As a dreaded virus engulfs the world, causing unprecedented havoc and killing more than 1.6 lakh people, many have begun to accept that it is retaliation from Mother Earth for man’s misdeeds. In 1970, under the guidance of Gaylord Nelson, the people of the United States celebrated the first Earth Day on April 22 in response to their protest against the industrial revolution. The United Nations General Assembly later designated the day as International Mother Earth Day through a resolution adopted in 2009.
Despite having knowledge of the negative consequences of rampant exploitation of the environment, we have continued to plunder and exploit the planet beyond its carrying capacity, without giving it time to rejuvenate. Gary Gardner, former Director of Publications, Senior Fellow, and Consultant at Worldwatch Institute, rightly states that most environmental issues we see today can be linked to consumption. Anthropogenic induced global greenhouse emission has resulted in various catastrophes such as climate change, biodiversity extinction, reduced food security, melting glaciers, heat waves, and droughts, thereby putting enormous pressure on the earth.
The theme of this year’s Earth Day, which is incidentally at its 50th year, is also on action on climate change, which is identified as the biggest challenge for survival of the human race. The continued supremacy of development over the environment and the lack of concern for various environmental challenges among policy makers has also aggravated this onslaught of varied proportions on the earth. Like a caring and loving mother, the earth has been responding to our misbehaviour with anger through earthquakes, floods, tsunamis, and last but not the least - epidemics of various proportions. But, we humans have never cared to introspect and listen to those warnings.
According to a study, nearly two-thirds of infectious diseases, including SARS, MERS, Ebola, AIDS etc originated from wildlife. The possibility of the link between consumption of wildlife and the present Covid- 19 crisis can also not be ruled out. Though it is too early to comment as to when we will be fully free from this pandemic, it has forced us to think and re-evaluate as to how we should respond to crises, mainly the ones related to climate change and biodiversity loss. It is sheer human tendency to forget once we overcome such crises, but we should be cautious and take corrective measures.
The earth’s next strike may be too difficult to recover from and not give another opportunity to the human race to respond. Let’s celebrate this Earth Day with renewed commitment and visible actions at various levels, including policy interventions and commitments post Covid-19 and keep the delicate balance between development/ consumerism on one side and the fragile environment on the other for the longcherished goal of sustainable development.
Genuine concerns in this direction promoting a holistic approach to harmony with Mother Earth can act as a silver lining at the end of the existing dark and gloomy tunnel. We, the human race, need to evolve mechanisms where we can develop technologies that have previously been used to plunder resources. Instead, we need to come out with rejuvenating and pro-environmental interventions aiming at peaceful co-existence with nature. This soul-searching act alone will be a befitting response at this juncture.
MOHAN CHANDRA PARGAIEN Senior IFS officer, Telangana