BY THE EDITOR
Long ago forests played vital roles in lives of people without which their existence would have been in peril. Wood served as raw material for house-construction; as chief fuel for cooking and heating, for making weapons, plows, wagons, fences, furniture, plates, bowls, spoons and utensils, and many other things. Earliest ships were made of wood. Today the scenario has totally changed in which wood has become of secondary importance though in certain areas it is still of high significance like paper, paperboard, synthetic fibres, and hundreds of chemical products. Trees protect the atmosphere and human lives by giving out oxygen and inhaling carbon dioxide.
Trees preserve, and conserve water besides giving food and shelter to a large and varied population of birds and animals. If trees are wantonly destroyed then forest cover will automatically dwindle and thereby create an impact on the existence of insects, fishes, birds, and animals. For their survival wild animals are forced to encroach on human habitats and feed on domestic animals reared by humans. Hence there should be a balance between forestry and human habitation for survival of living species. Parliamentarians and lawmakers of the country are very much concerned with climate change and increase in temperature that affect all forms of life on earth. For example, Scotland’s sheep species like the wild Soay sheep are trying to adapt themselves, according to environment and climate change evolving in response but they may not keep pace with the fast pace of change. A few years back, researchers noticed that the wild Soay sheep in the St. Kilda archipelago, Scotland had shrunk in size and in the end may affect their survival and become extinct. Scientists have maintained that global warming may outrun even the fittest animal and those animals like the Soay sheep which could not keep pace may not last long. In conclusion when evolution cannot keep pace with climate change it leads to extinction.
Accordingly, members of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science and Technology, Environment, Forests and Climate Change along with officials of the central and state governments expressed their concerns and suggested that amendments to the wildlife protection, forest conservation and biological diversity laws are urgently needed. To support their claims the Committee had conducted a 5-day study tour to some of the important wildlife locations like Bandipur and Nagarhole Tiger Reserves and Ranganatha Bird Sanctuary in Bengaluru, Karnataka. This was followed by a discussion with officials from the Union government, state governments of Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Congress leader and chairman of the Committee, Jairam Ramesh, pointed out that the study tours should be extended beyond the 10 days maximum in a year so that they can collect more relevant data and ultimately be more effective. At the same time such study tours can be educative and eye-opening for the MPs (Members of Parliament).