January 17, 2023
Feeling Hopeful
Today, like most days these past two weeks, was a full day. Starting at 8:00 AM, which is a little later than usual, all of us gathered for breakfast at the hostel. After a short lesson on “Prof Julian’s life story,” which I thoroughly enjoyed as we learned more about his goals and ambitions, we traveled to meet with the founder of Radio Active, Pinky, to get a lesson/tour of the storm drain system in Bangalore. The tour mostly included informing us about the challenges facing Bangalore’s storm drain system, such as the rapid development of real estate that at times results in homes being built on or close to the storm drain system (which causes massive hygiene and living problems during flooding season) and the sewage being directed inside the storm drain system by individuals nearby. This neglect in keeping the system functional is evident from the dark gray look of the water, trash inside the drain, a stench smell surrounding us, and the poorly-constructed structure that has no way of stopping animals and people from accessing it.
With each tour I can’t help but think, how is it possible that almost everything you see is a problem or has to be improved? As we also learned today from Dr. Indu at CSTEP, it’s not just the tangible grand challenges that India faces. Clean air, clean energy and finding solutions to building a sustainable future is also a challenge. CSTEP explores solutions using research and technology to influence policymaking. With India being the 3rd largest greenhouse gas emitter, CSTEP’s use of short-step tracking and transitions, along with long-term modeling and analysis, will hopefully help India meet its goal of becoming net zero by 2070.
While a lot of my time thus far has been learning about the problems and innovative solutions, I have also had the privilege of finding the joys of being in a new place. Sunday evening after a long trip back to Bangalore from Mysore, I walked over to a nearby park where I made friends with a few locals, taught them the game “Around the World”, and played a match, which of course my team won. This evening I enjoyed the peacefulness of being away from traffic noises while chatting on the rooftop of our greatly-located hostel with amazing views of the city and only the sound of the birds chirping.
This week more than ever I’m feeling eager to start brainstorming solutions. I’m confident that the tools I’ve gained so far will be of great help to do so. I’m hopeful that soon enough I can answer the mysterious question of, “Why am I here?” and while I’m certain that I will not become a superhero during my stay here, I can try my best to find ways in which my time here can be useful and try to make even the smallest impact.
