World environment day: E-waste a major challenge

World environment day: E-waste a major challenge
Thursday June 5 2008 09:29 IST Express News Service

KOCHI: It is World Environment Day on Thursday.

Recognising the rapid changes in climatic conditions as a major issue, the United Nations Environment Programme has come up with a slogan `Kick the Habit! Towards a Low Carbon Economy’ for World Environment Day 2008.

The United Nations has asked various countries and major companies to focus on reducing the emission of greenhouse gases.

Low carbon economies and lifestyles, alternative energy resources and forest conservation have been identified as the major areas that need concentration.

Burning of fossil fuels like coal and natural gas is found to be the major reason for the emission of greenhouse gases like methane and carbon dioxide.

E-waste is going to be the major challenge in the coming days. Irrational use of electronic equipment makes a sizable contribution to the challenge.

A number of studies on e-waste management have shown the gravity of the issue in major cities like New Delhi and Bangalore. The picture is not impressive in Kerala too.

"The emission of greenhouse gases like methane and carbon dioxide due to the burning of coal and natural gas is the major issue. Then there are these electricity and thermal plants at different parts of the state.

"The emission of carbon by vehicles make the issue more serious.We still do not have an effective mass transport system. Natural methane emission from the catchment area of mega dams has proved as serious as a large quantity of carbon emission," said Society of Energy Engineers and Managers president C Jayaraman.