Voice of climate-by Naseem Sheikh

Cotton is considered the world's 'dirtiest' crop due to its heavy use of insecticides, the most hazardous pesticide to human and animal health. Cotton covers 2.5% of the world's cultivated land yet uses 16% of the world's insecticides, more than any other single major crop. Cotton is one of the most water and pesticide intensive agricultural commodity, is responsible for significant adverse impacts on human and animal (livestock) health, natural resources such as land and fresh water and global biodiversity. 1. Cotton production plays a primary role in degradation of agro-ecosystems by indiscriminate use of agrochemicals such as fertilizers and pesticides. In addition, adverse impacts on the communities in terms of health risks to working men and women and increase in poverty and dependency due to the high pesticides costs and indebtedness are common. 2. In many cases irrigation systems are very inefficient and therefore lead to wide spread negative impac...

As stated, Pakistan is one of the lowest contributors to this global problem but, nevertheless, it has played a leading role in trying to formulate global consensus in addressing this issue demanding collective cooperation. Also, the country is cognizant of its development priorities and is actively seeking both, financial and technological support, to place its undeniable future growth on to a low carbon trajectory. Global deforestation and degradation had a negative role towards climate change for which initiatives such as Reduced Emission from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD) was important as an alleviation response to climate change. The United Nation Framework Convention of Climate Change (UNFCC) was adopted in 1992 and Pakistan was one of its signatory along with 194 other nations. The study, by researchers at the University of California, Merced, concluded that rising temperatures associated with climate change could result in many more severe forest fires in the coming d...

Although we should not promote coal as energy resource as its really very toxic and not environmental friendly but now days Pakistan is in the grip of a serious energy crisis that is affecting all sectors of the economy and the various segments of the society. In Pakistan, political instability, indecision, corruption, terrorism and security problems have kept exploration and production of possible alternative energy sources at a standstill both in Thar and Baluchistan. This Petroleum lobby is very strong in Pakistan and they are against any other means of power generation except for the imported oil. This lobby is major beneficiary of the increasing oil bill that is estimated above 15 billion dollars for the country this year. The energy sector requires efficient and clean energy supplies. In case of coal, we would have to ensure higher efficiencies, environmental acceptance, prolonging its availability and proper replacement for oil and natural gas. This is only possi...

Pakistan is in the grip of a serious energy crisis that is affecting all sectors of the economy and the various segments of the society. Luckily Pakistan has blessed by many types of resources but lack of attention and sincerity among authority leaders and concerned department all resources are just for name of appreciations rather than utilization. Coal- the Black Gold is one of major energy source which is contributing in world’s energy systems with the share of 23.80% and 23.75% of production and consumption respectively. In order to obtain clean fuels, the liquefaction and gasification of the world’s most abundant fuel i.e., coal, have gained increasing attention. And coal field holds to the energy security of Pakistan, being one of the largest coal (lignite) deposits in the world comprising of 184,123 billion tons which can produce 1000,000 MW of electricity for next three hundred years. Pakistan's largest coal reserves are found in Sindh with approximately 184...