No climate change, 'tolerance and habits' changed says PM Modi

New Delhi: There is no climate change but only "our tolerance and habits" have changed, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday while advocating that "struggle" with nature should be avoided and asked children to imbibe practices to save energy.

"Climate has not changed. We have changed. Our habits have changed. Our habits have got spoiled. Due to that, we have destroyed our entire environment," he said while addressing students and replying to their questions through video conferencing in the first-ever initiative.

His assertion about no climate change comes despite global concerns over rising temperature, an issue that is being debated at various multilateral fora.

To buttress his argument, Modi said each year, elders complain in winter that the chill is more than the previous year. "Actually the chill is not more. Due to their age, their tolerance has become less. That is why they feel more cold," he said.

Contending that nature has the special feature of restoring the balance, he said, "If we change, it (nature) is already ready to change. Humans should not struggle with environment. Humans should love environment. Be it water, air, plants."

Noting that the entire world is facing energy crisis, Modi said one has to move towards saving power.

"The entire world is facing energy crisis. Coal, gas and petroleum have their limits. So where will one produce electricity from? Sometime or the other, we have to move towards the direction of saving electricity.

"Saving electricity is the best way of providing it to those to whom it has not reached and that too with minimal cost. Power production cost is very high. But saving electricity is very cheap," he said.