The Statesman 7 Dec 2022
As a
citizen of Delhi, I am dismayed at the toxic effects of the air pollution on all
of us, as also on visitors from neighbouring hilly terrains. People from nearby
states travel to Delhi to avail of the well-developed surgical facilities here.
Many of these are non-emergency surgeries like cataract, chronic hernia, or
joint replacement. However, even before they can undergo the surgery, the
patients fall prey to the ill effects of the bad air quality and develop respiratory
tract infections and a generalised weakening of immunity. They begin to feel
depressed and want to rush back to the cleaner air of their hometowns.
Conversely,
many Delhites are buying residential property in the hills nearby, all the
better to escape choking for at least a few weeks in the year. In the
foreseeable future it seems certain that people will migrate towards the few
remaining areas that have breathable air. Like the well-established migrations
for better job prospects, for fleeing political persecution, natural disasters
and wars, the new waves of migration are likely to be towards places on earth
where one’s lungs can still sample a whiff of fresh healthy air. It is truly
ironical that the political- industrial nexus that has exploited and dirtied
the environment on a mega scale (compared to those with simple sustainable
lifestyles like fishermen, farmers, forest dwellers etc) will have the edge in
this resettlement, given their ill-gotten resources.
Years ago,
as a young student studying at an army medical college, I took part in a
photography contest which required us to submit imaginative entries for the
caption ‘the young and the old’. I requested a bunch of sweet young urchins
playing in the street to come and sit on the low bough of a very old tree with
a gnarled bark. For me, trees have always held a certain timelessness. I
remember the awe I felt looking all the way up, my neck flung back, gazing at
the tops of the giant redwood trees in California and similarly, at the huge
horizontal expanse of an old Banyan tree in the botanical gardens of Kolkata.
It takes decades, nay centuries, for a tree to acquire such dimensions. I feel
deeply disappointed when grand old trees are sacrificed for any reason and
replaced with the ugly inert concrete of buildings. I read a recent report
about a mega infrastructure development project in Great Nicobar Island that has
received initial environmental clearances. A very rich treasure trove of a whopping
8.5 lakhs trees on an idyllic island will be gone. Why would anyone destroy
what is the equivalent of gold or rather Fort Knox itself? The justification of
‘military advantage’ does not cut ice. For
if the various wars have taught us anything, it is that these costly, visibly
big , power- guzzling edifices are often the first targets of enemy fire. Even though
humans may like to take the credit for destructive valour in the many crippling
wars, ironically enough, the accidental but great role of nature - the mountain
overlooking a valley, the advantage of stealth provided by darkness or forests,
the sea transporting navies or the safe belly of mother Earth where soldiers
hid in trenches can hardly be discounted. Governments promise ‘compensatory
afforestation’ in lieu of hacking down forests -where old trees cut are replaced with new plantations. How
can tiny immature saplings be a substitute for developed trees with dense
canopies or rich fruit bearing abilities ? How can one equate a decorated
general with years of experience with a new rookie for example? The senseless
destruction of priceless forests is as futile as the destruction of humans in
the many military mega- wars this planet has witnessed.
Today’s biggest
battle, however, is against habits and business models that destroy our planet.
The best ‘generals’ for this sophisticated and difficult combat are climate
scientists, indigenous tribes and forest dwellers who understand the terrain
better (literally and figuratively). They can help set in place practical and
genuine climate change policies. When
politicians negotiate in climate conferences, they often do so on behalf of the
businesses which have strongly funded their election campaigns. Local people that
do not have these vested ‘obligations’ can better focus on the planet’s
survival rather than the survival of a political group or ideology.
There are
thousands of innovative ways for individuals to join the battle against global
warming as foot soldiers. Apart from recycling, composting, greening, gardening,
scattering seeds on empty plots en-route to work and so on, we can also
incorporate green actions into our professional lives. As a personal example, we have started
distributing green plants along with medicines to beneficiaries attending our
holistic eye and general health grassroots medical camps. We explain to the
patients the oxygen-producing abilities of the plant and encourage them to
nurture it. My routine medical prescriptions also carry a printed message of
harmony with nature at the bottom of every page.
If we as a
race of consumers are serious about mitigating our personal impact on global
warming , the time has come to ensure that each finished product has a
biodegradability index printed on it. This should mention how many days it
would take for the product to disintegrate completely. Plastics, we know, are
largely non-biodegradable (many degrade only after 500 years or so)
and they
harm the environment, plant and animal life and cause serious health issues in
humans. Currently, almost all food products for sale mention the calorie
breakup. This helps us make correct choices to safeguard our internal health.
The time has come to purposefully shape our external milieu as well. Reading
the biodegradability label could truly help us reduce the purchases of items
that are not biodegradable.
In the recent climate conference, number 27, there was a much-hailed agreement reached (after years of painstaking negotiations) that developed nations that have consumed the Earth’s resources at a faster rate will contribute towards funding the countries that are most vulnerable to the effects of climate change (the carbon footprint of these developing countries has been much smaller but they are getting more affected due to global contributions to climate warming). While a broader redressal of grievances may play out at governmental levels, the same disbursement of compensation does not happen with individuals within states and countries. If destruction of forests and displacement of indigenous people continues with impunity within boundaries of states, then having a centralized UN conference has very limited impact.
The deep understanding of and harmony with nature of indigenous people is brought out well in a famous letter attributed to the native Indian Chief Seattle who wrote to the ‘White man’. Excerpts from the letter….. “This we know: the earth does not belong to man, man belongs to the earth’; “We know the sap which courses through the trees as we know the blood that courses through our veins”; reveal the intimate connection with nature experienced daily by them. Now, even city-dwelling citizens keenly feel the importance of a green cover in their lives. A straightforward pledge by each and every nation to increase its forest cover by 5% every year for 3 years and then 1% every year may work wonders. It is easy, non-controversial, and urban citizens and indigenous people alike would be delighted to participate with governments in this crucial endeavour to safeguard our collective future.
Since
always, Mother nature has been providing us pure air to breathe but in return,
we have been spewing noxious chemicals into her atmosphere; where her fertile
soils support our crops and gardens, we plough toxic pesticides into the mud;
her gift of fresh water to us is repaid by our spilling oil and garbage into
her oceans. When the story of Homo Sapiens and Mother Earth is told, it can
either be one of unrequited love by Gaia for humans and the certain destruction
of our species or an inspiring tale of a deep and abiding love between man and
nature that lasts till eternity.
