Bhumi Pednekar: ‘I’m hoping that the pressing issue of climate change hasn’t taken a backseat with governments’

Young Bollywood star Bhumi Pednekar is a climate change advocate who spearheads the hugely lauded social media initiative Climate Warrior that aims at raising awareness towards protecting nature. On World Nature Conservation Day today, Bhumi hopes that the pandemic hasn’t made governments across the world to shift their focus from climate change. Bhumi says, “With all the focus on COVID-19 and restarting the world, we have to realise that climate change is happening as we speak. Yes, the entire attention has gone to coronavirus pandemic as it should have but I’m hoping that the pressing issue of climate change hasn’t taken a backseat with governments.”

Bhumi is deeply concerned about extreme weather conditions that are affecting people across the world. She says, “The pandemic has given us time to recalibrate, reset ourselves and our outlook towards the environment. We must pay heed to what is happening around us at all times. Even though mother nature got some time to heal, the looming danger has not yet been averted. We are still seeing forest wildfires, flash floods, polar caps melting happening around us.”

The versatile actress adds, “We all need to realise that Climate change is real and now. We have accelerated it to levels of heavy repercussions and there seems no stopping. Flash floods, drought, forest fires, disease outbreaks, mass extinction – we have seen it all. Our basic behaviour needs to change towards this global crisis.”

Bhumi is single-mindedly trying to raise awareness in India about the severe impact of climate change. She says, “We were taught about planet conservation and the impact it would have in the future. But for us, the future felt like some 400 years later. But that’s not the truth, it’s now. Effective and sustainable resources definitely will be the game changer for us. I, as a conscious Indian citizen, have tried to use social media as a tool to reach out to as many people as I can and find new ways to reach out to the youth to spread awareness about Climate Conservation. We all will need to be climate warriors and constantly do what we can.”

Bhumi adds, “Through my initiative, Climate Warrior, I have happened to meet and come across such genius minds who are working tirelessly to bring about a change at their own personal level. And that is the key. We really need to come forward and speak up for the world leaders, policy makers to take action.”