Experimental Learning in Environmental Science: Climate Change (Jointly organised by ERICSSON and Earthwatch Institute India at the National Science Centre on 21 December 2022)

This talk was delivered by Dr. Sushil Kumar Dash, President, FERCC, in the National Science Centre (NSC) Delhi on the invitation of the CEO of Earthwatch Institute India. The Earthwatch Institute India and ERICSSON jointly organised this event at the NSC as part of a Popular Science Lecture for the benefit of some school students who visited the NSC that day. About 150 students from different schools of Delhi attended this lecture. The event was organised in the presence of the NSC Director Dr. Narayan Ramdas Iyer, Curator Dr. Raj Merhotra and CEO Eearthwatch India Mr.Raghuvansh Saxena. The main discussion point was Air Pollution and Climate Change. The talk started with the description of winter time severe pollution of Delhi air which creates problems in breathing by the students while going to the school early morning. The students were reminded of the smoke, carbon monoxide, carbon emissions, and smog. In addition to the visible pollution outside, the dangerous effect of prevailing indoor pollutions due to cigarette smoking, faulty air conditioning systems, paint emissions, poor ventilation, and damaged fireplace was also pointed out. The adverse effects of both outdoor and indoor air pollutions on human health were elaborated. In addition, the loss of life and damage to property due to weather extremes such as heat waves, extreme rains and floods, intense cyclones, droughts, landslides, snow melting, sea level rise etc. were also highlighted. The main purpose of this talk was to explain the reasons for the present day climate change and air pollution in simple language and to point out that we are responsible for most of these unnatural events happening in our environment. At the end of the talk there was lively discussion on the questions raised by some students. At the end there was a puppet show on clean air topic by Mr.Vinay Bhat and Puppet Kala.