Dr John Mohan Razu
Climate change is already changing the world. From Alaska to Iowa to Iceland to New York to New Delhi, it is in our midst and the changes that we see are real and existential. Climate change is felt all over in small and big ways.Our planet has been wounded, bleeding and groaning. We have ravaged and plundered our planet ruthlessly to meet our unlimited wants. The healing process should start today, and not 2030 or 2050. It should be on war footing, failing which we would be experiencing the ramifying effects leading to final doom. How we to respond and with what degree and scale are in our hands.
It is not too late. We are now in a moment of Kairos – a opportune moment and so it should be seized to our advantage at least for the future of humanity.Our failings and short coming could perhaps be set right only when our words and action go together. Young people are frustrated of the COP-26 Summit in Glasgow. The reason being that the world leaders have not gone far enough. Young millennials have the right to get frustrated,because of the fact that we have created catastrophic problems which they are inheriting. They are wondering whether they have any future left for them to move on or even to survive.
Changing weather conditions have furthered the gravity of risks. Rising sea levels and volatile weather conditions have totally changed the usual patterns we used to be assured of. As a consequence of our way of living, we have been witnessing climate migrants that numbers 31millionssince 2020. Bio-diversity and millions of species are at the brink of extinction. As against such a catastrophic landscape we live in and so there is no choice arguing for 1.5 degree Celsius or 2 degree Celsius. For the survival of humanity,we ought to strive for less than 1.5 degree Celsius. There is no option left before us. It is science.
When humans have ravaged nature indiscriminately and tampering the laws of nature to satiate our greediness, but showing ripple effects such as Artic melting, rising sea levels, forest fires, floods, sickness, pandemics and host of others. More and more people will be displaced as a consequence, if we do not address the problems that arise out of our neglect and greediness. Consensus or agreement on net zero by 2050 is just an escape route thinking that those leaders who attended COP26 may not be alive. But one thing is certain their children and grandchildren will be alive. What are they going to leave not only to their children, but also our children and future generations? Our responsibility and our bounden duty are to leave a sustainable planet.
Recently concluded Climate Change COP 26 Summit is all about how to save the earth planet and the future of humanity. De-carbonizing our world raises two important questions: how much and how soon? From coal to nuclear though needs huge capital which most countries cannot afford as it requires nuclear reactors that costs huge sums of money. Even resorting to other alternatives for clean energy such as solar and wind renewable initiatives needs initial capital. Therefore, the rich and wealthier countries should do more. Pledging 133 trillion dollars is not enough without even committing for. Leaving the burden to the private sectors would not be an answer to the mammoth problem that we face.
Young Millennials are angry and should stay angry. They are hitting hard saying that leaders and representatives of the 200 countries present in the Summit did not go far. They say that repercussions of their actions will certainly have ramifying effects on them in the near future. The planet is going to be hotter, more hostile temperatures and volatile weather conditions we are going face hereafter. Though most of the leaders tacitly agree with science, the tipping point for most countries is coal, oil and other resources on which their economies are dependent on.
However, there is plenty of money available with the rich countries and their banks, but do not want to commit for a safer planet by bailing out the two-third world.We have heard heavy jargons, but not in action. Apparently, China and Russia did not even participate in the Summit. India should somehow tide over in pragmatic ways that its 70 percent of energy comes from coal. Further, its dominant development paradigm is liberalization, privatization and globalization (LPG) which undermines ecological issues.
For instance, the State Government of Madhya Pradesh ruled by BJP felled 2000 huge trees for the sake of diamond mines which consumes 16 million gallons of water. The water required for the diamond mines is being diverted from the nearby river. The governments at the Centre and the states are yet to minimize the fossil fuel and carbon footprints because the subsidies amount to trillion of dollars. The government at the Centre and the States prefer dominant development model as against environment.
Likewise take any country in Africa, Asia and South America, the ruling class comprised of the political leaders, bureaucrats and capitalists prefer LPG model. At the same time even developed countries and rich nations such as America, China, Russia, England and others have not totally committed to reducing carbon emission. For all the countries quality of life means increasing the ‘unlimited wants’ which requires raw materials that are taken from the planet earth. And for packing and others daily useable plastics which is non-renewable. Plastics are scattered and dumped everywhere – in ocean, seas, rivers, ponds and on land as well.
International scientists warn at Glasgow that the climate is rising at alarming levels. It is a stark reality and more we neglect climate changes, more intensely we would hit in alarming ways. We have reached a point to keep the planet safe. What has been achieved in Glasgow? At the beginning of the Summit, it was 2.7 degree Celsius, then agreed for 1.8degree Celsius, but now we there is no other option except we should agree on 1.5 degree Celsius. We need to protect, invest and initiate actions, not in 2050 or 2030, but now. In the long-run people are dead and millions of species would go extinct.
Messages and narratives coming from young people are clear and loud. They vent their anger and frustration as they increasingly see their futures are at stake. For them, the only solution is to show their defiance against those who abuse the eco-systems, environment and the earth planet. They want their planet to be clean, environmentally and ecologically sustainable for the present and future generations.They are going all out setting the wrongs right. We have only one Planet Earth and as residents we are bound to take care of our Mother Earth.
.JPG)
