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: Indian Science Congress general president Harsh Gupta cautioned that there would be tremendous pressure on Planet Earth’s resources as the present trends show doubling of global population—which may stabilise at around 10 billion by 2050.
Are we on track to building a knowledge-based economy here? It may sound a bit far-fetched but scientists at the 94th Indian Science Congress, held last week in the temple city of Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu, expressed the need to address development needs for poverty alleviation, while at the same time ensuring sustainability of natural resources. For the Indian industry at large, the message was to tap the vast scientific and technology potential for development, especially in the knowledge economy.
Predictably, the theme of this year’s gathering centered on the theme ‘Earth Planet.’ It was a stock taking exercise to help the scientists to develop appropriate technologies for various sectors like energy, water resources, mineral resources, ocean exploration and for mitigating natural hazards on account of the ongoing global climate change. Scientists in the country have responded in time to the call of the United Nations which have the triennium—2007 to 2009—an international year of Planet Earth. Concurrently, International Polar Year, International Heliophysical Year, and Electronic Geophysical Year have been declared in the period.
The global call to scientists and policymakers to put in efforts to halt further damage to the Planet Earth is also in response to the recent forecast of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) that by the end of the 21st century mean global temperature may rise between 1.4 to 5.8 degree Celsius. It is also estimated that in the 20th century, mean global temperature rose by about 0.5 degree Celsius. Several parameters monitored over the past five years of the current century have shown trends that support IPCC forecast.
No wonder, Indian scientists are equally determined to go along with the global call. And, the next Indian Science Congress is scheduled to take place at Andhra University campus, Visakhapatnam next year, centering on the theme of sustainable development.
Indian Science Congress general president Harsh Gupta cautioned that there would be tremendous pressure on Planet Earth’s resources as the present trends show doubling of global population—which may stabilise at around 10 billion by 2050.
Global energy consumption alone has recorded a six-fold increase over the last five decades. In 1951 when global population was about 2.6 billion, energy consumption was 1,075 kg of coal equivalent per capita,...
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