World Environment Day. Is It a Science
Fiction or Reality?
Ask a child to name the days of the week, he/she would happily answer : Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and My day, the Sunday. You will notice as he/she approaches Saturday and Sunday while pronouncing the names of the days of the week, a faint smile appears on his/her face, bearing the tell-tale signs about his/her secret adventures of merrymaking, that he/she has planned for the weekend. Is this a feeling of joy savoured by kids alone?
Let me think!
No, it is not so. If we look at the genesis of the planet Earth and the creation of all living things on this beautiful planet, even God rested on the 7th day.
As humans evolved and the industrial revolution led us into a new age of scientific reasoning, and from being hunter gatherers we became a settled and sensitive community of thinking beings. We, as a species experienced longer periods of peace, and with peace came prosperity, and prosperity sowed the seeds for human pursuit of art, science, literature, and many other human faculties that aim at achieving zenith in everything that offers growth at intellectual and social level as well.
There is no better example to prove growth in human intellect and sensitivity towards issues that matter to us all, than days that celebrate life in general, with the main aim of achieving common goodwill along with generating awareness on issues that matter to us all. For example : Women’s Day, Women’s Equality Day, Labour Day, World Environment Day, to name a few. The list is quite elaborate when it comes to days dedicated to causes or global matters where humanity is the direct or indirect victim.
But among this extensive list of days dedicated to causes that matter to us all, days like World Environment Day, actually celebrate our ability to recognise snares, which if go undetected by us as a community of responsible beings, will plunge us into existential crisis as a species.
Does this worry you? Please don't worry!
There is good news. We have finally learned not to assign the rule of "Hobson’s Choice" to these critical issues.
And when everyone celebrates and excitedly participates in the World Environment Day, we actually prove that we are not dwelling in the hinterland of responsible thinking. Thank God we are not!
Global warming certainly is an issue that needs to be addressed immediately; because with glaciers melting at an alarming rate and tropical regions experiencing unbearable heat waves, matters are only going to get worse with every passing year.
Yet, I feel encouraged as an ordinary citizen, when I see countries like, the USA, Germany, The UK, India, Japan, France and many other nations shunning their isolationist stance towards environment related matters.
If we do not deal with global warming and other environment related topics today, there is no doubt we are being the cause of our own extinction, and we are more reliant on miracles than believing in the miracle of collaborative effort. Whereby we shall be able to hand over the planet Earth as a worthy legacy to our future generations, who should remember us as the just and fortitude driven keepers of their most valuable asset. The Earth!
And for this reason it is our collective responsibility to preserve it, nurture it and save it from irreversible degradation. If we fail now, we shall be viewed as the most avaricious generation of men and women, who while living in the present, completely ignored the future that always succeeds the present. And this succession just like the change of days is irrepressible.
But as has been the case with us, right from Adam’s days. Hope has never forsaken us, and by virtue of this reality God too has never forsaken us. This belief is reaffirmed whenever we come across champions who have made it their mission to spread awareness about environmental changes that impact our lives in more than one way. Who with their sheer will and charisma have made Global Warming the most discussed topic globally, irrespective of our language, religion, and country of origin. These champions responsible for spreading awareness on climate change and related topics are young as Greta Tintin Eleonora Ernman Thunberg, and seasoned stalwarts like captain Paul Watson.
Greta Tintin Eleonora Ernman Thunberg
Nevertheless the fact remains unchanged, with every day delayed, Global Warming like environmental threats are getting older than all of us. And trust me, when it comes to topics like Climate Change, Global Warming, Air Pollution, Water Pollution etc. the wine effect does not apply. Because as these environment related issues age in our indifference towards them, they render the future of every tomorrow more grim, obscure and hazardous; making it impossible for any of us to live in this future.
For wine it is true, the older the wine the better it tastes. But when it comes to the environment, the longer we leave these issues unaddressed, the worse and more un-manageable they become. In advanced stages when they enter into a crisis-like situation, we cannot do anything; but watch helplessly at the Earth, slowly dying right before our eyes. With leaves on trees wilting prematurely, with flowers drooping, with fresh water bodies emitting foul smell, with green and vast pastures turning into barren lands; when that happens, we may realise our calling. Alas it will be too late to do anything.
Even if we intend to move to other habitable zones in the universe, we would need a base from where we will be able to prepare for these voyages of human hope, traversing through the darkness of the universe with no end, and destiny unknown.
Therefore, it would make sense to act now and raise awareness on topics like Global warming, by celebrating days like the World Environment Day. Where the true celebration shall assume its actual purpose only when we do not treat these days as meet and greet sessions, but we debate and define deadlines to make necessary changes in our political, social and economic ecosystems that have been identified as environment friendly practices or policies. Only then World Environment Day will be a high minded celebration where the cause of celebration is in cohesion with the real issues that matter and concern the survival of the Earth as a still habitable planet.
The global policy makers need to adopt a homogenised approach when involving and seeking participation from all countries. Wherein less developed countries should not be allowed to underestimate their role, and highly advanced nations should supervise them to find solutions to problems that the developed countries know solutions to by means of being the direct casualty of climate change. We ought to act now before it gets too hideous and the situation advances into an irreparable stage.
On this World Environment day when everyone was busy generating awareness on important and environment related topics. I had a brief conversation with a friend who pointed to something very important. And mentioning it here would do literary justice to this blog post. Like always his question was direct and he did not mix words, “Should World Environment Day only focus on finding ways to preserve the physical environment that is important for supporting human and other life forms or should we look at the larger picture? I think it should also focus on society as a whole, where social accountability towards the environment should be a common factor to be considered by all of us. It is not only economically advanced countries who share the moral and social obligation to solve the climate change related problem.
In the current circumstances climate change is posing itself as a real threat to our survival as a species. Therefore, every country bears equal responsibility to address climate change related issues with a prioritised approach. And only by injecting social accountability as a default factor in every undertaking of the government, shall we be able to arrive at a solution that will save us from getting stuck in the quagmire of political indecisiveness. And if we fail to do so now, we shall be labeled as “Environment infidels!”
And I think my friend made a very good point, when he stressed on integrating social accountability with every government policy if we are to find a plausible solution to this impending crisis. And in 2023 when people can access anything via their smartphones, it would be incorrect to say that people are incurious about such topics.
I think they want to participate in the change, but it is the dullness and general political infidelity towards this topic that makes them uninterested. And as time passes by, they too, unwillingly join the club of men and women who after sometime learn to say, and accept the phrase as the only solution. “Who cares!”
These are just two words, but it offers some relief to these indifferent men and women, who in their subconscious existence are actively willing to do something about issues like Global Warming. But as they get used to using this phrase often and establish it as their sanctuary where everything is silenced. They learn to suppress this inner champion still willing to emerge from the swamp of inaction, but as it is with swamps, once you get trapped, the more you struggle to free yourself, the deeper you sink, and tighter is the grip of the slimy muck around you. Finally one day, after having struggled for long, the champion takes a last look at the open blue sky, before being dragged into the depths of this swamp of inaction. Where he/she now surrenders to the new fact of self denial. Exactly at this stage everything enters into an inescapable state of unwillingness where all passions and adventures die their own death.
By factoring social accountability as a mandatory component in every policy that state governments formulate, we will be able to overcome the deficit of participation on part of countries, who for numerous reasons, have become stuck in the swamp of inaction.
However, there is something very encouraging and quite appreciative of them. They are struggling, they want to free themselves from this swamp and play an active role in bringing the right climate change globally.
But, it is upto the developed nations to extend them the hand, willing to pull them out of this swamp. If we as a community of the planet Earth fail to do so, we would only prove that we are obsessed with reading without reflecting, because for some strange reason we love eating without digesting!”
I do not know how many of you will read this blog? But all those who do, and still, after reading the blog post are able to sleep complacently in their beds. Then I must say, you too are sinking in this swamp of inaction, because you too like reading without reflecting. Through this blog post I am offering you my hand that is willing to pull you out, and once again experience the magic of blue sky.
Can you feel my hand?
When I was young, I did the same. I read, and then I slept like a log. The only thing that motivated me to act or inspired me enough to spring into action, was when I read romance novels. Instantly after reading the novel I would venture out to find someone to romance with. Those were the erratic, youthful indulgences of my mind and body alike. Now if you are thinking, this boy was an aimless wanderer seeking something elusive and magical like the fictional spice Melange.
Please pause. Please!
Now think of your own youth and young days. How did you feel when you read a romantic novel? I am sure, your youth was not unlike any one else's youth. Curious, indulgent, persuasive and at times fickle.
After having read a highly romantic novel I am certain you did not feel like climbing the Mount Everest. But if that is how you felt, then either the writer of the romance novel lacked literary eloquence or you read the novel without reflecting.
Ah ha! Now you are whispering amongst yourself that I am being blunt by accusing you of being less romantic. Not at all. Please do not navigate your thoughts in this direction.
So let me return to the main trail of thought.
As we grow and our perspective towards life and the ecosystem that supports human life assumes a much vivid understanding. Reading a romantic literary piece, influences us in many and different ways. Because now our mind is able to think multidimensionally. That is why, when recently I read the science fiction, Dune. I did understand the value of human love and romance, but at the same time, I was forced by my mind to think about the main cause of the war between three warring planets- A spice named Melange. Considered necessary for intergalactic travel.
Today as a mature human being, I think the guild could have solved the distribution problem associated with the spice, simply by respecting the interests of communities representing all three planets. And by adopting this counterbalancing approach they could have avoided a nuclear war.
In 2023, issues like Global warming, revival of Earth's environment, and many other issues are akin to the main cause of dispute in the science fiction novel Dune. Which could have been solved without engaging in a nuclear war.
By avoiding iniquity when assigning importance to every country’s right to progress, we will be able to do justice to the World Environment Day. Which for whatever reason tends to fall on a date that is often yesterday, but if we are to become the true champions of climate change we will always have to act today.
I read science fiction, and novels in other genres as well, but now I engage in something called responsible reading. This is why I wrote my science fiction novel, They Loved in 2075. Where the main character, Saabir is fighting many battles at the same time: saving his clan, and other clans from extinction, he passionately loves a beautiful woman; while highly conversant, never ageing, good looking, intelligent and self aware machines compete with Saabir as lovers seeking his girlfriends courtship.
The irony deepens when his girlfriend struggles to emote because she is surrounded by self aware machines, and her excessive interaction with intelligent and AI powered machines sabotages her ability to express her native human feelings. But Saabir who loves her a lot, does not accept defeat and stays adamant in his pursuit, and even in 2075 when science has achieved unthinkable milestones of advancements, he loves and feels like a human being should. But to know whether or not he succeeds in his other endeavours, you should explore the science fiction novel, They Loved in 2075. Which raises environment related questions with one prominent difference. That the questions are honest and only influenced by the reality of which I am a part no less than you are.
Through this science fiction, I have raised a very simple, yet important question that we all ought to address now, “How will humans experience love in 2075? This science fiction novel navigates through the possibility of men and women falling in love with machines, without knowing they are robots imitating human emotions. Will you still dare to fall in love in 2075 or will you strive to tell the difference between a human lover and a robotic lover?
Who and what will you choose to be, and with whom would you like to be? A human partner or a highly advanced robot as your soul mate?
You, rather all of us, have to make this choice today. I have made mine and the science fiction novel, They Loved in 2075, testifies for it. I chose not to be remembered as an inglorious being able to emote and act like an advanced and self aware machine. I chose to stay human!
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