MoEF addnl secretary launces course in climate change at CEE

Ahmedabad: RR Rashmi, additional secretary of ministry of environment, forest and climate change, launched certificate course on climate change at Centre for Environment Education (CEE), Ahmedabad, on Monday. The first batch comprises of the communicators who were aboard Science Express: Climate Change Special (SCCAS) for over nine months covering length and breadth of the country.
Kartikeya Sarabhai, director of CEE, introduced the course and said that communication comes from the true belief in science which one wants to communicate.“There was a 30 percent difference in the understanding of climate change among the students from the same school who visited the train and those who did not. Despite the panels on the train being in English the students, coming from different backgrounds and educated in different languages, showed great retention of the knowledge they obtained on the train and that indicates the neutrality of the train and the excellent communication skills of the communicators,” he said.
Rashmi in his speech emphasized the need to follow scientific principles, such as ‘Common but Differentiated Responsibilities’, while addressing the challenges of climate change. “Counties like India, which are not only vulnerable to climate change but also facing social challenges like acute poverty, must play the strongest role in mitigating and adapting to climate change while developing in a sustainable manner,” he said.
The eight-week long course started from Monday. The organizers said that it aims at creating a pool of climate specialists who would go on to spread knowledge of climate change and its implications to the society. Each week will cover various topics on climate change and simultaneously also deal with aspects of communication and management.
Dilip Surkar, director of Vikram A Sarabhai Community Science Centre (VASCSC) said that the Science Express communicators are lucky to have the opportunity of travelling on the train, getting hands-on experience of interacting with people and understanding their perspective on the issue.