TED Talks India: Nayi Baat
Arunabha Ghosh: 5 steps for clean air in India
Filmed:
Readability: 4.6
179,997 views
India's big cities have some of the worst air quality in the world. How can we fix this public health crisis? In an actionable talk, social entrepreneur Arunabha Ghosh lays out a five-step plan to put India on the path to cleaner, safer air -- and shows how every citizen can play an active role in getting there.
Arunabha Ghosh - Social entrepreneur
Arunabha Ghosh is a public policy professional, adviser, author, columnist and institution builder. Full bio
Arunabha Ghosh is a public policy professional, adviser, author, columnist and institution builder. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:13
Shah Rukh Khan: Something goes wrong
with the air that we take for granted.
with the air that we take for granted.
0
1458
3560
00:17
The ill effects are suffered by all,
1
5042
1767
00:18
rich and poor, city people
and village folks,
and village folks,
2
6833
2726
00:21
those inland and those on the coast.
3
9583
1893
00:23
Nobody is exempt.
4
11500
1726
00:25
So how do we give our children
the chance to grow up in a world
the chance to grow up in a world
5
13250
3768
00:29
where the air is clean?
6
17042
1684
00:30
Our next speaker
addresses this vital question.
addresses this vital question.
7
18750
2434
00:33
So join me in giving
a wholehearted welcome
a wholehearted welcome
8
21208
2893
00:36
to the public policy expert and author,
9
24125
2768
00:38
the multifaceted Dr. Arunabha Ghosh.
10
26917
3726
00:42
(Music)
11
30667
3416
00:50
Arunabha Ghosh: Let me tell you
a story from China.
a story from China.
12
38917
2684
00:53
In 2014, China declared war on pollution.
13
41625
4851
00:58
In November that year,
14
46500
1601
01:00
there was an international summit there.
15
48125
2059
01:02
Presidents and prime ministers
from many countries arrived.
from many countries arrived.
16
50208
3185
01:05
So industries around Beijing
were shut down,
were shut down,
17
53417
2517
01:07
half the cars were taken off the road.
18
55958
2101
01:10
That week, I took a photograph
of the unusually blue sky in Beijing.
of the unusually blue sky in Beijing.
19
58083
5018
01:15
A few days later,
when the summit had ended,
when the summit had ended,
20
63125
3184
01:18
the factories were humming again,
21
66333
2060
01:20
the sky had again turned light grey.
22
68417
2684
01:23
So newspapers started
urging the government
urging the government
23
71125
2434
01:25
to make the blue skies permanent.
24
73583
3185
01:28
Then in early 2015, a private citizen
produced a documentary on air pollution
produced a documentary on air pollution
25
76792
5101
01:33
called "Under the Dome."
26
81917
1642
01:35
Just within four days,
it was viewed 300 million times,
it was viewed 300 million times,
27
83583
4518
01:40
and millions more continued
discussing it on social media.
discussing it on social media.
28
88125
3309
01:43
Eventually, the government acted,
29
91458
1851
01:45
and by 2018,
30
93333
2018
01:47
the bulk of the Chinese population
31
95375
2059
01:49
had witnessed a decline in air pollution
32
97458
2726
01:52
by 32 percent on average.
33
100208
2601
01:54
When will we demand clean air in India?
34
102833
3625
01:59
I have a six-year-old daughter.
35
107417
1559
02:01
Every morning, when I drop her
to the school bus stop,
to the school bus stop,
36
109000
2893
02:03
I have to remind her
not to take off her mask.
not to take off her mask.
37
111917
2351
02:06
That's the kind of world we live in.
38
114292
1809
02:08
One day she pointed me to an advertisement
39
116125
2601
02:10
for a face wash,
40
118750
1309
02:12
which claimed that the polluting particles
lodged deeply in our skin
lodged deeply in our skin
41
120083
4143
02:16
could be miraculously washed off.
42
124250
2268
02:18
But what of the particles
lodged in our lungs?
lodged in our lungs?
43
126542
3000
02:22
When it's difficult
to make out the difference
to make out the difference
44
130833
2226
02:25
between the lung of a smoker
and the lung of a nonsmoker,
and the lung of a nonsmoker,
45
133083
3351
02:28
we have a real problem,
46
136458
1393
02:29
because I can run an air purifier at home,
47
137875
2934
02:32
but can I lock up my daughter at home?
48
140833
2042
02:35
Air pollution is the great leveler.
49
143583
2667
02:38
It affects us all,
50
146917
1517
02:40
rich and poor,
51
148458
1351
02:41
city dweller or village folk,
52
149833
2560
02:44
those living inland
or those living on the coast,
or those living on the coast,
53
152417
2351
02:46
and it's affecting our health,
54
154792
2142
02:48
our economic growth, our quality of life.
55
156958
2768
02:51
In 2017, more than
1.2 million deaths in India
1.2 million deaths in India
56
159750
5101
02:56
were attributable to air pollution.
57
164875
1893
02:58
That's more than those deaths
caused by HIV/AIDS,
caused by HIV/AIDS,
58
166792
2767
03:01
tuberculosis, malaria or diarrhea.
59
169583
2476
03:04
At the Council on Energy,
Environment and Water,
Environment and Water,
60
172083
3435
03:07
my colleagues find that today,
one in two Indians is breathing air
one in two Indians is breathing air
61
175542
4184
03:11
that does not meet
our air quality standards.
our air quality standards.
62
179750
3309
03:15
And the economic impact
of this public health crisis
of this public health crisis
63
183083
3143
03:18
is more than 80 billion
dollars every year.
dollars every year.
64
186250
3434
03:21
At CEEW, my colleagues find
65
189708
2476
03:24
that 80 percent of Indians
can breathe clean air
can breathe clean air
66
192208
2976
03:27
if we adopted stringent
pollution controls.
pollution controls.
67
195208
2500
03:30
So here is my vision for India.
68
198750
2833
03:34
In 2027,
69
202667
1601
03:36
when we are celebrating
our 80th year of independence,
our 80th year of independence,
70
204292
4226
03:40
can we ensure that, by then,
71
208542
2142
03:42
80 cities in India have reduced
air pollution by 80 percent?
air pollution by 80 percent?
72
210708
4935
03:47
Let's called this Mission 80-80-80,
73
215667
4267
03:51
and this is possible,
74
219958
1310
03:53
but the role of citizens
is going to be critical.
is going to be critical.
75
221292
2601
03:55
To combat air pollution,
76
223917
2017
03:57
we have to create a democratic demand
77
225958
4060
04:02
for clean air.
78
230042
1392
04:03
We can make this happen.
79
231458
1893
04:05
First, we have to educate ourselves.
80
233375
3143
04:08
Low-cost sensors give us real-time
information about the air quality,
information about the air quality,
81
236542
4142
04:12
but we still need information
82
240708
2060
04:14
about how to interpret it and how to act.
83
242792
3267
04:18
So we need to target information
to schools and children,
to schools and children,
84
246083
3435
04:21
to resident welfare associations,
85
249542
2017
04:23
to the elderly, who are more at risk.
86
251583
2310
04:25
You know, when the temperature outside
is 30 degrees versus 40 degrees,
is 30 degrees versus 40 degrees,
87
253917
3392
04:29
we know how to dress,
88
257333
1726
04:31
we know what to do, what not to do.
89
259083
1726
04:32
We need, similarly, information
on what precautions to take
on what precautions to take
90
260833
3976
04:36
when the air quality outside is poor,
91
264833
1768
04:38
very poor, severe or hazardous.
92
266625
2625
04:41
Second, we need to become active monitors.
93
269958
5060
04:47
Today, most Indian cities
and much of rural India
and much of rural India
94
275042
2809
04:49
have no air quality monitoring at all.
95
277875
2976
04:52
So we need to demand
that air quality sensors
that air quality sensors
96
280875
2768
04:55
are installed in every constituency.
97
283667
2226
04:57
Today, in Parliament,
who is going to stand up for us
who is going to stand up for us
98
285917
3059
05:01
as the air quality warrior?
99
289000
1976
05:03
When enforcement agencies
land up at polluting sites
land up at polluting sites
100
291000
3643
05:06
or dust-spewing construction sites,
101
294667
2559
05:09
their whack-a-mole approach
doesn't always work,
doesn't always work,
102
297250
2601
05:11
because as soon as their attention
turns somewhere else,
turns somewhere else,
103
299875
2851
05:14
the offenders go back
to business as usual.
to business as usual.
104
302750
2434
05:17
We citizens have to become
the fire alarms.
the fire alarms.
105
305208
3851
05:21
We have to demand
emergency call-in numbers
emergency call-in numbers
106
309083
2935
05:24
and specialized task forces
107
312042
2517
05:26
that can respond in real time
to pollution sites.
to pollution sites.
108
314583
3351
05:29
So we need not just the authority
but the enforcement strength
but the enforcement strength
109
317958
3351
05:33
to crack down.
110
321333
1435
05:34
Third,
111
322792
1684
05:36
we have to be prepared to pay a price,
112
324500
2184
05:38
whether it's for cars using BS6 fuel
113
326708
3060
05:41
or for more expensive electricity
from cleaner power plants.
from cleaner power plants.
114
329792
3642
05:45
Last year, just before Diwali,
115
333458
2435
05:47
I took a surprise inspection
of polluting industries
of polluting industries
116
335917
4517
05:52
in an unauthorized industrial area
just outside of Delhi,
just outside of Delhi,
117
340458
2976
05:55
and I found polluting
firecrackers were being sold.
firecrackers were being sold.
118
343458
3101
05:58
The Supreme Court had mandated
only green firecrackers could be sold,
only green firecrackers could be sold,
119
346583
3726
06:02
but those were nowhere to be found.
120
350333
1726
06:04
But the polluting ones were available.
121
352083
1810
06:05
Why?
122
353917
1476
06:07
Because we were ready to buy.
123
355417
1541
06:09
As citizens, we have to reduce
the demand for these polluting products
the demand for these polluting products
124
357917
5184
06:15
or be prepared to pay more
for cleaner products.
for cleaner products.
125
363125
3125
06:19
Fourth step: let's build some empathy
for our fellow citizens.
for our fellow citizens.
126
367208
4042
06:24
How much does it take
to keep a night guard warm
to keep a night guard warm
127
372125
2934
06:27
rather than force them to burn rubbish
to stay warm in winter?
to stay warm in winter?
128
375083
3768
06:30
Or, let's take farmers.
129
378875
1309
06:32
You know, it's very easy to blame them
for burning the stubble
for burning the stubble
130
380208
3018
06:35
of the rice paddy crop every winter,
which causes air pollution.
which causes air pollution.
131
383250
3518
06:38
It's much harder to understand
132
386792
2351
06:41
that it's the combination
of our agricultural policy
of our agricultural policy
133
389167
3517
06:44
and our groundwater crisis
134
392708
1310
06:46
that often leaves the farmer
with no option but to burn the stubble.
with no option but to burn the stubble.
135
394042
4184
06:50
So we need to draw in
the urban poor laborer
the urban poor laborer
136
398250
3351
06:53
or the rural poor farmer
137
401625
1559
06:55
into our collective call for clean air.
138
403208
3060
06:58
Farmers come and tell us that they
want to adopt sustainable agriculture,
want to adopt sustainable agriculture,
139
406292
4017
07:02
but they need some help.
140
410333
1351
07:03
And fifth, we have to
change our lifestyles.
change our lifestyles.
141
411708
5101
07:08
Yes, public transport
is often not available,
is often not available,
142
416833
3143
07:12
but the choice to buy a cleaner,
less polluting private vehicle is ours.
less polluting private vehicle is ours.
143
420000
4809
07:16
The choice to segregate
and recycle household waste is ours.
and recycle household waste is ours.
144
424833
4560
07:21
You know, in Surat after the 1994 plague,
145
429417
2892
07:24
citizens there take pride
in keeping their city
in keeping their city
146
432333
2976
07:27
one of the cleanest in the country.
147
435333
1976
07:29
Down south in Mysore,
148
437333
1685
07:31
public-private partnerships
and citizen-led eco clubs
and citizen-led eco clubs
149
439042
3559
07:34
are coming together to reduce,
segregate and recycle waste in a manner
segregate and recycle waste in a manner
150
442625
5059
07:39
that landfills can be
eliminated altogether.
eliminated altogether.
151
447708
2768
07:42
Now I'm not saying that officials
have no responsibility here,
have no responsibility here,
152
450500
3476
07:46
but it is our collective apathy
153
454000
3434
07:49
that takes the pressure
off of our parliamentarians,
off of our parliamentarians,
154
457458
3435
07:52
the bureaucrats
155
460917
1726
07:54
or the enforcement agencies.
156
462667
2059
07:56
Mission 80-80-80 will only begin
157
464750
3976
08:00
when we demand it.
158
468750
1458
08:02
We have to create
a democratic demand for clean air,
a democratic demand for clean air,
159
470875
4018
08:06
because citizens, you and me,
160
474917
3934
08:10
can decide what kind of air we breathe.
161
478875
2750
08:14
Thank you.
162
482792
1267
08:16
(Applause)
163
484083
2084
08:20
SRK: Thank you so much.
164
488958
1643
08:22
Tell me something: India, our country,
165
490625
2184
08:24
do we have any advantages?
166
492833
2393
08:27
Have we become aware of it earlier
167
495250
2934
08:30
because of all the inputs
from people like you?
from people like you?
168
498208
2268
08:32
AG: Our biggest strength:
169
500500
1292
08:35
our people and our ability to make change
170
503125
3559
08:38
without always necessarily
relying only on the government.
relying only on the government.
171
506708
3268
08:42
And that strength of civil society
and civil demand
and civil demand
172
510000
4184
08:46
for a civilized living condition
173
514208
2601
08:48
is, I think, our biggest asset.
174
516833
2435
08:51
Then, all of those and more will happen.
175
519292
2351
08:53
(Applause)
176
521667
1017
08:54
SRK: Thank you, Dr. Ghosh.
Bless you for coming here.
Bless you for coming here.
177
522708
2810
08:57
And it's very enlightening.
178
525542
1684
08:59
Thank you very much,
and all the best with 80-80-80.
and all the best with 80-80-80.
179
527250
2476
09:01
Dr. Ghosh, everyone.
AG: Thank you.
AG: Thank you.
180
529750
1643
09:03
(Applause)
181
531417
1291
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Arunabha Ghosh - Social entrepreneurArunabha Ghosh is a public policy professional, adviser, author, columnist and institution builder.
Why you should listen
Arunabha Ghosh is the founder and CEO of the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), which, since 2010, he has led to the top ranks as one of South Asia's leading policy research institutions. CEEW was also ranked among the world's 20 best climate think-tanks in 2016. Ghosh has been actively involved in the design of the International Solar Alliance since its inception.
More profile about the speakerArunabha Ghosh | Speaker | TED.com