Union Government has flagged off Science Express Climate Action Special
(SECAS) with the theme of Climate Change. It was flagged off by Union Science
and Technology Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan from Safdarjung railway station in
New Delhi.
“The Climate Change Express will explain in detail about
climate change and the actions or paths we can take to tackle climate change,”
he added.
It is an innovative science exhibition mounted on a 16 coach
AC train and has been custom-built by the Indian Railways for Department of
Science and Technology (DoS&T). It is collaborative initiative of DoS&T
and Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) and
Union Ministry of Railways. Initially for about 7 months, the train will travel
across India covering about 18,000 kms and halting at 64 locations spread over
20 States.
Recounting his visit to Science Express last year along with
his granddaughter, the minister said he witnessed long queues. “This year there
would be an exhibition on platforms similar to the one inside the train. Thus
rather than standing in queues, people can visit those exhibitions to learn
about climate change,” explained the environment minister.
The exhibition will also have a digital version. “We are
getting a digital version of the exhibition prepared and an e-mail version as
well. This digital version in CDs would be distributed to schools, colleges and
other organizations so that we reach to 620 million (and not just 6.2 million
people),” added Javadekar.
Over 190 countries would meet in Paris in December under the
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to strike a new
global climate deal aimed at controlling global carbon emissions for tackling
global warming.
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