CCNet
Editor: Benny Peiser Faculty
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Global Warming, Climate
Change and related Matters: An Indian Perspective
B.P. Radhakrishna, Geological Society
of
kitts@bgl.vsnl.net.in
Nature of
Problems Faced by
The topic of climate change has turned
into a major global debate. Politicians and media world over are vociferous
that drastic climate changes are imminent, with disastrous effects on mankind.
There is some evidence to show that our planet Earth is becoming warmer and
that human action is probably partly responsible, especially in the matter of
greenhouse gas emissions. What is in doubt, however, is whether the steps that
are proposed to be taken to reduce carbon emission will really bring down the
carbon dioxide level in the atmosphere and whether such attempts, even carried
out on a global scale will produce the desired effect.
We appear to be overplaying this
global warming issue as global warming is nothing new. It has happened in the
past, not once but several times, giving rise to glacial-interglacial cycles.
We appear to be now only in the middle of an interglacial cycle showing a trend
toward warming as warming and cooling are global and have occurred on such a
scale when humans had not appeared on the planet. If we read geology correctly,
the earth we live on is not dead but is dynamic and is continuously changing.
The causes of these changes are cosmogenic and nothing we are able to do is
likely to halt or reverse such processes.
This is not to say that there is
no need for action on our part. Mankind is polluting the planet in various ways
and on scales unimaginable and which are assuming alarming proportions.
The greatest problem which
Our research institutes do not
appear to be seriously engaged in finding answers as to how to bring these
problems under control. Research on sanitation does not seem to be even
attempted in any of our Institutes of Science and Technology, yet the biggest
challenge is how to reduce or completely eliminate the use of water in
flushing, transport and disposal of human waste. Continued use of water in the
way we are doing will exhaust all our fresh-water resources and drown the land
with polluted water. Surely bio-technologists in our Institutes can find ways
of converting toilet waste into compost. The conversion of flush toilets to
composting toilets will usher in a greater change than infrastructure
development on which billions are being spent.
Melting of
Himalayan Glaciers – How Real
is the Threat?
If global temperatures rise as
predicted, the problem of melting glaciers will pose a big threat to the vast
population in the Indus–Ganga–Brahmaputra alluvial tract. The reality and the
rate of melting has to be continuously checked and the effects of any changes
closely monitored. People should be told how far this threat is real and the
likely changes that will be caused if the threatened prediction really holds
true.
If the ultimate cause of these
predicted disasters is the increase in CO2 in the atmosphere, obviously steps have to be
taken to promote new technologies to cut greenhouse gas emissions, measure the changing
levels of carbon as accurately as possible, and monitor the levels of
concentration. Simultaneously action has to be taken to switch over to peaceful
uses of nuclear power and research has to be concentrated on developing solar
and wind power. By controlling pollution and effectively preventing
overexploitation of fossil fuel and other resources, energy consumption can be
reduced and the level of CO2 in the atmosphere
effectively controlled.
Earth –
A Remarkable Thermostat
The Earth should be viewed as an
integrated whole. One famous geologist of yester-years called the planet ‘a
remarkable thermostat’. At least for 4 billion years, the Earth has had an
envelope of water covering large parts of its surface in the form of oceans.
This envelope has had a moderating and beneficial influence on the planet, as
barring certain minor fluctuations, the ocean water has never boiled or totally
frozen. Despite all the tinkerings of man and possible changes caused by
planetary influences, Earth’s climate has never worsened sufficiently to
extinguish all forms of life. In fact, it is the continued existence of life
which has converted Earth into a thermostat and it is our duty not to upset
this remarkable balance. The present practice of overexploitation of natural
resources, which can only be termed as reckless and ruthless, requires to be
halted. Science, during the last two centuries, has accumulated a vast store of
knowledge but the tendency has been to use it for selfish purposes and rarely
for planning a better future, and never at becoming a hard-working trustee of
our own, and our planet’s, evolutionary future. Uncontrolled greed, refusal to
limit our wants to our needs and coveting other’s possessions has resulted in
ruthless exploitation of Nature, unmindful of the consequences. Wealth
belonging to all has been misappropriated by the powerful and privileged and
racial discrimination and hatred have grown as a direct result of this
misappropriation. Technological advances alone will not bring prosperity until
it is tempered by compassion and due weight given to human values. It is
surprising that while the advanced countries are preaching for steps at
reducing carbon emissions they remain silent about disarmament or any reduction
in the outlay of enormous amounts of money and resources on military
preparedness.
Create Centres
of Indian Culture
It may not be possible to set
back the course of history but it should at least be possible to set apart
certain areas located in some parts of the Himalaya, or the ever green
Sahyadri, cut-off from the din and temptations of modern centres, call them
sanctuaries or Ashrams or by any other name, where scholars learn the
art of living in their own way, not influenced by western ways. In these
centres, which should function as beacons of light, the ancient wisdom
enshrined in the sacred books of the East would be studied in equal seriousness
as the modern sources of knowledge borrowed from the West and the two systems
could be critically studied and evaluated. The ancient Indians were pioneers in
astronomy, mathematics, metallurgy, ayurveda and architecture and many other
areas of knowledge. They knew the medicinal and curative properties of a large
number of drugs. What was the scientific basis of that knowledge which was
successfully practiced by them for their benefit? There is no justification for
neglecting this ancient wisdom, totally indigenous and suited to the nation’s
needs. There are today enough Institutes in
Let there be a few centres
established where the essence of ancient Indian culture and science, as
practiced and taught in the traditional way, and their reaction to the problems
of the day sought without viewing them through western glasses. Let there be a
new way of thinking, essentially Indian in outlook, absorbing only that from
the western culture that is consistent with our needs and aspirations. In these
sanctuaries a sincere effort could be made through integrated studies to evolve
a single unalterable and perfect scheme of life, a task attempted by the
ancient sages of
A sensible strategy open to us
is to take heed of the warning in time, stop uncontrolled overexploitation of
resources in the name of economic progress and treat Nature reverentially as a
benevolent provider of our needs. The concept that all mankind is one and the
resources of the planet should be shared by all in equal measure should be
inculcated in the mind of every child. A blind copy of the western model with
rapid rise of urban culture, neglecting rural parts, will spell disaster.
Modern
Industrialiation and
Its Effects
Industrialisation is defined by
a well-known British philosopher Aldous Huxley as ‘the systematic exploitation
of wasting assets. What we call progress is merely an acceleration in the rate
of exploitation. Such prosperity as we have known up to the present is the
consequence of rapidly spending the planets irreplaceable capital’. ‘Treat Nature aggressively with greed,
violence and incomprehension; wounded Nature will turn back and destroy us’ is
a warning held before humanity. By imagining that we ‘conquer’ nature we
continue to live on our planet like a swarm of destructive parasites – we
condemn ourselves and our children to misery and deepening squalor and the
despair that finds expression in the frenzies of collective violence. We are
seeing such prophecies coming true with terrorism, lawlessness, loot, arson and
murder of daily occurrence. The amount of hatred that is developing and making
the planet unliveable is through blindly following the path of
overexploitation, consumerism and self-indulgence, engrossed in fulfilling the
multiplicity of wants fuelled by advertisements, and going all out to satisfy
them, throwing to the winds all the moral principles that have guided us
hitherto. It is not the burning of energy which has led to climate change, but
the false way of life which we are trying to adopt, attracted by its glamour
and glitter.
Modern approaches to building
our society is making us adopt measures which lead to pollution of minds as
well as the environment in which we live, with tendencies to cause greater
misery than envisaged. Scientists will have to decide which is the larger evil
to be combated first, the reality of manmade pollution or that of predicted
consequences of climate change.
Choice Before
The most urgent need for
The country has to go slow in
putting up coal-fired power plants and limits have to be placed on the
automobile and aviation industries to bring down the emission level of
green-house gases. A big boost has to be given to all schemes aimed at
producing solar and wind power and carbon dioxide discharged from power plants
should be channeled and dispersed
underground. The country also has to opt for larger production of safe nuclear
power while grandiose schemes of linking up of rivers and erecting huge dams
have to be abandoned. Cropping patterns have to change to adjust to predicted
changes in climate and while these are more easily stated than done, they
require deep study by our technological institutes and institutes of learning
and the knowledge obtained transferred to the field through extensional
education.
Disarmament and
Destruction of Weapons
of Mass Destruction
The biggest of the threats that
looms large is the spectre of war, with almost all nations spending half of
their annual revenue to keep themselves prepared for war and willing to cause
destruction on a colossal scale. We see no evidence of any nation individually
or collectively proposing all-round disarmament and the destruction of all
weapons of mass destruction. The Great Buddha and Mahavira who are two of the
earliest teachers, products of
Simple living, limiting our
wants to a few essential commodities have given place to aggressive consumerism
with more and more people consuming an amazing array of well-advertised goods.
This engine of consumption has scarred the land and stained the seas, eating
away the foundation of Nature and threatening to destroy humanity’s only means
of survival. There is unequal distribution of wealth – abundance coexists with
extreme want. Overexploitation and mismanagement of resources is threatening
the very existence of man. Mismanagement and overexploitation of energy
resource by the privileged few to the neglect of the poor should end.
It is time that solar energy
most abundantly available in a tropical land like ours, far more than all the
fossil fuels put together, should be made use of as the main energy source
which is clean and has no polluting effect. Our research should not end in
merely copying the west. Our country should concentrate on research in
developing a new source of clean sustainable fuel for running its industries
instead of fossil fuels.
It is becoming increasingly
clear that change in climate is the effect of a large number of variables over
which humans can exercise little control. While geological record has shown
that such changes have periodically affected the planet, what is more important
is that life in some mysterious way has become adjusted to these changes. There
is nothing that we can do about changing climate except take such actions as
not to foul the atmosphere, avoid too much self indulgence, limit our wants to
the minimum, and giving a thought as to how any of our actions affect the
well-being of our neighbour. The approach is not something new. It has been
embodied in the charter of the United Nations – “the establishment of peace,
the prevention of conflict and the establishment of human rights throughout the
world.”
In other words we have to evolve
an entirely different paradigm of improving the quality of life of our people
without causing in the process an irreparable damage to our planet.
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