Sharing an interesting conversation between a wise senior and his adolescent partner which I overheard during my morning walk today. What was heartening was the curiosity of the boy and the way his senior led him during the discussion to help him understand the relationship between human action and climate change.
Today is the anniversary of the 1999 super cyclone and the is about to start in a few days. Discussion of this kind assures us that there is still hope left. But the passivity of the administrative wing of the government is so distant from this global issue while its own policy declaration sheds crocodile tears actually is the real cause of alarm.
Q. What is this Super Cyclone
I see being discussed in the media?
A cyclone had happened on this
day of 29th October 1999 over Paradeep. People saw wind speed up to 260
Kmph and some 10,000 people died. It continues to be the worst we have faced so
far but we are not sure what’s coming next and when. From that day we have seen
so many cyclones big and small and the last one was Amphan which luckily
bypassed Odisha. It is happening due to climate change.
Q. What is Climate Change and
what is this discussion that I see in the media?
Climate Change is the dramatic change
in the weather pattern caused by the rise in Green House Gases in the environment
which can be attributed to industrial and individual human activities.
Q. What’s the problem? We seem
to be better prepared now to face it.
Yes, on the surface, from 10000 deaths
to 218 now we seem to be better prepared, but the total cost of damage is huge,
and it reverses so much of developmental outcomes.
Humanity is facing the twin challenges
of the desperate need for development and the catastrophic outcome of damages done
to the environment because of its activities over the last hundred plus years. Humanity
now stands facing an irreversible global crisis that is much bigger than the
extinctions of the past. It stands to affect everyone in ways we are not
prepared to tackle. The benefits of all the development in one area can get
swept away just by one cyclone. Most parts of Mumbai can get submerged if the
sea level rises by a meter. This will have a chain effect that will impact those
who are thousands of miles away. The economy is like our environment - there
are no boundaries. Humanity is collectively facing it together.
Q. What are the choices we
have?
We don’t have the choice of opting
for one and not the other. Both are not mutually exclusive but are highly
interdependent. One has to balance it and slow the pace of damage to bring the earth
to an equilibrium.
Q. Then how do we balance it?
It’s left with just one choice to
conduct its activities responsibly. That is first by ensuring that the global
value chain does its best by closing the leakages at all levels of economic activities
to minimize resource depletion, minimization of waste and emission.
This is easier said than done!
Yes, that is the reason why this discussion
is being made. Human activities involve just not his lifestyle, attitude, and behaviour
in its simplistic manifestation but the same and additionally the interest of
the thousands of organizations big and small who take part in production till waste
management.
Q. How do we tackle this?
First by being responsible. By
being responsible we mean that the fact of depletion, waste, and emission arising
directly from his activities should remain in very entities subconscious and he
should feel responsible to minimize it by changing his behaviour and constantly
looking at newer ways to constantly reduce it.
Q. Is it possible?
Theoretically being carbon
neutral is impossible but the intent to go neutral and change in the behaviour
at every individual or value chain level can show dramatic change at the level
of Society, Environment and Individual.
Q. How?
When we talk of change in behaviour
or practice at the level of organizations, we talk of our usage; how properly
we use it and keep it maintained. We all know how a properly used and
maintained car not only gives good mileage but remains in working condition well
beyond its official life. The change in the behaviour can immediately be seen
at the level of the environment in reduced emissions, extended life means that
the load on the resources at the level of production and manufacturing is
lessened and the efficiency and extended life of the car reduces the total cost
of ownership of the individual.
Well, it's simple right?
Though to a motivated person, it is.
But very difficult at the level of organizations which have thousands of
people, acres of real estate, and thousands of micro and small assets of
hundreds of categories. And then there are well-established interests deeply
entrenched in keeping the system inefficient and being inefficient in an
unsupervised setup.
Q. What is the way?
Technology has come to the rescue
of individuals and enterprises to help them do responsible business. It helps
organizations establish a system of proper use and maintenance of their assets
by its human resources. Smart monitoring tools can not only govern all the
organization's activities but also provide a measurement of the benefits which
is accrued at the level of organization, environment, and society.
Q. Then what’s stopping us?
Well, that’s something you need
to answer. What is stopping you from being responsible?
