Climate Change and Dalits

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Climate Change and Dalits

m c raj

Paper Presented at Gurukul Lutheran Theological College

Chennai

16 March 2010

Preamble

The irony of life in modern society and perhaps throughout the past epochs of

history is that those indigenous communities that have lived in completeintegrity with nature and harmony with the cosmic order are made to live ashapless victims of the shenanigans of those forces that are out to destroynature and cosmos. This historical irony is summed up in the fact that allindigenous communities including the Dalits have been kept outside theperipheries of discourses and praxis of climate change, global warmingmitigation, clean development mechanism etc. The very same capitalist forcesthat are out to exhaust the energy of the cosmos to satiate its greedy andluxurious pursuits are now out to make the maximum out of its owndestructive dance through the latest order of global warming mitigation. Onceagain this brings to the fore the urgent need for discourses on possible roles

of all indigenous communities, especially of Dalits in India.

Irrespective of whether there was an invasion or not the mythical history ofHinduism through Ramayana is a historical locale of discovering theecological roots of the Indigenous pre-Aryan Dalit people.1The introduction toValmiki Ramayana says that Rama decimated 14000 of the ancestors of theDalit people during his sojourn in the forest, after ascribing to them thecharacters of Rakshasas and Asuras. The ancient Hindu rational foundationfor such mindless violence on the Dalit people needs to go through thegrinding mill of modern analytical methodologies to separate substance fromchaff.

The arrival of Aryans on the indigenous scene was the beginning of theestablishment of hegemony over a people and the cosmos in anunprecedented way. The killing of indigenous ancestors is our point ofdeparture in tracking back the ecological and environmental concerns of theDalit people. The cabinet meeting in the Durbar of Indra deliberated on therepresentations from Brahmin rishis that the Rakshasas and Asuras weredisrupting their performances of sacrificial rites, yagas and yagnas. Theministerial meeting decided that Vishnu should incarnate as Rama and kill the

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. The author holds the view that ancient history was written and orally handed over throughstories that are now considered to be myths. It will be too nave to dismiss myths of ancienttimes in any religion as grandiose imaginations.

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Asuras and Rakshasa kings and queens.

The indigenous kings and queens did disturb the performance of the Aryanyaga and yagna mainly because they were lovers of nature and animals. TheRishis were destroying forests and were killing thousands of animals in these

rites. Having subscribed to a cosmic philosophy, now known as ShamanicCosmism, Dalit ancestors were great lovers of nature and believed inintegrating themselves with the movement and change of cosmos. The arrivalof Aryans was a violent intrusion into their worldview and peaceful existencewith the harmonious rhythm of nature. They protected environment andecology even at the cost of their lives.

From the mythic period till the postmodern times, Dalit people have beenliving as part of nature and cosmos. Their contribution to the contemporarydestruction of nature, ecological imbalance, global warming and GHG2

emission has been nil. Their subscription to hegemonic philosophy and man

being the master of the universe is unknown in any epoch of history.

Postmodern Global Warming

Global Warming is almost threatening to subsume the world in the near future.Global actors are promoting the paradigm that the Planet Earth has to besaved. It raises the question whether human beings can save the planet orwhether they have to save themselves from planet earth. There is no doubtthat consumption patterns in the world have been topsy-turvy. This makes thedeveloping nations of the world to say that developed nations must own aresponsibility for having brought the world to where it is and therefore, theymust be the frontrunners in mitigation measures. India is spearheading suchan attitude and assertion in GHG emission reduction discourses. Thoughthere is legitimacy in this argumentation it can easily be interpreted asobscurantist at a crisis-ridden phase in world history.

The imagery is very strong. A group of people has set your house on fire.There is no doubt that what they have done is unjust and cruel. But the imageof someone standing beside the burning house and trying to analyze andapportion blame will only invite ridicule. The immediate need is to gather

forces to put out the fire without precluding the necessity for scientific analysisand distributing proportionate responsibility.

The attitude and proposed measures of developed nations are in tune withthe exploitative trajectory they have set all along. They have been consistentlyshifting the responsibility for corrective measures to the victims themselves.Behind such endeavor lies the subtle attempt to brush off any possible blameby others and also to wash of any guilt feeling that may have got stuck in theircollective conscience. Moral and legal responsibility fixing must accompanymitigation efforts. But there should be no shying away from taking upappropriate and stern measures for mitigation by all those who live in the

world.2 . Green House Gas

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Compliance Vs Rewarding the CulpritThe world has entered into an ironical situation where the serious threat of

global warming has been converted into an opportunity by the gulliblecapitalist world to reap a rich harvest. In order to do this the same forces thathave taken the world to the doors of doom have created a compliancemechanism and simultaneously also a compliance market. This is where themarket meets to perform its dance of negotiations standing on dilapidatedcitadels. The case of RWE in Germany is just one randomly picked upexample of how this dance is choreographed. This company is one of thebiggest electrical companies in Europe that produce nuclear power and isunder the UN compliance to reduce carbon emission to the tune of 90 milliontones. There are many such companies that are crucial players in thecompliance market. They prowl around poorer parts of the world to pounce on

unassuming companies and organizations who, with all their good faith andcommitment get seriously into the business of global warming mitigationmeasures. One such officially set up establishment is the UNFCCC3 withCDM4 as its major programme. They buy CERs5 from such companies ororganizations at a rate that is much lower than in the market and make a hugeprofit out of their compulsion for compliance. Instead of they themselvescomplying with UNFCCC mitigation measures they make others reducecarbon emission into the atmosphere, pay a low price for such emissions andare allowed to show this as their compliance measure. In the ultimate analysisthey arm-twist the same establishments that bring them under the compulsionof compliance. There is a legitimate argumentation that by joining hands withsuch huge companies organizations can end up contributing to the devil thatcauses unmitigated global warming.

Voluntary Market and Mitigation

As against the compliance market there is a voluntary market created byconscientious individuals, organizations and companies that get into thebusiness of reducing GHG reduction and at the same time get a price for theircontribution to mitigation. As against the CER they float and promote VER.6

Though their initial aim is not to make huge profit many of them get easilysucked into the profit mechanism and mindset and begin to imitate theircounterparts in the CDM world. Their returns through VER are much lower inthe global market when compared to the price of CER.

Looked at both ways global warming has become one of the biggest level

3. United Nations Framework Convention on Climate change

4. Clean Development Mechanism

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. Certified Emission Reduction

6. Voluntary Emission Reduction

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playing fields for all those who know how to get into this arena. Here comes aserious question for Dalits and other indigenous people who are traditionallovers of nature and who have no share in the guilt of subverting the cosmicrhythm. Being lovers of nature they do not have the necessary expertise toexploit it in order to make huge profit out of its misery. However, the very

survival of these indigenous people is at stage if they do not develop theexpertise not only to understand but also to enter the market mechanisms ofclimate change and global warming mitigation.

While the dominant world deals with compliance and its marketing dynamicsthe Dalit and other poor worlds need to forward another thesis in this crisisridden climate situation. Those sections of people who are not contributinganything to global warming and who have by their nature contributed to thepreservation of an ecologically balanced world should be rewarded. Ifmeasurements can be made for making compliance compulsory it can also bemade for the quantum that the poor do not contribute to global warming and

what they contribute to preservation by not depleting fossil fuel resources.Such rewards will go a long way to the economic development of the Dalitcommunity in India and other indigenous communities across the world.

India

The following details about India have been given out by different articles andbooks.

India is the second fastest growing economy in the world. But a third of itspeople go without access to electricity. A third of its energy is imported. Indiais in need of consuming 450 million tones of coal; 94 million tones of oil and220 million units of electricity. Household sector in India consumes 45-50% ofIndias total energy. Energy sector absorbs the largest portion of resourcesinvested in Indian economy.

Therefore, renewable energy is a compulsion for India in the face of thedepletion of fossil fuel sources.

India is the fourth largest user of wind energy in the world. Yet the share of

renewable energy in its total energy is less than 8%.India has 3.23 millionbio-gas plants installed, it is second in the world. India has the largest

deployment of solar PV (50 MW). India is third in annual production capacityof solar PV (17 MW) ahead of Germany, France and Australia.

Data released by German renewable energy industry institute IWR showedIndia's emissions of planet- warming carbon dioxide grew 125% between1990 and 2008, while China's grew 178% and the United States 17%. Chinais the world's top GHG polluter, followed by the United States, Russia, Indiaand Japan. "America has got a l ot of money, muscle power and there is apossibility that India may be left out as the lone voice (in Copenhagen),"

Sunita Narain, head of the New Delhi-based Centre for Science andEnvironment, told Reuters.

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India has an average of 250-300 sunny days. With its vast geography Indiareceives over 5000 trillion KWh/year. This is much more than the total energyconsumption of the country. Hence the need for tapping solar energy.Energy sector holds the key to Indias economic growth. India also has the

potential to become the biggest lead player in the global solar PV market. TheNational Action Plan for Climate Change (NAPCC) announced a 10 year FiT(Feed in Tariff) of around 0.25 Eurocent per kilowatt. This reduces motivation.Europe gives 50 Cent FiT. Harish Hande, the Founder of SELCO feels theIndian FiT has remained a Paper Tiger.

The producer and consumer of solar energy in India still is the CorporateSector. Renewable energy has not yet reached the poor. The RuralElectrification Corporation has declared that 82.3% of villages are electrified.But this is strange. It declares a village electrified even when only 10%households are electrified. 70% of rural areas in India do not have electricity.

60% of rural households use kerosene lamps.

Rural Education for Development Society (REDS)

CDM Photovoltaic Lighting Project and Wood Stove Project

REDS commitment to renewable energy consumption and Climate Concernsdo not emerge from such alarming situations in the world. REDS is concernedwith environment and energy as a fundamental value arising from a cosmos-centric, earth-centric, woman-centric and community centric worldview. At thesame time REDS sees an opportunity in the global threat to climate. REDSseeks to enhance a global concern for preserving the resources of nature toprovide space for all people of the earth. REDS has chosen two areas ofmeaningful engagement in this global endeavor to mitigate global warming byreducing GHG emissions.

1. Removal of the daily use of 180,000 kerosene lamps in poorhouseholds and replacing them with Photovoltaic Lamps.

2. Reduction of the use of firewood for cooking by introducingWoodstove in 60,000 households.

REDS has become the third pro-poor project and first Dalit project in the worldto be registered under the UNFCCC CDM Project.

Photovoltaic Lighting ProjectREDS is providing clean lighting option though Clean Development

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Mechanism (CDM) finance to 60,000 rural households that do not haveelectricity. The purpose of the project activity is to install 180,000 PhotovoltaicLamps in 60,000 non-electrified rural homes in nine of the ten taluks ofTumkur District, Karnataka. The lamps use 3W CFL or LED luminaries thatderive their power from Photovoltaic modules using monocrystalline or

amorphous panels. The systems are tried and tested. The systems will besupplied by reputed lighting systems companies, depending on the quantitiesrequired and choice of design and brand preferred by the users after technicaltests.

The aim of the project is to improve the quality of life of people in un-electrifiedrural households. Currently kerosene is used for lighting, but the quality oflight is very poor. The Photovoltaic Lights will improve the standards of livingby providing higher quality lighting. The project will also reduce Green HouseGas emissions to the atmosphere. The view of the project participants of thecontribution of the project activity to sustainable development through social,

economic, environmental and technical improvement is as follows:

The SPV technology is renewable as it enables direct conversion of sunlightinto electricity. Photovoltaic cells, commonly known as solar cells, are used toconvert light into electricity. A combination of solar module(s) inseries/parallel combination, storage battery, interface electronics, mechanicalsupport structure, cable and switches etc. constitute a SPV system. Thusimplementation of the project will contribute to reduction in GHG emissionsand also will lead to achieving sustainable development goals of the hostcountry.

Social benefits: Households will get light in order to go about their domesticand educational activities in the home more efficiently. They can switch on aclean, white, bright light after dark or before sunrise. Family members will nothave to inhale dirty fumes from the Kerosene flame as they bend over thelamp to read. Fire hazards will be eliminated.

Economic benefits: The households buy on an average of 0.36 litres ofKerosene every day for lighting purposes. The household members earn theirliving by working in the agricultural fields and by doing daily labour (Coolie).The earning is not sufficient to meet their daily food demands. Thus, the

installation of Photovoltaic Lamps through this CDM project will provide,efficient and long-lasting lighting to the user and will help lead a better life. It isproposed to provide number of lamps based on the population of eachhousehold and requirements as under taken in the baseline study. The onlycost will be the savings to replace the batteries every two years.

Technical benefit: Renewable energy technology that is currently notavailable in these regions will be disseminated to new constituents. Localpeople will be inspired to find out more about these new technologies. Thisalso means penetration of new technology in the rural area, which can serveas the model to rural electrification. Apart from that entrepreneurship will be

given a boost through the distribution of the lamps through a business model.Connectors and other Balance of systems items will in some places be

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assembled locally, and replacements, spares, and operation and maintenancesupport will be provided by the local entrepreneurs.

Environmental benefit: At the national level infrastructure associated withrural electrification and the associated transmission and distribution losses will

be avoided. At the national level fossil fuels are saved, which is important inview of the rapid depletion of these resources. The environmental benefitsinclude the utilization of green solar renewable energy for electrification to theuser.

Woodstove Project

REDS plans to provide 60,000 Woodstoves to as many households in orderreduce the use of fossil fuel by about 60% from its present use. The PDD forthis project is ready and preparations are underway for validation of the

project. There will be a generation of over six hundred thousand CERsthrough this project.

Through these two projects, if they are financed through CERs REDS will beable to take the Dalit community into a new era of development cooperation. Itwill not any more be a donor-receiver equation but a win-win business for boththe donor from rich countries and for the Dalits in India. If more and more Dalitgroups equip themselves to get into this business world the advantage toecology and environment will be unprecedented in human history. That will bethe actualization of the Dalit worldview as well as the opening of the path ofDalit development.

Grey Leaves and Rose Flowers

If Dalits manage to succeed to implementing CDM projects the type ofvisibility the community will get at the international arena will be qualitativelydifferent from what it has been till now.

Even some groups taking up this business propositions will instill a sense ofbusiness in the community and Dalit will begin to count money in a way it

needs to be counted.

It is bound to create a different type of creamy layer in the Dalit communitythat can virtually and actually negotiate Dalit rights standing on platforms thatare different from reservation.

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Climate Change and Dalits