04

Constant change is the universal law. Nothing is beyond the scope of the Law of Change. How can, then, climate be an exception to this? However, if change, especially the climate, which is the foremost basis of life and its continuance, takes place naturally, it will often be welfarist.

Despite this, natural resources are exploited everywhere in the world, in every country, in the continuous increasing process of development during the last thousands of years. Nature (mountains, rivers and all other natural sources are the part thereof), which plays a vital role in the purity, sustainability and prosperity of the climate, have been severely affected by irresponsible human behaviour. 

In a state of its judicious exploitation, nature is still fully capable of maintaining its balance. It takes care of itself along with maintaining a climate friendly for all the elements of the planet Earth. The pages of thousands of years of history bear witness to this truth. Similarly, natural resources remain a boon in the absence of their unnecessary violations; floras remain fosters and protectors.

The process of industrialisation, started in the second half of the Eighteenth-Century AD in Europe. It was an unprecedented transformative event in the entire history of present human civilisation. Not only from the development viewpoint, but it was also going to have an unbelievable impact on future life on the planet Earth. All of us today, in a state of continuously increasing global warming, when the existence of life on the planet Earth is under the question mark, know and understand that effect very well.

Unjust and violent exploitation of natural resources and unjust tampering with nature was a step in the process for the purpose of setting up heavy industries and providing facilities for them. It continues till date. Arrangements for transportation for import of raw materials, and export of mass production in industries, and competition for transport facilities was another radically drastic step. It continues till today. Both of these have badly affected the environmental equilibrium and the original form of nature. The climate has deteriorated so much that it is now one of the most challenging problems for life on Earth. This has posed the biggest challenge to the existence of life on Earth today.

Continuously drying rivers, ponds and springs, declining water levels, shrinking forests (one hundred seventy-eight million hectares of forest has been reduced in the period 1990 and 2020 AD alone) and glaciers, melting ice in large quantities at the poles and, as a result, rapidly rising sea levels are the results of catastrophic side effects of global warming. This has caused a paradigm shift in the change of weathers. It has reached a precarious stage. An extremely imbalanced situation of floods and droughts has arisen. In this very situation, 25% of India’s landmass may be transformed into deserts.

Thousands of wild animals and insects that play a very important role in nature-conservation, and in maintaining environmental equilibrium have either become extinct, or they are on the verge of extinction. According to a scientific report published in 2016, seven hundred and twenty-five such animals and insects have already become extinct and 22,550 animals and insects are in the state of extinction. There is an apparent danger to human life itself. In the increasing global warming situation, many coastal metropolises and small cities are likely to be submerged in a few decades. This is a matter of serious concern.

Subject specialists and all those who are concerned about this very serious situation, have been working continuously in this direction for years. Along with alerting fellow-beings, they are also trying to improve the situation in different forms. They are writing. By organizing seminars or conferences, they are trying to educate fellow human beings about this serious situation – urging them to act before it’s too late.

The United Nations Organization, the highest global organisation and other international-national, regional-local bodies are also working in this direction. But there seems to be no concrete result so far. Nor has there been any visible improvement. On the contrary, there is talk of a gradual increase in global warming. It is estimated that in the coming three decades, a severe catastrophe may appear if the temperature rises by 1.5 °C.

So, what to do now in such a terrible situation? First of all, every human being, man and woman, should be made acquainted with the gravity of the situation. Everyone, even the last one should be made aware of the life-threatening results of the current situation, which seizes the existence of life on planet Earth. After that, nature-conservation should be made the fundamental duty of everyone. One and all should start using less and less pollution-generating machines and tools, which are meant for so-called luxury and physical pleasures. For this, conscious efforts are needed. Conservation of nature, which essentially includes the protection of animals, birds and natural resources has to be made top priority. We have to understand that climate adaptability is our ultimate duty. It is the responsibility of all of us to allow the climate revert original state.

— The author is a Former Vice Chancellor of CCS University, Meerut; he is also the Editor-in-Chief of Global Peace International Journal.

— The opinion/s expressed in the article are that of the author’s and do not necessarily represent or reflect the policy or position of this magazine