Mysuru: The Institution of Engineers (India), Mysore Local Centre, recently conducted a technical lecture on Biodiversity and Environment at S.P. Bhat Hall on JLB Road.

Dr. T. Thippeswamy, Senior Scientist (retd.), Central Sericulture  Research and Training Institute (CSRTI), Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, Mysuru, who was the guest speaker, explained Biodiversity as the variety of life on earth and the essential interdependence of all living things.

Stating that scientists have identified more than 2 million species, he  said tens of millions remain unknown. As per the latest record, earth has 8.7 millions species of which 6.5 are terrestrial and 2.2 are marine.

The tremendous variety of life on earth is made possible by complex interactions among living things including microscopic species like algae and mites, he said adding the earth is losing species at an alarming rate.

Some scientists estimate that as many as three species per hour are going extinct and 20,000 extinctions occur each year. When species of plants and animals go extinct, many other species are affected, Dr.  Thippeswamy opined.

He said climate change is the single biggest environmental and humanitarian crisis. The earth’s atmosphere is overloaded with heat trapping carbon-di-oxide, which threatens large-scale disruptions in climate with disastrous consequences. Global warming is the term used to describe a gradual increase in the average temperature of the earth’s atmosphere and its oceans, a change that is believed to be permanently changing the earth’s climate. India aims to cut 33 percent carbon emission by 2030, he added.

He explained an 8-point climate action plan.

They  are: 1. Sustainable living and conservation; 2. Climate friendly, cleaner path; 3. Reduce emission intensity of GFP by 33 percent by 2030 from 2005 level; 4. 40 percent of electricity from non-fossil sources riding high on solar energy by 2030 that would result in abatement of 325 million tons of CO2; 5. Create 10 million ha forest area to sink 2.5 – 3 billion tons of carbon dioxide in 15 years; 6. Better adopt to climate change consequences; 7. Mobilise domestic and new and additional foreign funds; 8.Building capacities for technology diffusion.

IEI Mysore Local Centre Chairman M. Chinnaswamy and Karnataka Renewable Energy Development Limited, Project Officer and IEI Programme Convener D.K. Dinesh Kumar were present.