Hindi English Translation || Editorial || The numbers game: On Glasgow climate meeting

The numbers game: On Glasgow climate meeting

In spite of (के बावजूद) the risks it poses (constitute, present, create, cause (a problem or danger or risk)), the climate crisis is yet to get political resonance (प्रतिध्वनि, निरंतर, गूँज) in India

The 26th United Nations Conference of Parties (COP) in Glasgow, Scotland may not have a significant outcome as yet (अभी तक, अब तक) in sight (दृष्टि में, देखने योग्य). Prior to the summit (शिखर सम्मेलन, बैठक), there was a frantic (hurried, excited, desperate; out of control, frenzied) attempt by leaders of western countries, particularly the United States and summit host the United Kingdom, to have most countries agree on a mid-century net zero goal, or when emissions dip (डुबोना, घटना, गिरना) to near zero or are balanced (प्रतिसंतुलन, बराबर करना) out by taking out an equivalent from the atmosphere. This put China and India, both major greenhouse gas emitters, on the defensive (रक्षात्मक पर), and they dug in their heels more strongly on issues such as climate equity (जलवायु समानता) and justice. Their argument, that the climate crisis is largely (मुख्य रूप से, काफी हद तक/बहुत हद तक) due to the West (The Western world/civilization consisting of the majority of Europe & the North America) because of over a century of unmitigated (निरंतर, निरपेक्ष, श्रेणीबद्ध) carbon dioxide emissions (the release of carbon into the atmosphere), and so those countries must bear (shoulder, take responsibility fo) the lion’s share (the most of something, the largest part of something; the greater number of, the main part of, more than half of, the bulk of something) of reparations (amends, restitution, redress) in the form of finance and access to clean technologies, is an old one, enshrined (प्रतिष्ठापित करना, स्थापित करना) over the years in earlier COP deliberations (consideration, thought/thinking, careful discussion). While China has indicated a 2060 net zero year, India surprisingly agreed to a net zero year of 2070 as well as more initiatives by 2030 to move towards having a significantly (notably, importantly, crucially) larger share of its energy needs met by renewable energy (clean energy, green energy; energy generated from natural resources (such as water, wind & solar energy)).

The target year 2070 is far from (nowhere near, a long way from) 2050, by when scientific consensus (an idea or opinion that is shared by all the people in a group) says, emissions must decline to zero for earth to have a fighting chance to keep temperatures at manageable levels. So India, now the third highest emitter of carbon dioxide, giving itself a 50-year deadline will unlikely (doubtful, implausible, improbable, questionable) help prevent temperatures from rising beyond the danger mark (point, level). However, India has also indicated that for its 2030 goals, it needs a trillion dollars, by 2030, from developed countries. India, it must be remembered, is a $2 trillion economy and expects to be a $5 trillion economy by 2024-25 — though the novel coronavirus (a new strain (type/variety) coronavirus that has not been previously identified in humans) pandemic (the worldwide spread of a new disease; The illness spreads around the world and typically affects a large number of people across a wide area) has made it unlikely — and close to $10 trillion by 2030. Developing countries were collectively (as a group) promised, nearly a decade (a period of ten years) ago, $100 billion annually until 2020 and only a small fraction (a small part/percentage of something) has been realised. Even the Glasgow summit has shown how hotly (vehemently, vigorously, strenuously, fiercely) contested every dollar is. The conundrum (problem, difficulty, quandary/dilemma) of global warming (it is the unusually rapid increase in Earth’s average surface temperature over the past century primarily due to the greenhouse gases released as people burn fossil fuels) is that irrespective of how irrefutable (indisputable, undeniable, unquestionable, incontrovertible; conclusive, definite, definitive, decisive, accomplished, certain) the evidence is, it is unlikely that elected representatives of developed countries will impose punitive (disciplinary, corrective, retributive) taxation (the act of levying or imposing a tax by a government/the taxing authority) on their citizens for climate reparations. However, a quicker transition to renewable energy sources may be made by enabling greater sharing of technology and at fora where countries discuss tariff barriers that impede (hinder, obstruct, hamper, disrupt) better, cleaner technology from being adopted faster than they should be. In spite of the risks it poses, the climate crisis is yet to get political resonance in India. Unless it appears on electoral platforms, the push (a strong effort to do something) away from fossil fuel (non renewable resources (or fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas are formed from the buried/deposited organic materials)) will not happen; and India might not have a realistic chance at adapting to disasters at minimal cost.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.in spite of (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - के बावजूद
English Meaning - despite, notwithstanding, regardless of.

2.resonance (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रतिध्वनि, निरंतर, गूँज
English Meaning - reverberation, continuing effect, repercussion, ramification.

3.as yet (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - अभी तक, अब तक
English Meaning - so far, thus far, yet, still, up till now, up to now, until now.

4.in sight (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - दृष्टि में, देखने योग्य
English Meaning - noticeable, visible, in view; near at hand.

5.summit (noun)

Hindi Meaning - शिखर सम्मेलन, बैठक
English Meaning - meeting, conference, conclave.

6.dip (verb)

Hindi Meaning - डुबोना, घटना, गिरना
English Meaning - decrease, fall/drop, slump.

7.balance out (phrasal verb)

Hindi Meaning - प्रतिसंतुलन, बराबर करना
English Meaning - counterbalance, offset, even out, equalize, neutralize.

8.on the defensive (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - रक्षात्मक पर
English Meaning - to protect yourself from possible criticism/attack by others.

9.climate equity (noun)

Hindi Meaning - जलवायु समानता
English Meaning - it means both protection from environmental hazards as well as access to environmental benefits for all, regardless of income, race, and other characteristics.

10.equity (noun)

Hindi Meaning - न्याय, हिस्सेदारी, निष्पक्षता
English Meaning - fairness, justness, neutrality, lack of bias, impartiality.

11.climate justice (noun)

Hindi Meaning - जलवायु न्याय
English Meaning - As a form of environmental justice, climate justice is the fair treatment of all people and the freedom from discrimination (inequity) in the creation of policies and projects that address climate change as well as the systems that create climate change and perpetuate (continue) discrimination.

12.largely (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - मुख्य रूप से, काफी हद तक/बहुत हद तक
English Meaning - to a large/great extent.

13.unmitigated (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - निरंतर, निरपेक्ष, श्रेणीबद्ध
English Meaning - absolute, categorical, complete, total, out-and-out, unabated, undiminished, unmoderated.

14.green technology (noun)

Hindi Meaning - हरित प्रौद्योगिकी
English Meaning - it is also known as clean technology/sustainable technology; it is the application of one or more environmental technologies to monitor, model and conserve the natural environment and resources, and to curb the negative impacts of human involvement.

15.enshrine (verb)

Hindi Meaning - प्रतिष्ठापित करना, स्थापित करना
English Meaning - spell out, express, lay down, embody, incorporate, represent, contain, include (an idea/promise as protected and respected).

16.pose (verb)

English Meaning - constitute, present, create, cause (a problem or danger or risk).

17.numbers game (noun)

English Meaning - the usage of statistical figures, particularly in favour of an argument.

18.26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26)(noun)

English Meaning - The 26th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP26)of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is expected to take place from 01-12 November 2021, in Glasgow, UK. The COP26 summit will bring parties together to accelerate action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

19.frantic (adjective)

English Meaning - hurried, excited, desperate; out of control, frenzied.

20.net zero emissions/carbon neutrality (noun)

English Meaning - it means annual zero net CO2 emissions; Carbon neutrality means every ton of anthropogenic (human-caused or influenced) CO2 emitted is compensated with an equivalent amount of CO2 removed (e.g. via carbon sink or carbon sequestration).

21.(Carbon) emission (noun)

English Meaning - the release of carbon into the atmosphere.

22.take out (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - remove.

23.greenhouse gas (GHGs) (noun)

English Meaning - heat-trapping gas; a gas (such as water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, etc.) in the atmosphere that absorbs and emits radiation, causing the greenhouse effect and warming of Earth’s temperature. (Courtesy: VOA Learning English).

24.dig in one’s heels (phrase)

English Meaning - oppose, fight against, refuse to accept.

25.the West (noun)

English Meaning - The Western world/civilization consisting of the majority of Europe & the North America.

26.bear (verb)

English Meaning - shoulder, take responsibility for.

27.the lion’s share (phrase)

English Meaning - the most of something, the largest part of something; the greater number of, the main part of, more than half of, the bulk of something.

28.reparation (noun)

English Meaning - amends, restitution, redress.

29.deliberation (noun)

English Meaning - consideration, thought/thinking, careful discussion.

30.significantly (adverb)

English Meaning - notably, importantly, crucially.

31.renewable energy (RE) (noun)

English Meaning - clean energy, green energy; energy generated from natural resources (such as water, wind & solar energy).

32.far from (phrase)

English Meaning - nowhere near, a long way from.

33.consensus (noun)

English Meaning - an idea or opinion that is shared by all the people in a group.

34.unlikely (adjective)

English Meaning - doubtful, implausible, improbable, questionable.

35.mark (noun)

English Meaning - point, level.

36.novel coronavirus (nCoV) (SARS-CoV-2) (noun)

English Meaning - a new strain (type/variety) coronavirus that has not been previously identified in humans. (Courtesy: WHO)

37.pandemic (noun)

English Meaning - the worldwide spread of a new disease; The illness spreads around the world and typically affects a large number of people across a wide area.

38.collectively (adverb)

English Meaning - as a group.

39.decade (noun)

English Meaning - a period of ten years.

40.fraction (noun)

English Meaning - a small part/percentage of something.

41.hotly (adjective)

English Meaning - vehemently, vigorously, strenuously, fiercely.

42.conundrum (noun)

English Meaning - problem, difficulty, quandary/dilemma.

43.global warming (noun)

English Meaning - it is the unusually rapid increase in Earth’s average surface temperature over the past century primarily due to the greenhouse gases released as people burn fossil fuels.

44.irrespective of (adjective)

English Meaning - notwithstanding, without regard for, regardless of.

45.irrefutable (adjective)

English Meaning - indisputable, undeniable, unquestionable, incontrovertible; conclusive, definite, definitive, decisive, accomplished, certain.

46.impose (verb)

English Meaning - levy, charge, enforce.

47.punitive (adjective)

English Meaning - disciplinary, corrective, retributive.

48.taxation (noun)

English Meaning - the act of levying or imposing a tax by a government/the taxing authority.

49.fora plural noun of forum (noun)

English Meaning - meeting, assembly, gathering.