Anupam- The Dreamer

I once read somewhere that we humans are a very strange species. As first, we cut trees and then make papers out of the tree bark, and then write “DON’T CUT TREES” on that paper itself. The problem here is not that we are not aware of the problems facing us. The actual problem is that despite knowing the problem and also its solutions, we are guided by our selfish interests to neither dissipate the problem, nor work on the solutions at a scale which is desirable and at the same time very essential. Infact, as I see it, we would be the only species in the history of the world who are digging their own grave deeper and deeper everyday and one day would end up in the same grave with an epitaph reading “The most foolish of the living beings” ever lived on the earth. It doesn’t matter that we consider ourselves to be the smartest of all living beings, when all our actions point that we are actually contrary to that.

As it was once remarked by an eminent environment advocate James Gustave Speth that:

Looking back, I can only imagine how true he was!!!

Almost all the problems faced by the humanity are ethical problems more than they are the science problems. Take for example, climate change. It is not that we don’t know what causes climate change, and how to mitigate the ill-impacts of climate change, and how to stop some detrimental human activities altogether, so as to protect our planet. Science knows all solutions and has potential to develop yet other solutions in the future. But, the real problem is that – “ARE WE ACTUALLY DOING THINGS TO REDUCE GHG EMISSIONS AND REDUCE CLIMATE CHANGE?”. I am afraid, we are moving in the opposite direction. The reason? Just our greed to live lavish lifestyles, exploit natural resources with impunity, waste energy in numerous forms, continue to increase human population beyond sustainable levels etc etc. This is essentially an ethical problem.

Again, we know that the eternal problems of humanity like abject poverty, hunger, food, education, healthcare, gender equality, tackling diseases can be solved by focussing on these at a massive scale and enhance budgetary spending on these areas. The solutions are scientific and we know how to do it. But, the real problem is that – “ARE WE ACTUALLY FOCUSSING ENOUGH ON THESE AREAS”. Again, the answer is a big NO! Why? Because the countries are busy in fighting wars, some countries are engaging in destructive activities like propagating terrorism, some are embroidered in the civil wars, some are wasting scarce resources to manufacture and sell defence equipment to destroy each other etc. The top leadership is working for their own selfish interests in many failed nations, rather than focussing on the masses. This is again an ethical problem.

Then, you see the day to day problems in the cities like water shortage, daily electricity cuts, traffic jams, air pollution etc. Don’t we know the scientific solutions for all these? Definitely we know. Do we have enough resources to do that? Not completely. But, can we do that in our lifetimes? 100% yes. But, have we been able to do that since independence? No! Because in our model of development, these concerns did not get ample weightage. Also, the people participation to do their bit in making cities sustainable, has always been below par. We continue wastage of our precious limited natural resources like water, electricity, etc., and then are in turn impacted ourselves by the pollution caused by us. Again, it is an ethical problem.

At individual and societal level also, we know what things are best for our health and well-being. The literature on such subjects is immense and millions of humans that have come before us have documented things for our well-being. But even then, do we follow them? Only partially. Again, it all boils down to our ethical choices and decisions in life.

In this sense, we have still a long way to go in terms of solving the basic problems faced by the humanity. Infact, in some of the areas, we can learn from other species in terms of their sustainable living, consuming only what they can digest, living in harmony with the nature, not exploiting the nature beyond its carrying capacity etc. We can learn the basic principles of living from the Mother Nature around us, only if we keep our eyes and ears open to what the nature is trying to teach us.

It is often said that if the humans vanish from the face of this Earth, then the nature will bounce back in all its glory within a few hundred years, with lush green forests again reappearing in urban areas on their own, number of endangered species rising, and pollution levels declining. We have changed the planet so much that our current geological age is now being called “ANTHROPOCENE”. The planet belongs to all the living species, and not just humans. Even if some of us think that it belongs to humans only, then also their vision has to be broad enough to encompass each and every human, not just themselves. We may think that we are the smartest of the living species, but only if we know what are the ethical choices we have to make to sustain ourselves.

If we don’t make them now on a daily basis, then maybe one day, we would be writing our own eulogy which will go like this- “THE SMARTEST, YET THE DUMBEST OF ALL THE SPECIES THAT EVER LIVED ON THE PLANET EARTH”. Period.