Lessons to learn in the aftermath of Chennai Floods

                           Lessons to learn in the aftermath of Chennai Floods

Nature has had her last word. She has demonstrated how patience when stretched can turn into passion untamed. In Tamil which has the reputation of being a language at its proverbial best, we have two great maxims about Nature: “One should have patience like the Earth” (substitute Earth by Nature as Earth depends on Nature to sustain it and to provide for the habitation of Man). This explains how Earth bears the sins of one generation after another, but sometimes the goddess Earth (Bhumi Devi) loses her patience with the sins of men. Earth has in recent times invoked the aid of Nature to strike back – first in Mumbai in 2005, then moving eastward,  in Uttarakhand in 2013, then tracing northward in  Kashmir in 2014  and finally down south in Chennai in 2015. The second maxim states:  “Water forgives three offences” (Man is said to rise three times before drowning).  Three warnings had been sounded in 2005, 2013 and 2014 but Man had failed to heed them and the result has been the mayhem unleashed by torrential rains in Chennai for nearly half the number of days of rain that created Noah’s flood nearly 4350 years back in 2348 BC. According to the Genesis, “it rained for 40 days and 40 nights, and the fountains of the deep were opened up: that is what caused the whole earth to be flooded.” Chennai has now experienced twenty days of heavy rains and if we do not listen to this warning, the catastrophe of the magnitude of Noah’s flood will not be far away. Chennai, Mumbai, Kolkatta will be wiped off the face of earth.

There is a gradual realization that climate change has been responsible for this deluge along with a grudging acceptance of our own irresponsible actions to strike at the roots of Nature.  It is an illusory comfort to say that this is a freakish event and it is not that everyday Chennai gets inundated. It is still a greater comfort to cite the El Nino as the villain- the weather phenomenon that gives rise to warmer oceanic temperatures and results in searingly high temperatures, droughts and intense rainfall. Chennai has had its worst share of El Nino’s havoc. But this cannot be shrugged away as a one-off occurrence. An American Meteorologist has warned that such episodes of intense episodic rainfall are only going to become more frequent.

No cataclysm of nature alone had caused this, but, rather, the tyranny and greed of Man have added to Nature’s fury. Global warming is man-made though there is no conclusive proof to link human activities to the catastrophic El Nino or its opposite La Nina. But that does not alter the reality that there is a perceptible climate change with droughts and floods affecting millions of people in different parts of the world. A scientific understanding about climate change does pigeonhole Man as the architect of these freakish and deadly changes in the climate pattern. There is scientific evidence that less energy is escaping to space. The Earth is warm enough to sustain life and it is because of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. These gases act like a blanket, keeping the Earth warm by preventing some of the sun’s energy being re-radiated into space. The effect is exactly the same as wrapping oneself in a blanket – it reduces heat loss from our body and keeps us warm. CO2 is one of the greenhouse gases and it acts like a blanket; adding more CO2 makes the 'blanket' thicker, and humans are adding more CO2 all the time which explains how less heat is lost  and more energy remains in the atmosphere. CO2 has increased by nearly 50% in the last 150 years and the increase is from burning fossil fuels and emissions from automobiles and industrial units.. Scientific investigation builds up empirical evidence that proves, step by step, that man-made carbon dioxide is causing the Earth to warm up. Even if there is a rebuttal, it does not obviate the truth that CO2 has increased, that the burning of fossils has caused the CO2 increase and this, in turn has given rise to increase in temperature- what is technically defined as global warming.

India along with the BRICK nations is accusing the Western developed nations for causing atmospheric pollution. Though this is the truth, India as a developing nation cannot absolve itself of the sin of burning coal and fossils that is adding to the increase of CO2. The pollution levels in our cities have reached alarming heights with respiratory diseases and lung affliction on the rise. We cannot deny the air pollution caused by our automobiles that includes diesel cars and trucks, two wheelers and three wheelers. We cannot deny industrial and construction linked pollution that has made Indian cities unlivable. We cannot deny becoming a slave to McWorld with profligate consumerism that is driving emissions. There is no logic in finger pointing the developed nations who are no doubt the worst polluters, but simultaneously aspiring to transform India into a developed nation on the Western model. Your development should now be our development cannot be an argument for it implies that till we become developed, we will not stop polluting the atmosphere and we will stop when we join the elite developed nations. China has said that it will bring down carbon emissions by 2030. Then the nations that are in the underdeveloped category today can stake their rightful claim to add to CO2 till such time they are developed…. This is the surest way of hastening the end of the world though there is no sight of a modern Noah to build an arc and start the regeneration of the world. In fact, the Indian govt’s position tha  it needs coal as a cheaper energy source to fuel growth is supported only by 15% ofIndians. In a poll released by New Delhi based MDRA conducted across 12 cities in India, 90% Indians find Climate Change a real threat and 75% want the government to switch to clean energy to fight it.

How to reconcile the two opposite positions-one that advocates  development aided by technology on the one hand and the other seeking a changed lifestyle with emphasis on simple living, unencumbered by technology? The latter will save the planet and preserve it for the future generations while the former will give the present generation qualitative development and higher standards of living along with the risk of higher incidence of respiratory diseases affecting all- both in the present and in the future years.

What is development? Today development is closely intertwined with technology. It is assumed that technology alone can bring about development. But the question is what development does technology bring and what development do humans need? Are the two in sync with each other? There is a variety of developments such as economic development( agricultural economy, industrial economy, post industrial economy, poverty alleviation), Socio- political development(life expectancy, democracy and human rights, sustainable development, quality of life, healthcare ),  Human development (Gender- related issues, education, cognitive development, communication technology) etc. As stated earlier technology has its benign influence on all these developments and has become an indispensable part of human progress. The quality of life today is determined by the technological aids that provide us with maximum comfort and minimum labour. But unfortunately in many ways, technological development has contributed to air pollution in equal measure if not more than the benefits it has conferred on us. The benefits of technology in increasing life expectancy, better healthcare, boosting up agricultural production and education is offset by its adverse impact on environment, ecology, sustainable development and cognitive development which, in turn,  has impaired vital human development. Today in Delhi the car manufacturers are bringing out cars with Euro IV standard. It is stated that even if the entire country adopts Euro V standard, this can bring down Nitrogen Oxide (NO) and air quality index only marginally. The automobile companies say it is impossible to leapfrog to Euro VI by 2017- which means that air quality is unlikely to improve in the next few years. Technology is the modern genie at the service of Man. It also acts as a rebellious jinni to make Man its slave. CO2`and NO(nitrogen Oxide) are  the lethal byproducts of technology causing respiratory diseases and other lung related illness.

But we cannot live without technology-particularly technology that produces power. We need power to run our washing machines and refrigerators. We need power to charge our mobiles. We need power to keep ourselves warm in winter. Winter or summer, freezing cold or burning summer, we cannot live without power. We need power for domestic use as well as industry, but ironically power generation plants emit PM(Particulate Matter) above permissible limits to cause lung diseases. Without power, the poor in winter have to burn coal and fossil to keep themselves warm and this adds to the atmospheric pollution. The rich has the luxury of using energy at will while for the poor, this is unaffordable. India has therefore pitched its claim to continue with the burning of coal as that is the only means available to its millions of poor people.

The solution lies in a change in our lifestyle-especially that of the rich and the aspiring middle class. Apart from Government’s efforts to bring better quality of air, as individuals we have to make large scale changes in our life. We have forgotten that we have legs to walk and hands to work which do not need electrical power, but need will power to physically do those simple tasks that we have relegated to the machines. Do we need a vacuum cleaner when a broom can do that work? Do we need a washing machine or a dish washer when these daily chores can be done by us collectively at home? They are certainly needed in hotels, hospitals and restaurants, but not in our homes. In India we still have the luxury of hiring maids to clean the house who depend on these tasks to earn their livelihood. But physically we are allowing ourselves to atrophy by not working and exercising our limbs. So much power can be saved if we lead a physically active life. There is no need to go to power gyms to do the workout when that time can be used for housework. As for time saving, we should honestly ask ourselves the question as to what do we do with the saved time. Can it be said that our parents and grandparents had a gruelling existence in the absence of all these fancy machines? We do need machines for hard work such as grinding and pounding but we do not need power cutters to chop the vegetables or to make dough for rotis. In India where we have summer for full eight months, do we need micro-ovens to heat our food or electric cookers to keep the food warm? If we make a habit of walking to the shops and markets instead of driving down, we save fuel, and save ourselves from physical atrophy. No one comes to grief by working with hands. An active life is a sound recipe for a healthy body. Many of us belonging to the category of septuagenarians are as strong as age would allow us and we continue with the domestic work and also spend our time writing, reading and watching TV in our spare hours that are plenty available. If we live a simple organized life, enjoy doing work both physically and mentally, we need not have to frequent hospitals with frozen shoulders or other muscular ailments. Power saved by every individual can be utilized in hospitals where life saving machines run on electricity and other public utility places.  Power saved in this way can be used in shelters for the poor to keep them warm. If the urban class- both the affluent and the middleclass consume less power, this can be diverted to thise who can ill afford power to serve their barest necessities. University hostels, school hostels, shops, hotels and public places should be compelled to maintain room temperature at the minimum around 22^oC.Let the government go for green technology from the West and encourage industry to prune its power consumption on the motto of “waste not, want not”. Many years ago, our former Prime Minister had given a 20-point programme for poverty alleviation. The Ministry of environment along with NGT(National Green tribunal) and CSE(Centre for Science and Environment) has to bring a 10-point programme for the citizens to bring in a cleaner environment and reduce carbon emission.

Gandhiji said India has enough for everyone’s need but not for everyone’s greed. If we pledge to do our bit everyday in our consumption of power, natural resources in particular water and keep our material needs to the minimum we can galvanize sustainable life both for ourselves and for the future generations. Lavish weddings and parties where a lot of electricity and food gets wasted can be avoided which in no way diminishes gaiety and cheer.  We should curb our irrational instinct for extravagance to moderation in all that we do.These are small measures that in no way impinge on the quality of life. From personal experience I can say that there is no harm if we exercise and expend our physical and mental energies. Adapting Shakespeare’s famous words, we can re-write : The quality of life is not strained; it blesses him who works and him who strives  for it.

The old adage “Many a little makes a mickle” exemplifies the worth of small steps that can help us for a giant leap to a green world. It is good to put into practice John F.Kennedy’s advice to fellow Americans: “Do not ask what others can do; ask yourself what you can do.” It will be largely up to each one of us to pursue greener path to bring sustainable development to our nation.

In just ten lines, Tao Te Ching writes about when to stop:
Your fame or your person

Which is dearer?

Your person or your goods

          Which is worth more?

Gain or loss, which is the

           Greater bane?

…Know contentmet, and you

Will suffer no disgrace;

   Know when to stop, and you

 Will meet with no danger