The terms ‘Climate Change’ ‘Global Warming’ and the associated metrics indicate the condition of the Earth and the direction we as humanity are moving. Every aspect of our lives is at its lowest point; deteriorating health of populations, healthcare that is increasingly evading, rising poverty and hunger. While the show can go on ignoring these, we however cannot continue any more with severe environmental degradation. How secure are we on the face of the Earth, even as we explore Moon and Mars? Take a pause; despite all our achievements have we holistically gained or lost as human beings?
Th effects of climate change have become unbearable with an urgent need for confronting it. Air pollution in many cities is so alarming that schools are shut and people advised to stay indoors. Although the danger of deteriorating environment was known and efforts undertaken to address it, it has not addressed the situation. All our efforts hitherto may be characterized as either being ineffective or lacking the collective will for implementation. Solutions must be implemented with ease and authority which is only possible when there is clarity on the problem and its prospective solution.
We inhabit this planet as innumerable societies with differing beliefs and cultures. Societies can have inherent unrecognized faultlines that nonetheless have huge bearing on their characterization but not attributed to it. For instance, in many societies there is a desire to consider one another relatively and reverentially, addressing unknowns as mother, sister, son, daughter etc., rather than just addressing them as a Mr. and Mrs. Although such social attribute is desirable and appreciable, the fact remains that such societies are more prone to knowingly keep electing corrupt and criminals. In India, in our seventy years of independence we have knowingly endorsed huge number of corrupt and criminals who have ravaged this country.
Another instance of an inherent faultline is the amazing brotherhood evident in the Islamic world. The bonding here transcends all other social barriers to prevail upon. However, this amazing bonding rests upon the pillars of scorn on the kafir (non-believers) and vice versa.
We predominantly value our natural resources and don’t tolerate deliberate tampering of our environment. The rapid degradation of our environment must be seen as a likely outcome of a Faultline. Given its scale and rapidity, the faultline runs majorly across most societies and can be described as a global faultline. This means we do not have to directly work with emissions or temperature reduction to improve environment. We only need to identify the faultlime responsible and work on it so as to appropriately reflect on the environment.
The faultline responsible for environmental degradation undisputedly lies in our economic order of the day, our founding economic principles and our fundamental economic beliefs. Despite being divided into numerous societies with distinct beliefs, cultures and lifestyles, we all share a pan global economic system. It is tough reconciling the fact that the way we relate and transact in the present economic order is increasingly incompatible for life on Earth.
So, what could be the threatening facets of our economic order to which our environment succumbs? It is the power of wealth to create more wealth, scale up commercial activities, introduce new technologies that have a cumulative environmental degradation effect. On the other side of the story, constant rise in both, the number and sizes of these wealth accumulations have well correlated with increased sufferings for the majority.
The need of the hour is for the business and technology leaders to double up as environment leaders themselves. Compassion and solidarity with both, people and nature is the key. Addressing faultlines effectively would include redefining our fundamental rights to acquire unlimited wealth while also advocating voluntary exit of earning cycle. Actions directed at rationalization of wealth will begin to mitigate sufferings for the majority while also making it difficult for technological advancements, thereby aiding the environment.
However, reclaiming our environment has massive repercussions for all of us as this is an unprecedented turning point in our civilization. We have to reconcile with the fact that the amenities, convenience, and lifestyles we seek today induces a reciprocative unbearable effect from the Earth. It is therefore not tenable. The need for us to live comfortably on the face of the planet is paramount. Thus we must be learn to be content with what is possible without any reciprocative unbearable effect from the Earth. Lack of advancement and even cascading of technologies could be evident as we embrace upon the bygone era, gradually and cautiously.
Individual wealth points have traditionally been seen as proud assets as they generate employment and provide taxes but they have dark side too; one that has never been attributed to them.
