Is the Climate Crisis on your minds as you cast your vote today?
As I analysed party manifestos in Tamil Nadu, I realised the AIADMK has zero mention of the climate crisis. I interviewed their candidate from Coimbatore to find out why!
Tamil Nadu is lining up to vote today for 39 parliamentary seats, in what is touted to be one of the hottest summers our country has ever seen. Across multiple states warnings regarding heat stress have been issued and unless you are living under a rock you know that our tech capital Bengaluru and several other Taluks in Karnataka are facing one of the worst droughts in the last four decades.
For Tamil Nadu, the Indian Meteorological Department has issued advisories stating that temperatures in the northern and coastal regions of the state, including Chennai, could peak above 40 degrees celsius between April and June.
So, if you are not thinking about how political leaders are addressing or have promised to address the climate crisis in your constituency, it is time to rethink your priorities.
I did a quick dive into manifestos of some of the parties contesting in Tamil Nadu to understand how much importance they are giving the matter.
THE AIADMK MANIFESTO
In its manifesto, the All India Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam makes no mention of climate or climate change. The closest the party comes to considering climate impacts is through its narrow focus on river interlinking.
I have in the past written about how this is not environmentally feasible here - Is river interlinking really a solution?
To dig further into their understanding of the climate crisis and actual willingness to explore it as a poll issue I interviewed their Coimbatore candidate Singai Ramachandran, one of the few leaders from the AIADMK who brought up issues regarding water stress during his campaign. Further, by his own admission, he has done research on solar street lights as part of diploma and is very interested in adaptation and mitigation efforts to counter climate impacts. In our conversation, he displays an overlap in thinking about environmental problems and climate impacts but is completely certain that the climate crisis can lead to problems larger than what man has ever had to encounter before.
Me: There is no mention of Climate in AIADMK's manifesto? Why is that?
AIADMK: There are different priorities for the party. We didn't mention climate in the last manifesto as well. But our party leader Edappadi Palaniswami is focussed on ensuring there is no water stress and that groundwater levels are replenished. Maybe we are not using jargons like climate change but we are very clued into the problems on ground.
As an MP candidate I am also looking into such issues in my constituency. We are genuinely interested in saving and recycling water. My party, under Amma, made rain water harvesting compulsory.
Me: Are you discussing heat and renewable energy at all in the party?
AIADMK: We mostly discuss water and green cover. Heat and heat mapping is not on the priority list even for a person like me. But speaking about climate generally, people think about water and tree planting for immediate results.
Me: Coimbatore is seeing extremely high temperatures this summer. What has been your experience on the ground?
AIADMK: I am so excited about the campaign that my mind is not focussing on these things. If it was not election time I would have felt it but my attention is diverted now.
But I have to admit that I am drinking 3-4 liters of water everyday and feel no need to use the restroom. Clearly something is happening but I am not focussing on it now.
Me: The District collector has told people to stay indoors on very hot days and afternoons.How is this affecting your campaign?
AIADMK: People are definitely coming out to greet the campaign in rural areas since they would have spent time outside anyway in fields and common areas.
Urban areas people are staying inside. Today in Singanallur, I was telling our MLA that in Sulur and Palladam (Both rural areas) I didn't face as much heat as I did in the city. I felt like there was a blower blowing hot air in my face.
Me: Coimbatore is predicted to have a 3 degrees increase in average temperature by 2100. What are your thoughts on this?
AIADMK: I want to first stop the increase and damage we are doing and then slowly start making efforts to dial it back. Down the line, in 50 years if I can reduce the average temperature even by a degree, it will have a very positive impact.
How will you do this?
Water conservation, Tree cover, Electric vehicles, Solar, No borewell and Removing invasive species sucking groundwater.
Me: Your opponent from the BJP Mr Annamalai has stated that the rule of Dravidian parties has not done much for Coimbatore but increased the temperature by 2-3 degrees celsius.
AIADMK: I don't think he understood climate change and made that comment. He randomly made a statement to attack Dravidian parties. It was not an educated comment.
After that statement, I saw an interview of Modi denying climate change in a different rally. Such comments have to be ignored.
Me: Water demand is predicted to become a serious problem for Coimbatore. Add heat to it and this is a disaster waiting to happen. Your thoughts?
AIADMK: If we don't work on climate change right now, only the rich will live after 50 years and the poor and middle class will die. One litre of water will be 1 lakh, people with money will drink, people without money will not survive.
If heat increases, people with money will stay in air conditioned rooms and others will struggle in the heat. Dravidian ideology is that 'Ellarum Ellame pera vendum'. This started for basic needs.
But we need to apply this to protection from climate impacts.
Climate change will cause further social inequalities. It will change the whole socio political economical eco system. It will change how we live and our choices.
Me: How important is Climate Education to tackle the crisis?
AIADMK: Very important. We need to instil fear in people. If we tell people, doing this is good for you, probably 5% will do. If you tell them, hey do this or you will die, 30-40 percent will do. Then more people will follow suit.
Everywhere I talk, I talk about Bengaluru's water crisis. I ask them to imagine a scenario where they get water only once in 60 days. We have to use social media - We can't use jargon. Need to appeal to a mass audience.
If I get elected, as an MP I don't have to handle the smaller issues. I need to address larger issues such as this.
DMK MANIFESTO
The DMK, like in 2019 has focussed on the climate crisis once again. They have listed ambitious goals, adding to several promises already made since they came to power and established the Tamil Nadu Green Climate Company.
Much to their credit, in the section regarding environment and climate change, they have made 18 promises of which 13 are directly linked to the climate crisis.
India will announce its ambition to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 and will draft action plans accordingly
Disaster protection tools and training will be provided to coastal villages. Housing will be facilitated in less disaster-prone coastal areas, in consultation with the local communities.
Climate education must be included in the state curriculum. Colleges will be encouraged to establish chairs and research on climate change.
Various investments will be made to encourage the use of public transportation to the required extent.
Small business entrepreneurs and residential areas will be encouraged to use solar energy. Solar Panels will be provided with 80% government subsidy and 20% beneficiary contribution to all houses.
Currently, weather research centres in our country have radars that can forecast rain up to 20 cm. Advanced radar equipment will be installed to provide timely flood warnings to farmers and the public.
Unique climate models for India will be developed. Based on these mesoscale models will be created for states and districts.
A separate satellite will be launched for weather research in South India.
Real-Time Flood Forecasting Systems will be installed in all rivers and past flood-affected water bodies.
Cities are increasingly affected by storms and heavy rainfall due to climate change. Actions will be taken to transform those cities into Flood Resilience Cities by identifying them.
Initiatives recommending the connection of solar power to LTCT will be undertaken by the Union government.
By 2030, all major Union and state government offices in Tamil Nadu will be converted to operate entirely on solar power.
The subsidy for Electric Vehicles will be increased.
As to what the BJP and Congress has to say on the Climate crisis, check out this LinkedIn post !
As we stand in lines in this scorching heat and cast our votes, I hope we can all think of what happens to generations to come. Like the AIADMK candidate says, will even stepping out to vote become a luxury if we don’t tackle rising temperatures? Will we have ration to how we drink water? Will enough be done by 2030 to protect us from worse climate impacts?
Your vote this election could decide that. Jai Hind.