise on the Indian coastline, a total area of 5763 square kilometers could be inundated and almost 7.1 million i.e., 4.6 % of coastal population could be directly affected. The economic costs of this are estimated to be a whopping US$ 71 billion! Mumbai is listed as one of the most vulnerable areas along the Indian coastline, and its financial importance to the entire country raises the economic stakes of such impact exponentially.
"We have a small window of 10 years to correct the many decades of unsustainable practices that has put us on the threshold of such catastrophic impacts. Its time for our politicians and business mandarins to pull their heads out of the sand and in their own interest as much as the environment, take steps to fight climate change now", added Vinuta Gopal.
Greenpeace is campaigning for a legislation to phase out of the incandescent bulb by 2010 by establishing efficiency standards. The legislation would also put in place systems that make the energy saving lights accessible to all and address the safe disposal and recycling of CFLs. While the Prime Minister has recently announced a CFL Bacchat Yojana, in the first ever meeting of the Climate Council, Greenpeace believes that such a proposal would serve as a solution to the climate crisis only if there are clear and aggressive timelines set for the phase out of the incandescent bulb.
