What is natural is right.
- J M Barrie
SINCE TIME immemorial, man has been depending on the environment for most of his basic needs. But, because of the industrial revolution, technological explosion that followed coupled with globalisation, machines and factories have become omnipresent and they have metamorphosed human life and life supporting activities forever. This has led to an over consumption of resources. According to Worldwide Fund for Nature’s bi-annual report, our over consumption is threatening all species including ourselves with extinction.
The problem: There is a decline in the planet’s capacity to provide food, fibre and timber and absorb carbon dioxide. We are using 25 per cent more resources than are renewed naturally in a year. Uncontrolled deforestation and habitat destruction are the causes for man-animal conflicts the world around. This growing pressure on the ecosystem may threaten both biodiversity and human life. For example, deforestation has endangered the biodiversity of the Amazon rain forests. According to an environmental group’s latest findings, the ecological ‘overshoot’ will be 100 per cent by 2050, making the likelihood of large-scale ecosystem collapse likely, and conflicts and political tensions certain. War on ecological claims may not be an exaggeration in the coming years.
The way out: There are many ways to cut down on this ecological deficit. Having smaller families can slow down population growth. Thus we can improve the quality of life and reduce consumption. Using excessive resources for the production of luxury goods should be prevented. Reclamation of land through better management and protection of soils, fisheries and forest will help a lot.
Encroachment on rivers and riverbeds, filling and reinforcing of marsh lands need to be controlled and sand mining, which kills rivers, should be banned outright. In short, organs of our Mother Nature need to be kept as they are and we have to facilitate their well being by fitting ourselves to our surroundings and not the other way round, which is usually the case. We change things to suit us. That is not the nature’s way and would be disastrous to us.
Participation: An all out effort to offset this burgeoning threat needs to be taken up by every individual in an impeccable and uncompromising manner. There has to be an attitude, an attitude to one’s surroundings. NGOs, cooperative societies, SHGs (Self Help Groups) and similar social organs can do a great service by way of educating the public and encouraging what is called ‘minimum utilisation of available facilities’ and maximum re-utilisation of spent facilities and resources.
Homework: Life style changes need to be initiated from the school level itself. If we could catch our young when they are at school, they could be assiduously taught what ecological deficit is and how best they themselves can contribute to contain this issue. And coming back to our indoors, we all should learn to live with minimum food and facilities. Instead of demanding exotic dishes and similar extravaganzas, we have to develop a food-to-be-fit and fit-to-be-fed diet culture that promotes what is absolutely needed and discourages what is extraneous and unwanted.
Development: Yes, we cannot do without development. Therefore, all development initiatives need to be studied threadbare to understand whether they are going to contribute to what ecologists call ‘ecological overshoot’ in the immediate or distant future. When our very sustenance is at the brink of collapse, any new project that does some harm to the ecological balance is better kept back or shelved.
In short, all growth must be sustainable keeping our environment in the picture and brought about in a manner that seeks to nurture nature. This can be achieved by factoring the environment primarily in all our projects, and a proper assessment of the environmental impact of all such ventures. Let us not expect our government to take initiatives. Rather we should jump into the ecological bandwagon so the rest of the world follows our example.
No comments:
Post a Comment