Skip to main content

Earth Day re-emphasizes need for resolving survival crisis before it is too late


By Bharat Dogra

This year the Earth Day ( 22 April 2022 ) is being observed at a time when the dangers to our once beautiful and bountiful planet appear to be at their most extreme. This is not just because of the more worrying projections of climate change by leading scientists, or because of similar projections of a worsening situation with respect to other serious environmental problems. This is also because of the deeply disappointing attitudes of world leadership as seen in the rapid escalation of the Ukraine crisis and now in the Ukraine war.
When our home is in extreme danger of collapsing, shall we repair the home or shall we fight in such ways that the structure gets damaged even more? This is a question that people need to ask their leaders at a time when the world is getting divided and the dangers of actual use of nuclear weapons, or other weapons of mass destruction, are increasing. In the course of Ukraine war such threats have been used and fears have been expressed as perhaps never before.
Even before the Ukraine war started, there were clear signs that the structure of de-escalation and stepping back in nuclear weapons race, of creating more checks and balances, was dismantling and gradually breaking down, being replaced instead by efforts of the USA to emerge as the clear world leader in nuclear weapons race , matched by efforts of Russia and China to resist and if possible defeat this ambition of the USA to create a unipolar world based mainly on unquestioned, technology-based supremacy in the context of weapons of mass destruction.
While the invasion by Russia has been widely condemned and should have been certainly avoided, the other aspect which has not been written about so widely is that the USA and the NATO were relentlessly increasingly their anti-Russia hostility and were using Ukraine as a proxy for this, to the extent of strengthening fascists and mercenary militants within Ukraine as long as they were opposed to Russia. Russian language citizens and region of Ukraine were increasingly threatened and confronted with actual violence. Early this year this increased further, in turn leading to the Russian invasion.
This as well as the resulting sanctions have so divided the world that the close cooperation needed to resolve climate change and other serious global environmental problems will be very difficult to obtain. Also what we should not forget is that wars and the arms race they involve are themselves very big polluters of earth. If weapons of mass destruction are actually used then this will destroy most life on earth as the nuclear weapons are now much more destructive compared to Hiroshima type weapons. Apart from the destruction directly caused, such use will initiate a nuclear winter when sun rays will not reach a great part of earth for a long time, resulting in failure to grow food and mass deaths. Whatever gains we make with years of careful efforts to protect environment can be destroyed within hours and perhaps minutes of nuclear war.
The number of scientists who are convinced that basic life-nurturing conditions of our planet are seriously threatened has been growing, and this is not just because of climate change. About a dozen other serious environmental problems are also implicated in this, as also the accumulation of WMDs, or Weapons of Mass Destruction.
In 1992, 1575 senior scientists, including many Nobel laureates, signed a document titled World Scientists’ Warning to Humanity. This document was sent to government leaders all over the world.
This document stated, “We the undersigned, senior members of the world’s scientific community, hereby warn humanity of what lies ahead. A great change in our stewardship of the earth and life on it is required, if vast human misery is to be avoided and our global home on this planet is not to be irretrievably mutilated.”
25 years later, in 2017 a follow-up statement was issued, this time with nearly 8 times the earlier number of endorsements, with 13,524 signatories. This statement concluded,“ Since 1992, with the exception of stabilising the stratospheric ozone layer, humanity has failed to make sufficient progress in solving these foreseen environmental challenges, and alarmingly, most of them are getting far worse.”
This assertion by over 13,000 scientists of life-threatening environmental problems getting worse is worryng enough, but we need to add the threat of WMDs. At present there are around 14,000 nuclear weapons. The use of only 1 per cent of these can destroy most life on earth, in terms of impact of fire, explosion and radiation as well as, as pointed above, the resulting smoke and dust blocking out sunlight for a period of several months, endangering much of the earth’s remaining life.
Apart from nuclear weapons we have to contend with the implications of chemical and biological weapons, weather weapon, robot or AI weapons, the possibility of space warfare as well as highly scaled up conventional weapons.
The Bulletin of Atomic Weapons, supported by the opinion of several senior scientists including Nobel laureates, has set up a doomsday clock which considers 12 a.m. midnight as a metaphor for doomsday time. This clock currently shows a time of 100 seconds to 12 a.m.
What is more, several of the factors that constitute the survival crisis come with ‘tipping points’, meaning that beyond a point these can quickly escalate and spiral beyond human control.
Having spent decades reporting on these prolems as an independent writer, I became increasingly struck with an idea that the next decade should be declared the decade of saving earth, when an agenda of peace and environment protection within a framework of justice and democracy should predominantly guide global discourse and actions. In particular I emphasized the justice part as it is already clear that justice based aspects are not getting the due emphasis in such efforts and without this no mass mobilisation on such important issues can be sutained. Hence summoning all my limited resources and energy I wrote and published seven books in English and Hindi as the factual and intellectual base of this campaign. I collected endorsements from some eminent persons, and then sent a campaign statement endorsed by them to the UN Secretary General.
This campaign emphasizes that a serious survival exists on our planet which should be resolved within a framework of justice, peace and democracy. Reduction of GHG emissions should be linked also to meeting basic needs of all people and to basic freedoms. Time is running out and the decade 2022-32 is most crucial. A firm commitment to peace and non-violence at all levels is essential. Spread of values of cooperation, equality, justice and environment protection as well as world citizens uniting as one to protect earth can be extremely helpful in this effort.

The writer is Honorary Convener of Campaign to Save Earth Now with SED Demand and author of recently published books ‘Planet in Peril’, ‘Man Over Machine’, ‘Protecting Earth for Children’ and ‘Earth Beyond Borders’

Comments

TRENDING

Crucial to revisit roots, embrace core Hindu principles: love, compassion, harmony

A note on religious leaders'  Satya Dharam Samvad in Haridwar: *** In a groundbreaking gathering, more than 25 religious leaders including Swamis, Acharyas, Pujaris, Gurus, and Sadhvis from all over India convened to discuss the tenets of Hinduism on September 16th, 2023, in Haridwar, to discuss and discern the current trajectory of Hinduism. This brand new initiative, the Satya Dharam Samvad, was inspired to organize its first assembly in response to the December 2021 Dharma Sansad, where hate speech and calls for violence against the Muslim community contravened the essential principles of Hinduism. Religion is being used to incite riots among Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, Jains, etc. In the face of such hatred, Swami Raghavendra felt that something meaningful should be done in the present climate. 

Commodification of road accident deaths: The hidden health hazard of motonormativity

By Chandra Vikash*  Jahnavi Kandula, an Indian student from Andhra Pradesh, studying in America was killed in a road accident by a police motor car in January 2023. Now, 8 months after the accident, a bodycam video of Daniel Orderer, who is the vice president of the Seattle Police Officers Guild, has gone viral on social media. He was laughing at her death and saying that “she was 26 years old, anyway… she had limited value… just give her $11,000 (ie Rs 9.13 lakh)”.

Telengana peasant uprising 1946-51: Path breaking period in Communist movement

By Harsh Thakor  Telengana armed struggle from 1946-51 was path breaking period in the Indian Communist Movement, enabling it to reject the Russian insurrectionist path and emulate the Chinese model. The intensity of the movement escalated people’s democratic power to a scale unparalleled in Indian history. It literally dawned a new era. Revolutionary zeal climbed heights rarely traversed in semi-colonies. The death defying spirit which the comrades displayed in giving a blow to the Nizam ruler of Hyderabad and the Razakar landlords will be written forever in the red letters of history. Tragically it was crushed by the Congress party led by Nehru, who mercilessly ordered the army to swoop on the rebellion, with the Communist Party of India adopting a compromising position. It was ample proof of how Nehru and the Congress party collaborated with the feudal landlord class.

Inside Indian energy-mining giant Vedanta's campaign to weaken environmental rules

By Akshay Deshmane  It was 2021 and the COVID-19 pandemic was ripping through India, crippling the country’s health system and bringing the economy to a standstill. But for Anil Agarwal, chairman of the energy and mining giant Vedanta Resources Ltd, the crisis presented an opportunity.

Job opportunity in unexplored territory... to bulldoze hurdles on way to Akhand Aryavart

By Abdul Puncharwala*  Baba and Mama the Jai-Veeru Jodi of Shuddh desi politics bring an excellent opportunity of employment to all the bright matriculate drop-outs busy with their Insta and YouTube reels. Keep your phones aside for a moment and read this advert carefully. It is going to change your life forever.

Abrogation of Art 370: Increasing alienation, relentless repression, simmering conflict

One year after the abrogation by the Central Government of Art. 370 in Kashmir, what is the situation in the Valley. Have the promises of peace, normalcy and development been realised? What is the current status in the Valley? Here is a detailed note by the People’s Union for Civil Liberties , “Jammu & Kashmir: One Year after Abrogation of Art. 370: Increasing Alienation, Relentless Repression, Simmering Conflict”:

Regretful: Kapil Dev retired not leaving Indian cricket with integrity he upheld

By Harsh Thakor  Kapil Dev scaled heights as an entertainer and a player upholding the spirit of the game almost unparalleled in his era. In his time he was cricket’s ultimate mascot of sportsmanship On his day Kapil could dazzle in all departments to turn the tempo of game in the manner of a Tsunami breaking in. He radiated r energy, at a level rarely scaled in his era on a cricket field. Few ever blended aggression with artistry so comprehenisively. Although fast medium, he could be as daunting with the ball as the very best, with his crafty outswinger, offcutter, slower ball and ball that kicked from a good length. Inspite of bowling on docile tracks on the subcontinent, Kapil had 434 scalps, with virtually no assistance. I can never forget how he obtained pace and movement on flat pancakes, trapping the great Vivian Richards in Front or getting Geoff Boycott or Zaheer Abbas caught behind. No paceman carried the workload of his team’s bowling attack on his shoulders in his eras muc

Informal efforts to help children of remote Bundelkhand village unable to go to school

By Bharat Dogra  Rajaram Ka Purva is a remote rural hamlet in Banda district of Uttar Pradesh inhabited by the poorest of the poor. Almost none of the children in this hamlet are able to go to school. The reasons relate to poverty, distance of the nearest school as well as the unsafe path to school.

Understanding universe, time, space: A crucial, unresolved question before humanity

By Prof Sudhanshu Tripathi*  A crucial question before humanity, still unresolved, is to comprehend the true nature and expanse of Time and Space in Universe. If both are indeed limitless, there is no question then to go beyond them. Because both Time and Space are indeed the two key determinants in this mundane world which define the very expanse of the life period of all living organisms and non-living entities and their relative spatial area producing mental and extra-mental consciousness. 

2024 elections in India: An agenda for justice, peace, democracy and environment

By Bharat Dogra  As debates leading up to 2024 union elections in India preceded by some important state assembly become intense, it is not enough to talk about election alignments among various political parties and their seat adjustments; the questions relating to the most important priorities and a future agenda based on justice, equality, peace, environment protection and democracy must get the most importance.