Be a climate leader, it's time

If you have an idea that can help save the world from global warming, here's your big

chance.

For the first time there is a nationwide hunt for young minds teeming with innovations that

can help fight climate change in unique, out-of-the- box ways. The hunt will, eventually,

unearth 50 sharpest young individuals from across the county and bring them to a platform

where their ideas/initiatives to battle climate change will be pitted against others' to

finally choose the country's first Brightest Young Climate Leader.

The Hindustan Times Brightest Young Climate Leader-2010 (BYCL) opens for applications on

Monday till the end of this month. "We are looking for extraordinary individuals who can

make a difference with their innovativeness," said Ishani Chattopadhyay, director of Arctic

Holdings, a carbon-management company, which is the organiser of the initiative.

"Those who have either started unique low-carbon processes, or have ideas that, with proper

guidance, can be developed into something big against Climate Change may apply." The

short-listed ones will come together at the BYCL Summit in Delhi in February, the country's

first such event bringing together all stakeholders - doers, thinkers, talkers, and even

mere listeners -of India's climate change.

"There are hundreds of ideas for energy conservation that do not see the light of day

because there is no one to guide, or even mentor. We will bridge that gap," Chattopadhyay

said. The shortlisted entries will be featured in Hindustan Times. The summit will also have

a pool of venture capitalists who will scan the entries looking for young talents to mentor

with funds.

There are broadly two categories of participation: Creator and Implementers. You can even

nominate someone you know in either of the two categories. There is also scope for those who

are neither. They can just participate in the summit as attendees.

"This time it's 50 from the entire country. Next year it will be 100 from each region. There

is a huge talent pool hidden in the small towns and rural India," she said.