ecology – An Aura of Fleeting Thoughts

Before even you try to begin thinking what makes me an authority to write on Climate Change, a few facts- firstly you don’t have to be an “authority” because those labels are dangerously misleading! and secondly I have my Master of Science in the subject, if that helps to quell any fears that I may have lost my mind, so If you think , it will be fun reading and simplifying the big elephant in the room, join me here as we try to make sense of all the clutter that is dished out at us under the garb of climate change- the next thing you will hear is the Earth’s change is the reason why people are reaching office late (as and when they start to commute- post the pandemic that all of us are still up against as yet!).

For starters, if you have studied Geography or some science- whether be maths, physics, chemistry, biology or botany or anything that got you connected with the planet Earth as a planet- well then you are well qualified enough to take a stand , have an opinion and be vocal about climate, the planet’s today and tomorrow! The only catch being your voice must be based on facts and facts alone which confirm to what science and scientific principles say- not simulated statistician models built on some crazy AI modelling and those fuzzy corporate presentations by “experts” that want to tell you why, “their approach” to do “a” over “b” saves the planet form “x, y and z”- that is all glorified bullshit and the fact is whether you do something or not- Mother Earth has her plans and together with the other cousins in the Solar System- each cycle around the Earth and each tug of gravity of other planetary objects within the solar system and the interplay of the energies of the Universe- ensure one thing- dynamic equilibrium- the balance that is just incrementally enough to keep going in the intended direction- any less- there would be chaos- wiping off life, any greater same result- so well you may say then should we disregard all the “experts” warnings? Well, yes, disregard all the “experts” who come in double quotes; but pay heed to common sense and what science and your observation tells you! Let me explain!

Each one of us no matter where we live- our lives are all under 70 years , most of us- who are reading this blog and the sensible reference to anything and everything that we can learn, have learnt and are learning is from the last 200-300 years, sure enough we know more about ancient history back and beyond BCE, but when it comes to the space of Geography, Climatology, Meteorology, Geology, these sciences have developed with us in the last 100 odd years in a way that they can be trusted, explained and shared! The whole understanding of the Earth’s climate dynamics was a big learning as we entered the age of the satellites, planes that could fly though storms and advanced precipitation radars so on and so forth! At any time, we have over 150 satellites, just keeping an eye from heavens above to let us know if the Earth has some trick up it’s sleeve and if we need to brace for the next storm, cyclone, typhoon, hurricane or whatever it is planing to throw at us! You may say, we all know this, what has all this to do with understanding and decoding Climate Change? Well it has everything to do with it!

We have seasons and each season we experience extreme weather formation, whether that’s extreme heat, rain, snow, scantier rainfall- whatever way you want to look at, now my point here is simple, first, for how long are you studying that data for that area under study- 5 years, 10, 20, 30, 50, 100, 200? How old is the area (that you know about) as being part of a geographical land mass of the Earth in the same place and in the same climate? 10,000 years, 20,000, 100,000 years? So what are your really measuring? How and Why?

Ask any true planetary scientist and they will tell you, how and why the Earth that came to life 4.5 billion years ago has a finite life of perhaps an equal amount left and until then the thermodynamic process and the physics that governs the planet will play its role and dominate the spaces around determining the planetary climate and all that comes through it! Change is the essential and fundamental process of our Planet and being part of the Universal arrangement, everything is in a constant flux and change is the only thing that is really ever constant! So now you may ask what about “Climate Change” why is it such a big thing if change has been the planetary normal for millions of years all through? Well part of your answer lies in the question itself! Let me explain!

You see the whole “Business” of “Climate Change” has evolved in the last two or three decades! Early 19th century rapid industrialization was hailed as the way to uplift people from poverty and empower their lives, as that theory began to stall, the next narrative moved to enhancing production, automation and so on and so forth and for every inch of progress, there had to be a reason to be sold- and what could be a better reason to sell than “Climate Change”! Let me explain! consider this you had 5000 workers in your automobile plant and wanted to bring about automation and we are now in 1950s, what do you do? With strong unions and lobby groups, what’s the easy way out? Well, simple take government support, build a narrative on climate, state that access to clean air and water is a fundamental right (which even after all that has been claimed to be done or not done- still is a myth!) and then show your 5000 workers the changed law of the land and express helplessness and get moving ahead! This is the simple uncluttered truth and pattern that gets played all over the world over and over again disguised as something new- the proverbial old wine in never ending new bottles of changing narratives!

Sure enough you can argue how planting trees and having forests develop around, brought down the temperature in a local area, made the stream more regular and allow flora and fauna flourish- but what has that to do with Climate Change- this is simple habitat management- conservation and development of forests or foliage in scientific terms and the impact that it has will be local because thats how ecosystems get built, it is only when ecosystems connect and start a relationship of inter dependency over a larger area, is that we see a larger broader weather pattern, seasonal pattern evolve and when that again gets hooked onto the planetary weather systems, is then that anything will ever qualify for Global Planetary Climate patterns- not change! Simply because Change is a given in the life of Earth, whether humanity does it proactively or passively, that stays, what has changed in the last few decades is the mad obsession to measure all that can be measured, not realizing whether that measurement really makes any scientific sense and loop it back to whatever one can and then declare a theory! It is like seeing a yellow butterfly and then declaring all butterflies are yellow! But then we people lives’ destroyed by storms, wild fires , earthquakes what is that all about? Well read on!

As Humanity made advancements in technology and science, it has become ignorant and dumb in an proportional to how much knowledgeable it has become! In the mad haste to sell cities, get international funding in the millions, societies have out-competed each other in being dumb and unscientific and then what follows is utter chaos! Pick up any case study of a natural disaster of your liking study it and then go back 25 years, 50 years and check if those natural events happened or not and what impact it had on humans then- chances are impact would be nil because there were no human settlements there! This is the holy grail which no sellers and peddlers of Climate Change want you to know and understand, the simple truth that human settlements and activities have crossed the line and ventured into a territory where the Earth breathes and is more than active, it is similar to walk on the rail track and expect a train to stop- because you are there! Doesn’t work that way and thats why humanity gets slammed every time they err on that side of the line!

Humanity in the last 50 years has ended up building cities over swamps, emptied lakes to build commercial complexes, allowed settlements on fringes of wild forests, come up buildings in seismically active zones and that never ending craze to have that french window by the beach- not realizing that house is been undercut from below, even as you take the views from the balcony every moment! This is not climate change- this is changing dumbness of humanity! Like the fact remains, there is no cure for dumbness and the show continues! But you may want to still argue, sea levels are rising, the corals are dying, habitats are changing, sure they are and that is how it is meant to be! For humans who have been on this planet for just around a few millions years,(we still are digging for older references) of the 4.5 billion years that the Earth has been around- if we get into the space of divine intelligence that we know all about this stuff called Earth! Well have fun, and keep going on with that route till you hit the wall! So what’s the point!

The point is simple and clear, don’t get sold into unwarranted, unscientific bullshit of climate change, you planting that one tree is equivalent of applying color to few streaks on your head and hoping everyone will get the same color! Doesn’t work! The simple rule of engagement with Earth is “Have Mutual Respect”! Steer clear off areas where nature dominates and learn to listen, not come up with the next technology and still insist to live around a swamp or a zone where you know the next big earthquake is about to come, or buy that ranch on the fringes of a forest, don’t do that! Next use what you need and ensure you do your bit to follow the social norms of mindful living that your society may have, if it doesn’t have one for yourself! get into a mindset of “minimalism with opulence”. This is the long and short about dealing with so called “Climate Change”!

There is no point getting sold into false narratives which are more often than not agenda driven and trying to sell you something by instilling fear, confusion or both! Respect nature, be kind and stay where you must using the resources that the planet has provided- trust me they are more than enough to last your life time! Problems will begin the moment you start to think you Know All and You Can Manage All, well this is the biggest problem with Humanity and this is from where the whole misplaced fear mongering and oversell of Climate Change begins! As long as human activities continue in zones which are not supposed to be made habitable- floods, earthquakes, fires, smogs, ill health will run amok and yes, don’t blame the Earth for your dumbness and bravado of wanting to be where you shouldn’t be! The whole narrative of “Climate Change” is a Socio-Politico-Economic” one which goes the way, each one of those elements want to drive it at different point sin time to suit their agendas and establish new norms of social behaviour!

I leave you here with these thoughts, urging you think about it, apply the science that you have known and think! Is it really Climate Change or is it more about Changing attitudes of Humanity towards the resources that we have an access to! The key is “Minimalism with Opulence”

Ciao for now, will be back with another one soon, until than stay safe, respect the planet and be where you are supposed to be unless you are in one of those coveted jobs of being a planetary scientist in the real essence of it, sans the fear mongering and agenda selling!

Cyclones, earthquakes, landslides, mudslides, flash floods, seasonal floods, volcanic eruptions, tidal bore, tsunami, avalanche, sandstorms, tornadoes, typhoons, well all these seem to be cousins from one big family who are hell bent at making human lives miserable and hell, but the truth is far from that! This short piece is to help you make some peace with these wonderful gifts of nature and allow you to enjoy them while ensuring your safe and don’t suffer! So let’s go!

Our planet has been evolving and continues to, with each passing second- that’s how it has always meant to be! Even before humankind evolved as we know it today, these natural events played a major role in ensuring that the conditions were conducive enough for complex organisms, ecosystems to develop and foster which have made it possible to be who we are today, and for me to write this blog!

Through history- ancient and modern- there have been replete examples of storms, and cataclysmic events at times well documented and at times lost partly in the passage of time. 200 years ago the earth was the same, the natural events would have been more or less the same- the only reason why we possibly never had such a hue and cry about things was possibly because our science and the accompanying dumbness had not yet arrived to the scene! With breakthrough’s in science, technology, it became possible to have satellites hosted up, weather balloons sent up and snaps clicked to understand comprehensively how the weather systems worked in tandem not only in a small area- but across larger areas.The boundaries of nations are created by humankind, for nature there is no international border or allegiance to any trading block or political alignment- if there is a storm coming your way – Nature will not decide your fate on religious or political alignments- your acceptance of science and common-sense alone will make the difference between you have a future tense or getting permanently stuck in the past tense!

If one goes to see what has changed in the last 200-300 years, it is the spread of mankind in areas as remote as one could think of- remote in the context of climatic harshness and habitat in general. So what did we do, well we applied science, technology and ingenuity, perhaps all that we could apply (sans common-sense) to create cities, towns and human settlements in areas and locations which were nothing more than a ticking time bomb with regards to how nature implements it’sown plan! Last 200-300 years historically have witnessed large events wherein there has been general disregard to nature, whether it is altering the course of rivers for dams, whether it is draining the swamps to make way for construction, whether it is reclaiming land from the Sea, or blasting off mountains to create transport lines, or clearing natural habitats for agriculture and cash crops, you name it and you will find it- these and many allied factors around these events- which have a geo-political and an economic overtone to it have accelerated the conflict between Nature and Humanity. The funny part is that humans have first created this problem and than gone a step further in creating a whole new business of trying to figure out how to deal with “Climate Change”even as every passing second the climate is being altered and changed through human activities on an ongoing basis!

The simple truth remains is that humanity through it’s development has sadly allowed the human greed to override human acceptance and the better use of accommodation mind-set which is so very critical- as each one of us knows that this is the only planet we have (at least as yet) and this is the only place we can call our home in the whole known spectrum of the Universe! This human greed to have it all, consume everything and dominate resources of nature/from nature has ensured we are always in the firing line of natural events! Cities have been built around sea fronts world over – knowing very well- that there exists a clear and imminent danger form what the oceans have to throw at you when they have a bad day at office! Hill sides and mountain slopes are cleared off recklessly to have the quaint little hill top or mountain view idyllic settings for that ever elusive Instagram selfie- without giving a second thought about the risks that come with an unstable earth on precarious slope- setting up of whole city blocks close to river flood lines – clearing vital pristine natural forests for farming- all of these set up as a society in direct conflict with nature and when shit happens- which it will- instead of the storm going away flattening trees in a forest- where they can grow back fast and quick (as part of the natural processes) we end up having messed up cities and devastated human lives at times with terrible stories of agony and pain which take years and years to recover and by the time that recovery is complete we are surely hit by some other incident in one way or the other! So, by now if you are trying to think I am making a pitch for an environmental cause- well I am not, because even that is business! I am trying to share a simple and yet wonderful thought- Get Humanity out of the way of Nature and everything will be just fine!

If people don’t senselessly clear forests, build resorts by blasting off mountain slopes, don’t whine for sea-front properties and understand that nature is beyond your lovely pet and the money plant in your house or office, well I guess, we would have already won half the battle! No matter who says what, it doesn’t matter how much of science you know or not, what matters and perhaps the only thing that matters is if you generously use common-sense and want to feel empowered by nature and share the sunrises, sunsets, spring flowers and the snowfall in the right way at the right times and wish to paddle down a call, clean river or have a campfire by the beach or in the woods- remember it always starts with you, every singular effort done to ensure that nature is not being trampled upon is the essence of ensuring that we are able to handover the pearls that nature has to offer to succeeding generations sans the unwarranted anxiety and whole narrative of “the world was better earlier”! Remember, earthquakes don’t kill, it is the man-made structures that fail- which kill people, Flash floods don’t kill- being caught in the wrong place at the wrong time gets your killed! Nature has it’s own way to send out signals of distress and warnings if you understand it that way- have your wondered why animals ride it out better when natural events occur? You may say they sense it, well yes they do, the fact also being, even we can, but our capitalist and modern day greed has ensured we have ended up switching off our receivers which can help us too- should we ever trespass into a natural place at a horribly wrong time!

Finally, it is never about Nature Vs Humanity, we are part of nature- once we are ready to keep aside or even trim a little of the ever growing greed of wanting and dominating the planet, this world will be a much better and safer place! Remember, natural events never were designed in a way to kill anyone- let alone humans- it is humans who have found ingenious and dumb ways to get into the path of nature and at the wrong times and add to our ever growing list of demises which occur because of non-application of science and commonsense-applying even one of it can save human lives- always- no matter what nature throws at you!

I will leave you here,for now, so if you happen to be somewhere close to brewing thunderstorm or by the beach, show some respect and use your limited knowledge of science or common-sense to ensure you can appreciate the great sights and sounds that nature puts up for us and also ensuring you don’t get killed and live to see another sunrise!

Ciao for now, will be back soon with another piece and here’s wishing you a eco-friendly life!