Apr 092013
 

This article was published on The Republica (9 April, 2013) 

A number of western news wires and climate pundits seem to be euphoric over the ‘declaration’ of some of the poorest countries to cut emissions of Green House Gases to tackle runaway climate change. We will soon know whether the group of least developed countries (LDCs) actually made the commitment, and if it is worth such a wide coverage, but let us first examine whether such a move from the LDCs will have any significance.

Scientific evidences suggest that the world is on the path to becoming 4 °C warmer within this century. It has already been verified that warming above 1.5 °C will cause serious threats to the development and even survival of communities in the most underprivileged parts of the world. A recent report by World Bank said, “A world in which warming reaches 4°C above preindustrial levels would be one of unprecedented heat waves, severe drought, and major floods in many regions, with serious impacts on human systems, ecosystems, and associated services.” But developed countries, which are primarily responsible for, and have the ability to avert, this catastrophe, remain nonchalant.

Twenty plus years have passed since negotiations started among the countries under United Nations to find ways to keep the temperatures rise under safe limits so as to stabilize the climate. In recent years, with countries like China, Brazil, South Africa and India catching up with the United States and European countries not only in economic development but also in Green House Gas emission, a debate over who should take the lead in reducing emissions has been started. The negotiating parties are at loggerheads, with developed countries unwilling to take actions without emerging economies agreeing to binding emission cuts, while emerging economies cite the historical responsibility of developed countries. Forced to remain in the sidelines, LDCs and small island developing states (SIDS) urged developing nations to take note of the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities (CBDR-RC) acknowledged in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

The 49 LDCs representing 12 percent of the world’s population are responsible for only four percent of global emissions, but are the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Continue reading »

Feb 092013
 

Just imagine, “yours school days specially when classes were off, the first day you ride on bicycle or the first day you went for a movie, or the first time you proposed someone at school, at school, hmm wasn’t it too early”.

Really, time flies so fast when it shouldn’t. We only remember the best parts of it and the exceptionally bad ones, if any. Remembering those astonishing memories, it’s hard to believe how long it has been and how time flies. Someone said, “Life is half spent before one knows what it is.”

Time passes by so quickly…change happens all around us everyday weather we like it or not. Enjoy the moment while you can, one day it will just be another memory. 

Sometime we feel like it was just, the day before yesterday that happened, but it’s already a year and more. It was at the beginning of 2003, I came to know bout Clean Energy Nepal and started my involvement as a volunteer and it has already been more that ten years by now.

I have witness revolutionary changes during this period at every stage. At the political level of the country, a beginning of new governing system to the almost failed Constitutional assembly. Retreating of cheap immigrant labor to gulf countries and young inventive minds to western countries are increasing. We passed few decades, framing the structural governing process and there are countries in this world which has every kind of system with every designated individual at the top of power and even they are categorized as developed countries. So is it really the governing systems or also the mind set of the people, your leaders and your citizen that makes the country prosperous. We could have different thought on it?

At my own, I have closely observed a gradual change in color of hair and fairy skin of my parents in these recent years, I could understand their expectation for me, my career and future, which seems normal as every parent does. As time passes, we are loosing contact with many of those school friends and we have limited to a few numbers of colleagues and on the other side there are increasing number of professional circle. Continue reading »