At the Harvard Model United Nations India I had the esteemed pleasure of meeting Dr. R.K. Pachauri, Chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). His presentation to the students was based on the agenda ?Impact of Climate Change on Human Health?.

The emission of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide from industries coupled with methane emissions from agricultural lands has resulted in the increase in average temperature of the earth?s atmosphere. This gradual increase in average temperature of the earth is termed as Global Warming. An increase of over 3 degree Celsius is taking place every century. This increase has led to many people dying of sunburns and sunstrokes. The water sources are getting evaporated at an alarming rate and people are suffering due to shortage of water.  Air pollution causes pulmonary diseases like lung cancer, asthma, bronchitis etc.  Depletion of the ozone due to pollutants like Chloro Flouro Carbons has led to penetration of harmful Ultra Violet rays that can cause skin cancer. Air pollutants such be treated using modern tech devices such as Wet Scrubbers and Electrostatic Precipitators to reduce the particulate matter present in them.

Industries release their solid effluents into water bodies which reach the human habitations directly or indirectly. These effluents contain chemicals such as mercury, lead, and hydrocarbons which are known to cause health problems such as cancer, Minamata, weakness, and pulmonary haemorrhage. A study by Harvard Medical School found that water pollutants can also lead to retarded mental growth and can damage the liver and kidneys. Industries must be encouraged to treat their effluents in order to render them harmless for humans.

Keeping in mind the energy crisis that surrounds our world today, many countries have started using nuclear energy to produce electricity. Many consider nuclear energy as a clean source of energy. However, the waste generated during nuclear fission and fusion is disposed carelessly and this waste emits harmful radiations that are highly active and remain active for several years. They can cause irreparable damage to human health. They lead to leukaemia and other congenital defects. It can also affect future generations. The usage of nuclear power should be made minimal and we should start depending on other renewable sources of energy such as the sun and wind to prevent radioactive pollution and protect our future generations.

Agricultural wastes such as pesticides and chemical fertilizers wash away into the nearby water bodies and enter human body directly or indirectly. They affect the mental growth of children and can cause cancer, pulmonary edema and leptospirosis. The most harmful pesticide is DDT which can even lead to death if consumed directly or indirectly. DDT is banned in over 154 countries. Endosulfan is also a very dangerous pesticide that has been banned in over 70 countries. Organic farming i.e.  farming without the use of chemical pesticides should be carried out in every country so as to reduce the usage of such harmful chemicals and protect our god-gifted human health.

All participants had a great time interacting with the guest speaker, Dr. R.K Pauchauri at the conference and gained a lot of knowledge.