Environmental Issues and Mass Media: A Democratic Approach to Mitigate Global Climate Change with Emphasis on North-East India

Environmental problems, global climate change, and democracy are related phenomena. Global climate change, which shows up as weather extremes and altered rainfall patterns, exacerbates a number of environmental problems, including energy security, deforestation, land use changes, biodiversity loss, soil degradation, and water scarcity. Natural resources, food security, economic activity, and human health together with physical infrastructure are all significantly impacted by climate change. Furthermore, the complicated socioeconomic and cultural dynamics of the area are frequently overlooked by the conservation framework, which can hinder conservation efforts by causing disputes with nearby communities. Integrating traditional knowledge and practices, equitable benefit distribution, and local community awareness and participation in conservation programs should all be given top priority in this framework. The region is impacted by transboundary issues such as sea level rise, illegal wildlife and timber trade, changing rainfall patterns, and rising temperatures. Energy security in democracies necessitates the viability of legislative measures pertaining to carbon prices and caps, which are politically difficult due to higher emission taxes and limits. Democracy in carbon/energy demands using renewable biobased feedstocks while allowing for public choice and participation. A thorough conservation framework considering the region’s distinct socioeconomic and cultural features must be created to address these issues. Therefore, it is worthwhile to study the raising awareness by global mass media in several policy frameworks and conservation, climate change impacts on vulnerable communities, inadequate funding for conservation programs, weak implementation together with enforcement of environmental regulations, insufficient coordination among different agencies and stakeholders, regional and transboundary international cooperation, and energy security with emphasis on North-East India to ensure the United Nations Sustainable development goals. In order to combat global climate change in democracies, the chapter focuses on environmental issues including energy democracy and the role of mass media in fostering public awareness, advocating for public policy, rallying support, and facilitating action. A framework pertaining to a democratic and inclusive climate change response is also presented in this chapter, with a focus on North-East India.