GD Topic: Is Climate Change a Hoax?

There exist some GD topics where one can safely predict what the rest of the team members will side with. Surely, this climate change topic is one such.

By Aritro Dasgupta

Across western countries, most of them developed, an alarming new trend has emerged of consigning the concept of climate change to the bin. A lot of people, including opinion leaders are of the opinion that climate change is not a real concept, but something imagined. Many also feel that while there may be some change to the climate, a lot of that is a part of the natural cycle that the earth has experienced several times over. Proponents of this logic vehemently oppose any plans that would lead to a change in their existing lifestyles. They argue that the entire climate change lobby, as they would call the activists, is out to change the western way of life.

Since Climate Change is a topic that is often part of group discussions as it touches many aspects of our present and future, no one can choose to be ignorant about it. A Group Discussion (GD) requires the participants to be vigilant on multiple fronts. It is absolutely essential to take a clear stance on a topic. But it is also important that students learn how to debate on any topic, considering either side of the debate. There exist some GD topics where one can safely predict what the rest of the team members will side with. Surely, this climate change topic is one such. Students who are well-versed with the other side of the debate, will be well-advised to argue, that indeed climate change is a hoax. Although this will go against the grain of thought within the group, it will also inadvertently shift the gaze of the entire group towards one person. And if that person can provide logical explanations, even if that goes against his/ her personal views, the aspirant can ace this round.

One approach to take this contrarian stance could be by not actually calling climate change a hoax, but by instead justifying how, it can be managed even without compromising on the present lifestyle. Perhaps some excesses could be removed while essentials retained. The greater use of renewable energy, and plant-based substitutes for meat and dairy could be one approach. One could also argue that the greatest benefits of industrialization have naturally gone to the western countries, so it is time for developing countries from Asia, Africa and Latin American to make the grade. This will require a lot of carbon emissions from these countries, while countries already developed, must reduce their emissions more so.

A well-prepared GD aspirant will be able to argue both in support of this statement and against this. So, let us explore some ideas from both the viewpoints:

GD Topic: Climate Change not a Hoax

The prevailing sentiment among most CAT aspirants and call-getters would certainly be this and generally would be more acceptable and easier to justify. Following are some notable pointers:

1. Proof is all around us, thanks to increased heat, sudden heatwaves, unseasonal rains, melting of glaciers, increased frequency of hurricanes and much more.
2. All reliable scientific studies have pointed towards climate change as definitely real.
3. Major international meets have been held and agreements signed at places such as Montreal, Kigali, Paris, Glasgow, Kyoto, Rio de Janeiro and more; there’s no justification to such meets taking place, had it been a hoax.
4. Desertification is rising alarmingly all over parts of Africa and Asia especially.
5. The oceans are full of gigantic quantities of plastic waste; it is said that the size of entire landmasses may be occupied by the amount of plastic that is present in the seas
6. Sea plastic is particularly dangerous as microplastics get inside bodies of seas creatures, many of which are then consumed by humans.
7. Vast mountains of waste can be seen on landfills outside cities everywhere, and this is a particularly common sight in India.
8. Agricultural patterns have also now been changed to suit more water-hungry, energy-guzzling cereals like rice and wheat, instead of hardier crops such as millets, often derided across school textbooks as ‘inferior grains’.

GD Topic: Climate Change is a Hoax

This is far more difficult to justify, but can be done with some ingenuity. The following points could help justify:

1. The earth has gone through several cycles in the past of climate change naturally, so the present trend has no significance with human consumption, and thus little we can do to mitigate the same.
2. The now defunct Ice Age and the earlier Jurassic Era that had dinosaurs, clearly point out to how climate has never been static, long before the first steam engine was developed or commercial meat production started.
3. Cities even today occupy very little of the actual earth’s surface area; instead, most area now deforested is taken up by farmlands; these farmlands in turn give way to different species.
4. Human mastery of the world’s land has led to a change in land-use patterns which haven’t all been negative; while there are fewer wild deer or birds of prey, there are many more cows, sheep, dogs and pigs.
5. While climate change does exist, the main cause of this trouble have been developed, western economies, as they are the ones who have burnt the maximum quantities of fossil fuels; thus they need to first reduce their carbon emission levels, before developing countries must, as the latter have a long way to go in terms of emissions.

India’s official response is actually somewhat along the point number 5 above. Unlike European countries, many of whom have drawn up 2030 as the year of achieving net-zero carbon emissions, India has asked for that cut-off date to be extended to 2070. Our Prime Minister has personally been involved in drawing up a plan by which 2070 remains the date. India has already taken several steps to ensure the same. The use of electric and hybrid cars and a dedicated electric charger-enabled expressway is one such way to go about it. Increased vigilance around eco- sensitive regions has been another. The banning of single-use plastics has been a revolutionary step in the right direction. We can only hope for more such initiative and participate to the best of our abilities as responsible citizens of the country. During a GD, the participant must ensure factual and informed argumentation, rather than merely impassioned speeches.

About the Author:

Aritro Dasgupta is a Teacher, Trainer and Content Writer. He has taught at several leading colleges and coaching institutes in both India and the UAE. Several of his students have finished in the top 10 of various national level exams such as CLAT, AILET and DUJAT. He is also a prolific content writer, having written for several leading publications in India, while currently, also working for one in the USA.

 

 

 

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