Coronavirus Conundrum - Nature Fights Back

Coronavirus & Our Environment!

While the World seethes under the impact of deadly coronavirus, we have no remedial measure in place. Social isolation and stay at home  are not a remedies but mitigating nonetheless that will be practiced in continuance for our well being. But even at this perilous juncture there are gaps and loopholes. Take for example people resisting isolation measures on ideological pretext. This is disastrous and inimical to our National interest and should be put to stop with a firm hand.

With thousands dying every day paradoxically in countries with advanced medical care there seems to be no end to it. In this quagmire of deadly pandemic few facts are emerging which albeit have yet to be quantified. The impact of this menace has been more in cold countries and statistics are testimony to that. In time to come more facts will emerge. 

Why heavily populated countries like India are not reeling under an impact as severe as that in Italy, Spain and US is bit hard to conjecture?

Is there a disaster in waiting for dense populations that could be an easy target for this rapidly mutating pathogen?

Perhaps rising temperatures have something to do with this low level impact in some countries. But this has not been hundred percent proven albeit many such countries are waiting for temperature to rise.   

Pandemics & Nature!

This tragedy that is holding the World in consternation is being seen as an invasive disaster shaped perhaps by evolution. But this is a myopic approach and we have to pay greater attention to the root cause of emergence of such pandemics on Earth. 

World has been subject to pandemics at regular intervals and this is no surprise. With rapidly deteriorating environment these incidences of deadly pandemics are going to hasten. And we continue to go against nature in our greed for amassing wealth by breaking rules and that too with great haste and impunity. Where this mad race for wealth creation will lead us nobody knows? But it has certainly lead to deadly Corona! And more is in offing. 

What we do not realize is that we live in a well defined environment created by a large ecosystem. Well many of us do know this but mired as we are in a material World we continue to move into the black hole.

Yes wealth accumulation precedes care for our environment, we have been given a free hand to create wealth with no holds barred, no principles. In spite of such economic disparities we have yet to realize the folly of system we have created. And there is no governing arm as  regards to illogical and irrational lifestyles in many countries. How do we put a stop to this? 

It is each for self (Nations) with abject disregard for what holes we are leaving in the process. Dependency on fossil fuels, excessive exploitation of natural resources, rabid industrialisation and infrastructure development, overflowing populations, internecine wars, economic and ideological wars, irrational lifestyles and consumptions....these are inimical to well being of our ecosystem...and we will continue to face the wrath of nature.  Our survival is in question and if this is not apocalyptical than what is? 

Uniform World Order

It is evident now we need a uniform World order, a governance and restriction mechanism which prohibits exploitation of natural wealth, prevents damage to remaining ecosystems and keeps a strict hold on exotic irrational lifestyles. 

From the denudation being carried out by emerging economies to rainforests everywhere, disastrous mining projects and the wet markets in countries like China the latter are a confirmed source of zoonotic disease.  At this juncture we need to halt and think rationally. We need to free ourselves of this disastrous quagmire by a paradigm shift.     

We are well aware of race for amassing wealth, no one country is ever going to listen but nevertheless we can pinpoint the disasters in making and stem the rot at least in some of these instances.  

Most of the World bodies are defunct or not functioning to peak levels. What we need are globally effective, strong punitive and isolating measures such that any environmentally damaging continuance would come to a stop. This may appear to be impractical and irrational to some but this is the way ahead in order find a way out of this quagmire we have landed ourselves into. 

Read More on Pandemics & Lifestyle

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Uday is a content writer and seo service provider. He also teaches Digital Marketing in Jabalpur in Summer.
As a freelance Naturalist he loves to blog on wildlife, tigers, conservation and environmental issues hence the article.
He can be contact at:
pateluday90@hotmail.com
09755089323

New Narrative & Environmental Concerns!

Finally! 

People stomped their foot down and pressed the button after seemingly unending rancour at the hustings. Year 2019 was a year of emergence of the right, left, center, neo intellectuals, urban maoists, violence mongers, secularists, muslims, Hindus, communalists, pseudo secularists and intellectuals, castiests, loyal and disloyal in media, nationalists, religiously autocratic, traitors, peace makers,  those with colonial imprint, soft and ultra thinkers. You can go on adding all will literally  fit in the description of this colorful rhetoric.

This election came with the tremendous revelation of English vocabulary, and the participation of enlightened people who helped decide and clear the consternation. The latter may not understand the former but have certainly proved to be intelligent voters. The caste and creed politics has been diluted and the masses are gullible and ignorant no more.      

The results came as a big,  relief not because a particular dispensation was reinstated but because electoral politics was fortified, pertinent issues were highlighted, and the momentary right judgment prevailed. The rabble-rousers and demagogue were sidelined. (Voice of the People).

And I believe the  trust in the EVM was finally established...at least till next elections.

Our Environmental Concerns!

With hope, India proceeds for the next five years for betterment of the peoples live, robust national security, demographic/religious harmony and settlement of prevailing issues and problems. All these are ever ongoing processes. The exemplary display of people participation was the most encouraging aspect that only a democracy can deliver.

The concerns expressed here and the optimum solutions certainly matter. But I feel the environmental concerns in this country always take a back seat vis a vis the imperatives pictured here. The neglect -seemingly absurd to some - subdued by the imperatives is frightening and depressing. With the impending climate change, rising pollution levels, damned rivers, damaged ecosystems and vanishing species a bleak future awaits us. 

The Governments cannot reduce poverty, tackle health issues, provide robust careers, and improve living conditions without preserving the environment in a perfect state of equilibrium. 

The environment concerns like preservation, conservation and natural resource management etc will remain pivotal to the well being of the Nation. Hence good governance should be inclusive and attentive of environmental concerns.     

Unfortunately in democracy there are hardly any leaders who understand the microcosm that is Earth in the Universal scheme of things, and how sensitive it is to human interference be it infrastructure development for rapid economic growth, or urbanization imperatives.

It is the charisma of rapid transformation that makes people blind, but these promises or actions are proving to be more beneficial for the upper strata of the society rather than being egalitarian.

Yes linear developments should be for servicing the masses in qualitative manner, like expansion of communication highway into deep interiors, hygiene and health imperative like Swacch Bharat,  alternative energy production that would cover extensive settlements, cheap connectivity between the rural and urban settlements and so on. This kind of much desired development is what the country needs.

Large scale infrastructure development using imported sophisticated technology may augur direct investments in India but unlike the liner development ethos the FDIs may prove to be unstable or not profitable at all. In this rapidly changing World, technological developments and innovations can make investment in third World countries with cheap labour improbable in the future.

For many in the ruling dispensation certain genuine and pressing environmental concerns appear regressive and unwarranted or simply put an impediment to the developmental goals, often drawn hastily. The long term damaging effects are often difficult to quantify and hence resistance or dissent are considered as inconsequential.

This apathy is nothing new, as I have already mentioned the imperatives that dominate our vital concerns. There has to be  tangible approach to industrialization and infrastructure development keeping the fall out of schemes or planning discrepancies in mind. We can learn much from the developed countries whom we emulate often. 

Irreversible fragmentation  of forests, exploitation of prime lands for mining, urbanization, extensive road construction all are often at the great cost to the environment.

There should be stringent regulatory norms which would discourage unplanned architecture or plug hastily implemented unviable schemes. Much to the consternation of environmentalists and conservationists (wildlife)  even the judiciary is often not condescending.

With the massive population bulge and tremendous biotic pressure as the result agricultural practises have often caused imbalances especially where fragile ecosystems have been brought under the net. The problem is further compounded by urban - rural convergence that is taking place in India. This may be due to career pursuits but in an agrarian economy shaping local eco-friendly infrastructure could stem the rot and encourage local youth to find options within.    

What is crucial, and is becoming more and more so is the public apathy towards issues regarding the environment. One reason is that these matters are never highlighted and the people are not aware of the wide spectrum of ailments it can lead to...which will eventually hurt them more. These issues are not part of political discourse as they apparently  lack the pull of the promises (often unfulfilled) of short term economic doles, of rapid transformation of the society and quick generation of ubiquitous wealth...and of course the material transformation into a modern age.

The environmental issues facing the country remain confined to the battles between NGOs, conservationists, the judiciary and the ruling dispensation. Sometimes the press takes in the peak but unfortunately these matters do not attract audience in exponentially large numbers like a dhamakedar (block buster) news item would.  For them readership, and TPA for electronic media is all that matters.

The crux of this article is that environmental awareness and large scale participation of the masses is a must if positively identified and well planned projects for the Nation's benefit have to be implemented. They should no longer be confined in the reigns of administration/politicians alone. The participation can take place through information transmission, addressing the concerns and taking the views of the masses. Peoples participation in projects deemed viable should come through active role of people represented by the environmentalist/conservationists/experts along with the administrative set up. Things should no longer be confined to public bodies alone with closeted execution.

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Uday works as a naturalists and blogs in matter relating to environment, tiger conservation and related issues.
He can be contacted at: pateluday90@hotmail.com 

Extinction Underway - Can We Save The Earth?

We have constantly failed to prevent extinction of species since modern civilization took roots. The reason being that nature often comes in the way of  economic urgency. The shape of our economy in modern times is much dependent upon industrialization, agriculture and our own consumption based lifestyle that does not conform to salient principles of rational resource management.      

Let's invoke the truth, human prerogative dominates all forms of life on Earth. The extermination of wildlife accelerated whence the gun came into the picture. Earlier times hunting was not a passion, it was at many places where agriculture was lacking a deemed necessity. The vermin concept proved deadly and brought many species to brink of extinction if not their complete annihilation.

The modern day hunting, and the rapid loss of wild species was further compounded by uncontrolled population growth. The expanding humanity ravaged all habitats that came its way from grasslands, rivers to dense forests. There was no place for natural inhabitants to go and they perished. This was done to make way for agricultural fields especially in countries like India and China, food was a major priority to feed its teeming millions - and ever growing. Damage done, the rot continued as industrialization made its appearance. In many countries there was extreme loss of habitat and complete extermination of wildlife.

To be fair it was not only rampant hunting and habitat destruction that completely wiped out many species on Earth a major factor that was responsible for this irreversible loss was our lack of understanding as to how ecosystems of Earth work. This gave rise to many fallacies like not giving importance to habitats and  preventing their destruction. It takes millions of years to create ecosystems which made life on Earth sustainable.

Tree felling was done to appease our uncontrollable appetite for wood, and then  commercial forestry in nascent stage added to the great loss. Even till this day our green lungs are being felled because many countries in South America and some parts of Asia are totally dependent upon wood for their economic survival. The remaining forest ecosystems are under severe threat.

The resultant disorder that already prevails thanks to consumption of fossil fuel will be worsened if nothing is done to stem the rot. Eventually climate change due to emission of warm gases will consume us, well if not now then in time to come. Our progeny will definitely pay the price for our follies. The effects are already being felt and in many places, the rising temperature and frequent weather disturbances have started to take a toll.            

Nevertheless we continue to pursue industrial policies and developmental goals that are taking a heavy toll of nature. The obsession with rapid economic growth can be understood but what is alarming is that we manage to circumvent  the concern that arises out of  resultant damage to the environment in the process. Our policy makers, the wise men are always able to justify damage to the environment that arises due to developmental agenda. Who cares? Well some people do. But their voice is lost in the vast milieu that comprises of greed filled people and those in the race for attaining economic goals.  

We are held for ransom in absence of sound developmental policies which may take their own time to emerge but this is an antithesis for quick economic resurgences. Sane innovative ideas and practices develop over a period of time if the pursuits are sincere; they would in turn mitigate the damage to  our environment. But who gives new emerging  paradigm the weighted consideration.

According to the report in The Guardian UK scientist warn that the sixth mass extinction is already under way. Already the space for existence of many keystone species  is constricted. In absence of effective conservation efforts and proper planning many more species are bound to become extinct in time to come.  

Public apathy, greed and mismanagement will hinder all actions that could stem the rot.  The species are becoming extinct at much faster rate than before. After already having lost billions of life forms  environmental concerns should be widespread prevalent, that which along with sound policies will continue to make the Earth a livable place.