Temperatures are breaching the formidable and unprecedented mark of 50 degrees Celsius in many parts of India. Although it is termed a measurement error in Delhi by the IMD, the top meteorological body, and the Indian government, one can’t deny that even if it's a few degrees lesser, it still is frightening. One must raise brows intricately observing that it isn’t the state of Rajasthan alone (the so-called desert state of India) witnessing the sweltering heat, but the entire country where the temperature is soaring to record high levels.
It has been pointed out by multiple reputed media reports that the temperature in India has crossed all-time highs consecutively for many years now, and it is just getting worse with every passing year. Severe heatwaves are claiming the lives of thousands of people across the country, and the unbearable heat conditions are bringing day-to-day life to a drastic halt resulting in a tremendous decline in the economy and workforce’s efficiency and output.
If sincere efforts are still not going to be made by the global environmental bodies, national governments, and every individual like you and me, the entire humanity (and for sure the 1.4 bn people of India) which is already standing at the cusp of a ‘heated catastrophe’, will really be gutted under its fire.
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| Photo by Ryan Cheng on Unsplash |
Yes, the downtrodden and the underprivileged are the most vulnerable to the repercussions of the harsh climate. But, in the days to come, it is not going to be the only section facing the heat – the haves (in terms of Marx), including the upper middle class and the rich will also bear the brunt. In fact, the capacity of a poor bonded labour to withstand higher temperatures and unfavourable climatic conditions is generally way better in comparison to a top executive or govt official. Hence, irrespective of our economic class, and all the luxuries that we can afford to beat the heat, we all are equally prone, if not more to suffer from the extreme temperatures.
Doesn’t really matter whether one can afford an expensive AC at his place of residence and workplace or not, we all are going to reap in serious aftermath of the nasty climate in the long run. The haves may be getting short-term relief in the shield of materialistic luxuries (that in the long run will further deteriorate the agony for all).
The two-fold solution that lies here is – 1. The national governments put stupendous efforts towards economically empowering all the citizens so that all can well-equip themselves with the expensive ‘bear the heat’ luxuries or 2. Some other natural way is found by meteorological scientists and engineers to avert the negative pace of climate change. Neither of the above seems to positively happen in the near future. Hence, as has been happening for decades – the poor and the lower class will keep on suffering, and the rich’s environmentally imprudent measures will keep on adding to their fellow countryman’s misery.
The belief that no scope for complacency is now left and will lead to death for millions (be it in the form of heatwaves, Tsunami, or an increase in sea-water levels) won’t be a pessimistic thinking or an exaggerated say. It might have been an overhyped statement a few years back, but it certainly isn’t going to be in the present times, and in the years to come. Every single wasted second, insincere effort, and institutional negligence from now on will have drastic sabotaging returns for every single one of us.
With India herself pressing for the ‘phasing down’ of fossil fuels instead of ‘phasing out’ at the CoP (Conference of Parties) portrays a bleak picture of her efforts towards aligning with the sustainable way. Having said that it shades light over the legitimate stumbling blocks obstructing her ideal way as well. India being a developing nation having finally matched the pace with the development trajectory in the manufacturing and services sector needs to keep putting in what all it requires to keep the ball of development rolling. Any lacklustre efforts or missteps at this stage won’t just hamper the growth potential but also force the country out of the global sweet spot. The same is the story with many other developing countries. They all acknowledge the fact and are well aware of the voluntary wrongs they are committing by promoting their not-so-environment-friendly practices, but somehow keeping the development figures into consideration they are compelled to keep themselves indulged.
Developed nations though have got their hands dirty twice, one during the days when they were climbing up the ladder of development undergoing industrialization, and another, in the present times living a life of sheer comfort all surrounded by tech advancements. That is the reason these developed nations, led by the US and the European powers (except Denmark and a few other Scandinavian countries to some extent who are really putting in remarkable and exemplary efforts towards the cause) are leading the per capita GHG emission charts. So, neither it’ll be morally, nor ethically correct for these nations to dictate the developing nations on curbing down their GHG emissions.
‘Development’ and ‘Environment’ have been the twin facets of a coin for a long time. One just can’t breed harmony with both sides spontaneously (unless one uses the Sholay Movie’s super coin or the universal physics principles take a nap). Hence, the pertinent question is what are the plausible ways to find a reliable solution to such a doomed if you do, doomed if you don’t kinda situation?
Living in a real world (and not utopian) and dealing with genuine problems, we all will have to understand that we can’t just make peace with extreme solutions even if the problems are extreme, i.e. banning all fossil fuels and gasoline vehicles from the next month/year, shutting down all the thermal plants in the country, completely barring the use of air conditioners and refrigerators in homes etc.
Case in point, the quintessential solution lies in small reasonable efforts taken by huge swathes of the population, i.e. by crores and hundreds of crores of people. This will reap way better results in contrast to one big, extreme, and unpragmatic solution followed and adopted by very few.
Solicit efforts (what and how exactly, will discuss in some later post) need to be put in by all of us. A 10-year-old or a 50; an educated HNI (high-net-worth individual) or a common man; an intellectual person having an impeccable educational background or a modest guy possessing an ordinary degree from an ordinary college; a woman, a man or a transgender all of us need to do our part well in their respective capacities. When crores of people do the same, the efforts will reap magnified positive outcomes, that in turn will work as the only saviour for the entire humanity.
Failing to do so won’t necessarily make us all die but will certainly make our kids and their entire progeny suffer, like anything!