Kurosawa 1

Kyla Kurosawa

Phillips

AP Language

12 December 2017

India and the Paris Accord

In recent news, climate change has been discussed as a controversial topic. Denialists run

rampant, calling it fake or a scam made to prevent fossil fuel manufacturers from competing. Others may

pretend that it is not their problem to solve, as they are clearly not responsible for it-- if it is even a

problem at all. To the citizens of New Delhi, India, however, it is not a controversial topic up for debate,

but a reality those people live with every day. According to the World Health Organization, air pollution

in New Delhi is thirty times higher than the WHO’s “safe level,” causing its citizens several health

problems, including nausea, migraines, and an increased rate of pulmonary and respiratory disease (Wu).

It isn’t just limited to New Delhi, either. About half of the twenty worst-polluted cities are located in

India, contributing to the climate crisis that will hit it, its people, and its environment, hard. So what have

they been doing about it?

India has taken strong, swift action to combat climate change with the help of the Paris Accord.

Its government joined the signatories of the Paris Climate Agreement, or the Paris Accord, in 2016 in a

pledge to control climate change and keep temperature for deviating more than 2.5--3℃. This may seem

like a small number, but in actuality, it is a lofty goal. It requires major action by some of the largest

governments in the world who would have to fund, plan, and act on a large scale to cut down carbon

emissions by 33-35% (Weinfurter). India seems to be making major headway in its goals, breaking world

records for tree-planting, planning to outlaw the sale of fossil-fuel-run cars, and banning the yearly

burning of crops. This kind of strong, progressive action will undoubtedly assist in cutting down on air

pollution and improve the citizens’ health and the overall environment.

All of this action, however, may have some drawbacks in its sudden and somewhat unexpected

appearance. The coal industry that once flourished in India, despite how damaging it was to the
 Kurosawa 2

environment, lost its grip too quickly with cheaper, greener energy on the market, and many plants are

now going into debt. Denialism is also on the rise as the seemingly imminent danger of climate change

and the addressing of it threatens to hurt big businesses reliant on fossil fuels. This makes funding an

issue, and stands in the way of progress toward a healthier, cleaner India.

Overall, however, India pushing itself in signing the Paris Accord and setting high goals that it

seems to be nearing every day will undoubtedly better its people’s quality of life and the environment.

Part of India’s motivation for such drastic action are the consequences the country would

undoubtedly face if it did not act. The air pollution problem in New Delhi is so severe that breathing it is

“equivalent to smoking 44 cigarettes a day,” says Huizhong Wu, CNN. New Delhi has been declared a

state of emergency as of early November this year, and the National Disaster Management Authority has

even recommended citizens avoid being out in the mornings, evenings, or even at all, unless clear and

sunny. They especially recommend children to stay indoors (TNN). Their reasons are obvious. Air

pollution has been proven as a contributing factor to the rising pulmonary vascular diseases found in

populated, poluted cities such as New Delhi. Dr. Arvind Kumar, a lung surgeon in Sir Ganga Ram

Hospital, fears for the lives of those living in such conditions.

I shudder to think what kind of toxic and harmful long-term effects it will have on the lungs of

children who are being born in this city… and, of course, the adults and the elderly.

Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi Chief Minister, has also commented on Twitter, saying, “Delhi had become a gas

chamber.” The terrifying state of this city is reason enough to push climate change action. New York

Times Editorial Board says, “India’s enthusiasm for cleaner energy arises in part from a wish to reduce

the terrible air pollution that afflicts cities like… New Delhi; any move away from coal would make a big

difference.”

In addition to health problems, climate change would also negatively impact India’s economy.

The change in temperature would affect monsoon season, potentially killing the rainfed crops that make

up 30% of India’s agriculture. If the 2.5--3℃ change that the Paris Accord is trying to prevent occurs, it

could potentially cause farmers to lost up to 25% of their income, and India as a whole to lose 1.8--3.4%
 Kurosawa 3

of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) (Weinfurter). The recent increase in coal plants would also negatively

affect the economy. While temporarily profitable, they are ultimately unsustainable. Changing

temperatures and lack of action will lead to a decline in India’s economy and health.

Some causes of India’s pollution and climate change issues include car exhaust, fossil-fuel

burning, and stubble burning. Fossil fuels, particularly coal, which was once one of India’s largest

exports, can be found anywhere in a typical Indian household. It may be used to heat the room, to burn in

a stove for cooking, or to power one’s car. The overall burning of solid fuels and petrol may seem like a

small amount per person, but it is significantly larger when considering the amount of people creating

these emissions. As Samir Saran of the Observer Research Foundation notes, “The sheer number of the

population multiplied by anything makes it a big number-- that is India’s reality.” The concentrated

carbon emissions add up to a heavily polluted area, which is increased even further by the yearly stubble

burning. Burning the unused, cut ends of crops, grass, and straw, or “stubble burning,” is what the farmers

in the areas surrounding New Delhi do every January to make room for the new crop. While burning is a

cost-effective way of getting rid of material, one must wonder if the extreme ecological drawbacks are

worth it. Burning a single tonne of straw gives off about “3 kg of particulate matter, 60 kg of carbon

monoxide, 1,460 kg of carbon dioxide, 199 kg of ash and two kg of sulphur dioxide,” says Geeta Anand

of the New York Times. An estimated 32 million tonnes of agricultural waste is burned every year

(Thakur). This intense pollution makes the presence of solid-fuel and stubble burning serious problems in

India and its major cities, adding to the air that gives its citizens major health problems.

Thankfully, after the signing of the Paris Accord, India set high, lofty goals to lower carbon

emissions and is currently working on smashing them. Indian volunteers worked together to break a

world record and fulfill one of them in July, 2017, planting more than 66 million trees in less than twelve

hours. To reduce carbon even further, the government proposed a ban on sales of new gas, petrol, and oil-

powered cars and a full switch to electric ones to begin 2030. As car fumes are one of the top causes of air

pollution in cities, this will help to lower the particulate matter (PM) in the air and make it safer to breathe

in places like New Delhi. Another high goal India is reaching for is greener energy. According to the New
 Kurosawa 4

York Times Editorial Board, India is expected to get 40% of its electricity from wind, solar, and

hydroelectric plants by 2022, eight years ahead of what was previously predicted (Editorial Board). This

dramatic and sudden switch to non fossil-fuel sources will cut down on carbon emissions made by coal

plants, of which were expected to grow 300% by 2030 back in 2014, before the Accord, but are now

lowering annual coal production from the estimated 660 million tonnes to 600 million. The government is

also taking action to cancel many coal plant plans before they are built, and green energy already has

most of the coal plants running at only 60% capacity, meaning there will be a long time before more are

needed (Anad). This will India reduce the pollution in highly populated cities like New Delhi and fulfills

their pledge made in the Paris Accord to lower its emissions.

The government is also taking action against stubble burning. After a failed banning of the

practice, there have been offers from the government to pay half the price of otherwise expensive

equipment to reintegrate the agricultural waste into the soil (Anand). The Indian government is also

offering to buy unused stubble, to co-burn in coal plants in a more controlled environment, filter the air

before the carbon is released, and use what is left behind from the burning as fertilizer (Thakur). This is

expected to be significantly more effective than the ban. “If the government paid me for my straw, I’d

stop burning it today,” says Shabaz Singh (Anand). The monetary support from the government will help

convince the farmers to stop their harmful burning.

Some problems have arisen from this sharp turn from coal, however, that stand in the way of

climate change action. Coal plants are unable to make money, as green energy quickly becomes much

cheaper, and are going into debt. Many had invested in coal plants and taken out bank loans when they

had been on the rise, and were unprepared for the sudden shift in market. Unable to pay back the banks,

the banks begin to fail. Afraid for their income, people have begun to lobby coal and protest the switch

despite its many advantages to health and the economy (Ashok). Many have also taken to denialism,

refusing to act upon climate change, either out of fear the threat of climate change poses to fossil fuel

business or a lack of motivation and the bystander effect. Denialism proves a significant challenge to

climate change action, as seen in USA’s famous denialist, Donald Trump’s, decision to leave the Paris
 Kurosawa 5

Accord. The US’s absence leaves the Paris Accord with a significant amount less funding than expected,

and India is forced to operate on a lower budget than expected, dipping into other funds to continue their

plan to lower emissions (Shear). These, however, are necessary and acceptable consequences to saving

the environment, and through perseverance and dedication to the Paris Accord’s goals India will be able

to overcome them for the sake of its people and environment.

The Paris Accord was made in response to global environmental changes that humans were

contributing to, India included. The negative effects of the changing temperatures had already taken their

toll on the health of India’s people and its air, and would have continued, had India not taken such

immediate action against it. Should India continue down this path, it will most certainly reach its goals

ahead of time, boosting its economy, cutting down on carbon emissions, and cleaning the air for people

living in places like New Delhi, despite challenges. India serves as an example to the rest of the world

that extreme change on a budget is possible India is determined to help its citizens and its environment

through accepting responsibility through the Paris Accord.