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Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, Well, I am sure that by now, this phrase from Sanskrit has been resonating in our auditory system for the past few weeks. It was popularised during the recent G20 Summit of 2023, which was hosted by India on the 9th and 10th of September. But what’s G in this and why does 20 come in serial? What’s been happening for 20 years that we don’t know of? Why and what is it? Is it something that ought to be included in our pastime science cultivation?
Simply put, it is an effort toward a winnable sustainable future. The G20 (Group of 20) is a 'premier forum for international cooperation' as it is described in their media platforms, aiming for a better and sustainable future throughout the world. Among other domains, they focus on sustainable development of energy and better usage of natural resources, climate change, and health. That's the word that catches us by the collar. On December 1st, 2022, India was handed over the presidency of the G20 forum from Indonesia. Before the summit took place, India had laid down a list of six priorities that the forum should focus on, this year. These were:
1) Green Development and Climate Finance
2) Accelerated, Inclusive & Resilient Growth
3) Accelerating progress on Sustainable Development Goals
4) Technological Transformation and Digital Public Infrastructure
5) Multilateral Institutions for the 21st Century
6) Women-led development.
As the most intelligent species on the earth which is perhaps the only place in the whole universe harbouring life, it is expected of us to be knowledgeable and responsible for the actions on the behalf of resolutions and steps taken in these conclaves which will affect our lives and the lives of our posterity in the upcoming years.
At the G20 summit this year, a special focus was laid on hydrogen fuel and the production of hydrogen by commercially using zero or low-carbon emission techniques. Hydrogen is surely an unconventional choice for such work in the world's industrialization, but there are perks to it. It is easily combustible and 1 kg of hydrogen contains the same amount of energy as contained in one gallon of gasoline. Given that hydrogen is all around us, the most abundant element in the whole of the universe, it satisfies all the vital criteria for being a good fuel. NASA, ESA, and ISRO have already used hydrogen fuel in rockets and spacecraft. The mechanism of this is quite simple. Hydrogen and oxygen are passed through the anode and cathode of an electrochemical cell respectively, thus generating electricity in the process along with water vapor and hot air. However, the catch is, that to produce hydrogen, we end up emitting carbon dioxide (contained in the hot air), which is the very situation we were trying to avoid. This is why research teams worldwide are invested in inventing methods of low-emission hydrogen production. Two of the most brilliant such methods discussed in the forum - but yet in the early stages of research - are Photoelectrochemical (yes, a mouthful indeed) and Microbial methods. The first one makes use of sunlight which is absorbed by specialized semiconductors to split water into hydrogen and oxygen directly. The second one is my favourite though, it uses certain microbes such as green algae and cyanobacteria which produce hydrogen from water as their metabolic waste, a completely natural process that requires only anthropological monitoring for us to use. How amazing! We can find natural solutions to natural problems!! But wait, the biological world has more to help us in these regards…..
Biological RED FLAGS? Yes, Nature continuously delivers us hints at how we are degrading the local, and in turn, global environment. For example, the latest research suggests that the disappearance of Lichens from a forest may indicate the presence of high levels of nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and other sulfur-based pollutants in the local air. Researchers have successfully engineered the genetics of a species of grass that grows in a different colour in toxic soil! A magical leap indeed. These species which help qualitatively and often quantitatively assess environmental pollution levels are termed bioindicators. Biologists have also identified special kinds of amphibians called Anurans (basically the order of toads and frogs) as important bioindicators. They have permeable skin, due to which they absorb chemicals and are not able to discard them, as a result of which morphological and physiological changes occur in their local population, and sometimes even a decline in their population is observed. Scientists use these signatures from Anurans and various logistic maps to assess qualitatively agricultural pesticide pollution in soils.
Another big achievement of this year’s G20 summit has been reaching a sustainable blue economy. And no, this is not related in any way to the fact that my grade 10 economics textbook had a blue cover… a blue economy or an ocean economy refers to the uses and preservation of the water bodies of the world, including all marine industries. Climate change and pollution are murdering off an entire ecosystem. That means three-fourths of our world is dying. Therefore, the Chennai leg of the G20 summit laid down a set of principles for the world to follow to prevent the destruction of marine environments. It promises to halt marine pollution, reduce biodiversity loss, and protect the ocean amidst the broader idea of climate change - taking into account disasters like rising sea levels and oil spills. You know how we say that your parents always know what’s best for you? G20 aims to protect traditional and indigenous values regarding ocean values and promote gender equality and education to all, in fighting climate change. The participant countries in the G20 summit promised to employ Marine Spatial Planning (MSP), with proper participation from partners and stakeholders, to improve marine industries like fisheries, tourism, and energy generation. MSP is a science-based approach that considers the different needs of the different industries and balances them with the sustainability of the ecosystem and human uses. Creating a blue economy also means collaboration with scientists across the world, employing technology and innovation to combat change, preserve, and rejuvenate better water usage.
Returning to the theme of India's G20 presidency, Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam is a Sanskrit word mentioned in the Upanishads, meaning the Vasudhaa (the entire Earth and every entity in it) is our Kutumbakam (family). Our Prime minister said at the introductory conclave of the summit, "India's G20 Presidency will work to promote this universal sense of one-ness. Hence our theme - 'One Earth, One Family, One Future' ".
Before concluding, I want to emphasize that we must never forget that the G20 Summit 2023 is neither about India nor any other country, it is about what we do as global citizens, with various interests, motives, and abilities. With science at our repository, everyone in our brainy organism community should feel the immense weight of responsibility (Uncle Ben, yes) and act towards a more promising and sustainable future for all of us, along with a more habitable mother planet.
Author: Shritama Bhattacharya and Gahan Chattopadhyay
Editor: Mandas Biswas
Illustrator: Kanishka Shrivastava
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