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US Taxpayers To Fund Global Warming Debates For Colleges In India

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The US government aims to pay college students in India to debate the “right approach for dealing with climate change.”

The State Department is offering up to $70,000 for non-profit groups to organize workshops and debate contests where university students can learn to “raise awareness and elevate the conversation” about dealing with global warming, according to a grant announcement posted Tuesday.

Taxpayer money will fund two-day seminars at eight universities in northern India where students will learn about the “causes and consequences of climate change” and “the importance of mitigating climate change.” The program will also include a debate tournament for the eight universities, with the final round being judged by US diplomats.

“The overall goal of the program,” the announcement says, “is to raise awareness about the ongoing complex conversations on climate change issues while preparing young leaders to participate in these discussions in an informed manner.”

As the fourth-largest carbon emitter, India’s high carbon emissions have brought the ire of the UN and the State Department over the past few years. At the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP21) in Paris last November, India agreed to cut their carbon emissions after pressure from President Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry.

While India promised to get 40 percent of its energy from renewable sources by 2030, carbon fuel remains the cheapest and most efficient source, especially for developing economies.(RELATED: Scientists Say The Math Simply Doesn’t Add Up On Obama’s Big Global Warming Plan) 

Developing renewable technology is difficult even for a thriving western economies, and India doesn’t want to miss out on opportunities developed countries have. “Climate justice demands that, with the little carbon space we still have, developing countries should have enough room to grow,” India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a speech last November.

The grant announcement, posted on the government’s official grant website, did not specify when State Department wants workshops and debates to take place. Interested organizations have until Sept. 12, 2016, to submit proposals for the grant.

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