The global warming concerns many but the 53-year-old Vikrant Karnik -- a former trade union leader -- from Thane, Maharashtra, has been fighting the rise in mercury levels world over and plans to cycle around 1300 km under his mission.
Currently, in Madhya Pradesh’s commercial capital Indore, an environmental enthusiast, Karnik is meeting school/college students and people from different walks of life; handing out the four-page pamphlet he has prepared containing extensive details of climate change and its ramifications.
Karnik, who for years worked as a trade union leader, developed an understanding of issues concerning the environment as he got in touch with one Girish Raut.
His association with industries, whose activities primarily pollute the environment, raised a lot of questions. As a result of these questions, Karnik disassociated himself from the trade unions.
Karnik engages in awareness initiatives on global warming regularly while dwelling upon UN reports. He even met social activist Anna Hazare and briefed him about the menace of global warming.
“Contrary to my expectation, illiterate farmers pick up details on global warming much faster than literate people from cities who tend to overlook threats global warming poses and care more for their fancy bikes and cars,” Karnik said.
His pamphlets -- having climate change details starting from 1750 to till date -- blame global superpowers US and China for increasing global warming who, according to him, kept ignoring their responsibility, but have now quietly inked Paris agreement after realising their mistake.
“Still there is not much awareness on global warming and I tell school kids on their face that they are being trained to be robots used in this economy and school learning does not offer them any art or understanding of life,” he said.
When asked about expenses he incurs on his travels, Karnik said that he has spent only Rs 600-700 since he started his journey from Thane. The roadside eateries, where he has food, do not charge anything, appreciate his endeavour and people even arrange for his stay and food.
Talking about climate change in a city like Indore, he said: “Indore could well witness a snowfall by the year 2020 in winter and mercury could rise up to 50 degrees in summer if things remain as they are.”
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