MARCHING TOWARDS UNSUSTAINABLE FUTURE

Photo Courtesy - Nirmal Poddar 

Mukesh Devrari 

The earth has enough resources for our needs – not for our greed – Mahatma Gandhi

In the early nineteenth century renowned political economist Thomas Robert Malthus tried to point out that the incremental growth in food production can never match the food requirements of an exponentially growing population. He suggested that a better way to deal with the problem is to open sewer lines. It would lead to the spread of diseases and the result will be an immediate reduction in population.

Today Malthus can be charged with underestimating the resilience of human beings as a biological entity against the odds of life and nature. Lot has changed since then. Requirements of human beings now go far beyond mere food. The lifestyle of westerners suggests earth has enough not only to fulfil our needs but also our greed. It seems each one of us can have things in abundance.

The byproduct of modern man’s quest for progress is changes in physical, chemical and biological characteristics of land, air and water which are harmfully affecting the human life and every desirable living thing on earth. Global warming is a reality and changing patterns in atmosphere are visible.

Till now all developmental paradigms aspire to achieve developmental goals by harnessing the natural resources. Quite a few strains of thought within the existing paradigms of dominant development discourse propagates the planning and implementing alternative environmental friendly methods of progress without hindering the aspiration of large swathes of population.

Our society is divided into classes. No geographical entity known as a nation state is an exception to this fact. Not the entire population shares the blame for utter destruction and chaos in the form of global warming, climate change and depleting Ozone layer. Haves are more responsible. But the ideological structures present in society also make sure that aspirations and priorities of have-nots are not different from haves.

Can scientific and technological advancements rescue life on earth in its diverse manifestations? It seems the permanent solution to the looming danger on the existence of life on earth lies in the reprioritization and reinterpretation of essence and essentials of economic, social and political arrangements in tune with sustainability.

The attempt to achieve developmental goals by rapid liberalization and industrialization which promotes crass consumerism across the globe is dichotomous to the very idea of curbing human greed and protecting ecology. Acceptance of ecologically friendly way of life by humans is definitely going to diminish the threats and pave the way for establishing balance with nature.

Developing countries are reeling under the dual threat. Forest cover is a parameter to judge the health of nature and ecology. In the developing countries, on the one hand, industrialization is taking its toll and on the other due to population explosion forest lands are under threat from poor people who live in and around forests. India is losing 1.5 million hectares of forest cover each year. Serious degradation and depletion have been caused through overuse, misuse and mismanagement of resources to meet human greed.

In a response to a question whether he did not wish to see India reach the level of prosperity of Britain, Mahatma Gandhi said, “It took Britain half the resources of the planet to achieve this prosperity. How many planets will country like India require?”

It is time of all of us to accept our errors and correct them.

end.