NEW DELHI
\nFour years ago, at the height of his restlessness over the growing threat of climate change on the planet, Chetan Singh Solanki decided to embark on a journey to spark a change for the environment.
\nSolanki launched the energy swaraj journey in 2020 to inspire energy independence across the world, campaigning with the motto \u201cEnergy by Locals for Locals.\u201d
\nHe told Arab News: \u201cI want to restore the environmental balance that we are already losing, and I want to do it at a global level because it is not a problem of one state or one country \u2014 it is a problem of the entire world.\u201d
\nA professor at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay\u2019s department of energy science and engineering, Solanki takes inspiration from Mahatma Gandhi, the leader of India\u2019s freedom movement who used nonviolent resistance as a tool for mass action.
\nSolanki believes in replicating a similar strategy to boost energy literacy among the people and inspire them to use cleaner energy as an alternative power source.
\n\u201cIt is the wrong energy that has created the problem (and) it is the right energy that will solve the problem. Clean energy and solar energy and to bring everybody on board is why I started this journey,\u201d Solanki said. \u201cMy vision is aligned with Mahatma Gandhi\u2019s vision of gram swaraj (village self-rule). I emphasize responsible energy consumption and localized production.\u201d
\nThe campaign was designed to be impactful and adopted by the masses.
\n\u201cThis is designed to trigger the mind that we all can be part of the climate solution. It is not rocket science \u2014 rich and poor, young and old, everybody can be part of it,\u201d he added.
\nThrough his journey, Solanki has earned the nickname \u201cSolar Gandhi,\u201d having covered 56,000 km on his solar-powered bus, which is equipped with essential amenities including an air-conditioned bedroom, office space, refrigerator and a working kitchen.
\nThe vehicle is an \u201cinnovative mobile abode\u201d that symbolizes his aspiration \u201cfor a forthcoming world driven by sustainable energy sources,\u201d he said, adding that he plans to continue the nationwide journey until December 2030.
\nTo him, it was clear that world governments \u201chave not done enough,\u201d despite annual climate conferences that are purported to address critical environmental issues.
\n\u201cThe business-as-usual approaches are not working nationally and internationally, and therefore the solution lies in becoming sensitive to planet Earth and its capacity to generate or regenerate,\u201d he said.
\nSince his journey started in late 2020, Solanki said the campaign has been well received.
\n\u201cI think there are good things happening and response has been good,\u201d he said. \u201cEnergy literacy is the first step towards climate correction.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
NEW DELHI Four years ago, at the height of his restlessness over the growing threat of climate change on the planet, Chetan Singh Solanki decided to embark on a journey to spark a change for the environment. Solanki launched the energy swaraj journey in 2020 to inspire energy independence across the world, campaigning with the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-414111","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n