Dear Friends and Students
Recently somebody
commented on my blog that most of the time I am touching career aspects. What
about a climate emergency? Though I did it in the past, let me try to
attempt another one.
Yes, the climate
emergency is a burning issue. There is only one Mother Earth! Each one
of us on the earth is influencing another in some or other way. We believe in
the concept of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam. It is a Sanskrit
phrase in Hindu texts such as the Maha Upanishad, which means "The World
Is One Family". One part of the geography is directly or indirectly
influencing another part of the world! There is no Planet B though we have Plan
B for Education, Food, Shelter and for many aspects of our day to day life!
Look at some of the
disasters! We witnessed more than $3.64 trillion losses due to Weather,
Climate and Water Extremes between 1970 to 2019 (https://news.un.org/). Can we forget the
deadliest drought of Ethiopia in 1983 caused 3L deaths? Can we forget the
Bangladesh storm (Gorky) in 1991 caused 138K deaths? The extreme temperature of
2010 in the Russian Federation caused 55K deaths. Bushfires, Australia –
2019-2020 (8 million hectares burned over 9000 buildings and homes destroyed,
and 400 deaths (holidify.com)), Volcano Eruption, Philippines – 2020, Swarms of
Locusts, Asia-East Africa-India-Middle East – 2020, and Green Snow, Antarctica
– 2020 (parts of Antarctica are turning green due to climate change and the
bloom of snow algae. Snow algae tend to thrive on temperatures). Recently
Monsoon rains have caused devastating floods in Pakistan, leaving millions
homeless, destroying buildings, bridges and roads and leaving vast swathes of
the country under water(bbc.com).
Nature is angry!
Yes, terrible! These disasters are the response of the aggressive Nature. Recently
we witnessed yellow crazy ants attack in the southern Indian state. Hundreds
of people who live in seven villages complained of crazy ants’ attacks. They
are reeling from an infestation of yellow crazy ants. These insects, they say,
attack their livestock and affect crop yields, putting their livelihoods in
danger. Yellow Crazy Ants are leaving Snakes dead and causing Cattle to go
blind. In fact I remember a movie named Empire of the Ants , directed
in the year 1977, a science
fiction horror film.
The movie was all about a heavenly paradise, becoming a hellish nightmare when
a toxic spill turns harmless ants into gigantic rampaging monsters! Some of the
imaginary things are becoming true in reality!
Is there any
solution? Yes and No! Every issue has two sides of the coin! If we ban certain things, it
is causing economic loss. If we allow certain things, it is causing
environmental loss. Governments are under tremendous pressure about what is
right and what is wrong! These types of issues cannot be resolved through
regulation or government intervention. Charity begins from the home! Each one
of us is responsible and should develop a micro plan to combat the Biodiversity
Crisis!
Recently the
Scottish community completed historic land buyout, and vows to rewild. The community
raised £3.8m via crowdfunding to buy 5,200 acres from the Duke of Buccleuch
(positive.news). One of my LinkedIn contacts, Anand Malligavad, a techie
turned Lake Conservationist in Bengaluru. The 39-year-old has so far
rejuvenated 11 lakes and is currently working three more, apart from four
others he helped to revive. He has set a goal of rejuvenating 45 lakes across
Bengaluru by 2025 (indiatimes). Interestingly, all these water bodies are
interconnected. If we want to rejuvenate Bellandur and Varathur lakes in
Bangalore, they have to start it from the 'input lakes' from which the water
reaches these two large ones. Once the input is clean, it will automatically
clean Bellandur and Varathur," Anand said.
It is not just a
few lakes in the Bangalore interconnected. The whole water body system in
the form of oceans is interconnected. Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam is an
emotional form! The one Ocean is a physical form. In fact, the theme or
belief of reincarnation is clearly reflected in the Upanishads through the
concept of 'Samsara', which means wandering or world. It is the concept that
every living being will, after death, come back to life on this Earth in some
form, be it animal or human. If we believe in this concept, every action we
take today will have a return gift in our next life. If we don’t believe this,
even then, every action we take today, our children have to pay the price.
Charity begins from
the home? What is your share of Fightback against the Biodiversity Crisis?
Ravi Saripalle
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