Global warming
The Ailing Planet:the Green Movement's Role by Nani Palkhivala
About the author:
Nani Palkhivala is the author of the article "The Ailing Planet:the Green Movement's Role, which was published in 'The Indian Express' on 24th Nov. 1994.The subject-matter of the article is about the declining health of the planet earth and about the revolutionary concept of the Green Movement in saving the planet from further degradation and deterioration of the planet.
Nani Palkhivala was an eminent Indian author,jurist and liberal economist. He was born in 16th January, 1920 in Bombay, India. Nani palkhivala died on 11 Dec. In Mombai.
The summary of the article
An unique revolution:
The only revolution in the world history which could gripped the imagination of the entire human race is, the Green Revolution. The revolution originated by an issue which was that, the health of the planet is declining. Still the revolution has it's relevance and is still continued.
The world's first nationwide Green Party was founded twenty -five years ago in Newzeeland in the year 1972.Since then, the movement is continuing by it's own force.
The change in human perception-A positive shift:
The Green revolution has brought a huge transformation in our thought about the planet. And Nani Palkhivala says it was a positive shift in our thought. The positive shift was that, previously man had thought about the planet mechanistically but now man can see the planet in a holistic and ecological way. The change in human perception had brought a revolutionary change in the activities of human being which is a positive shift.
The change from mechanistic view to holistic and ecological one:
The mechanistic view was that human being thought that they were the Lord of the planet.The earth has the abundance of resources on which the human being earlier thought that they had enough freedom to use it. The Green Revolution has changed the human perceptions completely.
The discovery of Copernicus in the sixteenth century had brought a revolutionary change human mind about the planet.The Green Revolution has also brought the same revolutionary change in human perceptions.
The holistic and ecological view:
The Green Revolution has taught that earth is an enormous being. It is like a living organism as it has it's own metabolism and metabolic needs.The earth has some vital processes going on continuously and which maintains the earth's ecological environment.
Now human being has begun to think holistically about the planet.According to the holistic concept the human being should respect and preserve the metabolism and metabolic needs of the planet so that the planet will be in good health. The human being should learn to live like a responsible tenant and a responsible trustee of the legacy of the future generation. The human being should learn to use the natural resources judiciously so that they could handover the planet to the coming generation as it was before.
The earth is like a living organism:
According to the holistic concept the earth itself is like a living organism.And just like a human body the earth has it's own metabolic needs and vital processes,for which the earth itself is able to maintain and safeguard the health of the planet. We only need to preserve and safeguard earth's metabolism.
The only thing, we need to do, is, to respect and preserve the metabolism and metabolic needs of the earth.Then the earth itself could maintain a good ecological environment.
Now human being has begun to realise their ethical obligation towards the planet and started to live like a good steward.
Human being has no right to harm that metabolism of the planet, as the human being are not the only being of the planet.Man shares the planet with 1.4 million species of living creatures.
Because of the so much misdeeds of humans, three to four millions of species are in the verge of extinction uncatalogued and undiscovered.The biologists have warned us seriously about that fact that the harm to the bio-diversity of the planet would cause a great harm to the planet's ecology.
The earth is now an ailing planet:
The earth is now a patient in declining health.We have seen some vital indications of degradation and deterioration all around us.The four biological principles are now reaching an unsustainable level. Fisheries collapsed, forests disappears, grasslands are becoming barren wastelands and croplands deteriorates. The terrible growth of world population is the main factor for the all round degradation and deterioration of natural as well as socio-economic environment.
Our ethical obligation towards the planet:
The Green Movement has taught us our ethical obligations to be stewards of the planet and responsible trustees of the legacy to future generation.
There are some vital signs very evident in earth which clearly says that the earth is in poor health.
The concept of sustainable of development evolved as a solution to the better survival of mankind on the planet.
The World Commission on Environment and Development had initiated the concept of sustainable development in 1987.The report defined the concept as "Development that meets the needs of the present, without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs"I.e., without stripping the natural world of resources future generation would need".
It is now proved that the most dangerous animal in the world is, the man.
The author gives us a reference, that in the zoo of lusaka in the entrance of a cave there is a written warning in a notice board that is "the most dangerous animal inside".But inside the cave one can discover only a mirror which reflect the person's own reflection.This suggests that the human being is the most dangerous animal in the world.
One of the early international commissions brandt report raised a question on dealing a issue on ecology and environment is that "Are we to leave our successors s scorched planet of advancing deserts, impoverished landscapes and ailing environment? "
Lester R. Brown in his book, 'The Global Prospect' points out that the earth's principal biological systems are four-fisheries, forests, grasslands, and croplands. They form the foundation of global economic system. They provide us food and raw materials for our industries except minerals and petrolium derived synthetics.
In large areas of the world due to the increase in human claims on these systems causes degradation to an unsustainable level. The productivity of these systems are impaired. Fisheries collapsed due to overfishing. In a protein conscious hungry world overfishing is very common. Wastelands are almost occupied by human being for industrial or residential expansion for which the natural habitats of fishes are destroyed.
The increase in population causes much pressure on these four biological systems, which leads to the degradations and deterioration of thesesystems.
Forests are being decimated in poorer countries very quickly. Due to the cutting of the trees for firewood causes the destruction of local forests in such a way that in some places firewood has become so expensive that "what goes under the pot is now costs more than what goes inside it".
The destructions forests directly effects on the animal habitats. The tropical forests, which is called the powerhpuse of evolution is now faces the extinction of several species. So the destruction of tropical forests causes the destruction of the animal habitats.
Tropical forests is regarded as an ancient patrimony of several species of animals and flora and fauna which has been eroding at the rate of forty to fifty million acres in a year.
The main cause is the growing use of cow dungs by the people of the adjacent areas as fuel for cooking deprives the soil of an important natural fertilizer. Thus the natural increase in the extension of the forest land is reduced. Thus the excessive cutting of trees for the use of wood for furnitures and firewood for cooking causes so much destruction of forest lands.
The another fact is that the ocupation of the forest land for industrial purposes are very common in developing economy of a country. As a result several living species are now in the verge of extinction.
Now the Green Revolution has taught Mankind to live a sustainable life to Safeguard the planet's ecology.
"It has been wellsaid that forests precede mankind;deserts follow."The meaning is that if the increase in population in terribly high rate will continue in the same way that would definitely lead to the destruction of forest resources in high rate and the rapid extension of desert land.
The World Bank estimates that we need to increase the forest planting in a five-fold way to meet up the fuelwood demands in the year 2000,which at present is to be doubled.
The President of the World Resources, James Speth said "we were saying that we are losing the forests at an acre a second, but it is much closer to acre - and-half to a second. " Deforestation spreads rapidly and it has severe impact on world ecology.
So it has been well said that forests will disappear before the mankind and mankind will die in desert.
The constitutional provisions for the safeguard of the natural resources:
Article 48A of the Indian Constitution
The Indian Constitution has the provision to safeguard the natural resources. In the article 48A of the Indian Constitution says, "the State shallendeavour to protect and improve the environment and to safeguard the forests and wildlife of the country".
The shameful fact is that, though various factors are responsible, laws are never respected or cated in the country like India.Thereby an endless anguish continues. There are many examples of such violations of law in India. They are casteism, untouchability and bonded labour which law can't prevent their florishing shamelessly?Even after forty four years of the operation of the Constitution still certain unlawful things are continued.
In India a recent report by our Parliament's Report Committee highlighted the near catastrophic depletion of India's forests over the last four decades.
India, according to reliable data, losing its forests at the rate of 3.7 million acres a year. Large areas, officially designated as forest land, "are already virtually treeless".The actuall loss of forests zis estimated to be about eight times the rate indicated by government statistics.
'A three- year study using satellites and aerial photography conducted by the United Nations, warns that the environment has deteriorated so badly that it is critical in eighty-eight countries investigated'.
The growth of world population increasing in a terrible rate is the major factor for deterioration and degradation of the planet's natural environment as well as social environment.
Development itself becomes a best contraceptive now. When education spreads, health improves and income rises human fertility rate falls naturally. Thus development itself is the best contraceptive. But the terrible increase in population makes the present scenario quite opposite.
The growth of world population is the strongest factors for distorting the future of human society.
A million years would take human being to reach the first billion, according to the 1800 century statistics. And probably, if this present rate of increase in population continues, the world population will be multiplied in each century.The present world population as the estimated data at the time of the article written was about 5.7 billion. Now in every four days the world population is increasing by one million.
The changes in natural and social environment due to over-population:
The terrible growth in population in some developing countries creates a drastic changes in socio -economical environment. The rise of class inequality as the rich becomes more rich and poor becomes more poorer. In poorer section of society, due to high birth rate is more condemned to be poor. More children doesn't mean more workers, merely more people without work. Thus the high rate of increase in population completely turn all kinds of development into nothingness.
The choice is really between the control of population and the perpetuation of poverty.
The voluntary family planning is the only way to control the situation.It would be possible only through proper educational initiative without introducing any element of coercion.
India has the population estimated to be 920 million which is more at present. It is more than the entire population of Africa and South Africa put together. If this will be continued in suh a way it may be easily predictable that one day Indian people will die in hunger in their hutments.
A transcending concern evolves as a result of the Green Revolution:
For the first time in human history a great concern is developed which has the transperancy that it can run from one generation to another generation naturally.
The concern is not only about the survival of mankind but also for the survival of the planet.
The Green Revolution has taught us to follow a sustainable concept of development to protect and preserve the planet's ecology as well as the survival of the mankind.
A new hope,in which we have to take part, to be played actively:
The environmental problem doesn't necessarily signal our demise, it is our passport for the future. We can now think and work with better understanding of our planet, actively, to safeguard our planet for the better survival in the future. It is like our passport or right to take initiative as much as we can do for better existence of the planet as well as the better survival of the human being on the planet.
This is an emerging New World Vision which has introduced a new Era of Responsibility.
"It is a holistic view, an ecological view, seeing the world as an integrated whole rather than a dissociated collection of parts." The Green Revolution has taught mankind that human being can't survive without the survival of the planet.
This era is the era of responsibility
Human being is to be more responsible now and onwards.Now human being has learnt to live with responsibility for the better survival of the mankind as well as the planet.
"Industry has a most crucial role to play in this new era of responsibility."
In this respect, it would be a great initiative if more businessman will agree with the view of the chairman of Du Pont, Mr. Edgar S. Woolard who declared himself as the company's " Chief Environmental Officer".He said, "Our continued existence as a leading manufacturer requires that we excel in environmental performance".
The most felicitous and decisive statement in current coin of English usage made by the once Prime Minister of Britain, Margaret Thatcher was that, "No generation has a freehold on this earth. All we have is a life of tenacy -with a full repairing lease".
Mr Lester Brown's statement is that, " We have not inherited this earth from our forefathers;we have borrowed it from our children. "
Both the statement has the same implication that we are not the Lord of the planet but we are living a life by sharing our planet with all the living being on the planet. We have now learnt to live a life of a good stewardship. Because we are not inheriting our planet from our forefathers rather we are borrowing our planet from our coming generation. We are responsible to handover our planet to the coming generation in the same state as we enjoy now at present. We have only the right,
to live in our planet as good tenant with all the power of repairing lease, as needed in any hour.
Major question and answers:
1.What is the Green Movement?
Answer:The Green Movement is the only movement which makes the human being conscious about to stop further degradation and deterioration of natural resources and the ecological balence of the planet. The Green Movement aims at creating a holistic and ecological view of the world. It is an unique revolution which has gripped the mind of the entire human race very quickly and which is still continuing. The first Green Party was formed in the Newzeeland twenty five years ago. Since then it has not looked back .
2.What is the holistic and ecological view of the world?
Answer:The Green Revolution has brought a revolutionary change in the human thinking, that is from mechanistic to a holistic and ecological one. According to the holistic and ecological view, the earth is an enormous being having it's own metabolism and metabolic needs. The earth is considered as a living organism. So like a human body the earth has its own metabolism and vital processes which can work for the better health of the planet by itself.
The ecological view is that man finds himself not as a disassociated part of the planet rather he considers himself as a part of the planet.Now the revolutionary concern is that, the better survival of the planet is for the better survival of mankind.
3.what is the concept of sustainable development?
Answer:The concept of sustainable development is that, the "Development that meets the needs of the present without harming the needs of the future generation. "
It makes the human being conscious about the utilisation of the natural resources as much as judiciously as we can. Fisheries, forests, grasslands and croplands are to be used judiciously without harming it's original qualities. The human being should keep in mind that, they have to handover the planet in the same state as they enjoy it at present.
4.what is the "positive shift" in human thought that has brought by the Green Revolution?
Answer:The "positive shift in human perceptions" is that human being has now begun to realise their misdeeds which caused so much degradation and deterioration of the natural environment of the planet. Human being has now changed his outlook that his survival depends on the better survival of the planet. That human being alone is not the master of the planet.He only shares the planet with other living beings. Human being along with the nature with all the living beings altogether constitutes the ecology of the planet. Human being should learn to live a sustainable life so that they could protect and preserve the planet's ecology for a better existence of the planet as well as the human being.Human being should learn to live like good steward by preserving the legacy of the future generation. The Green Revolution has brought this change in human mind for which they can convert their role from a Lord to a responsible trustee.
5.what is the cause of the collapse of fisheries?
Answer:The increasing demand of hungry population in the protein conscious world leads to the over-fishing which has resulted the collapse of fisheries in a rapid way. Another reason is that the reduction of the natural habitats of fishes because of the unlawful occupation of wetlands for the industrial extension or residential extension by growing human population. The environmental pollution has also caused the destruction of fisheries.
6.How are the 'local' and 'tropical' forests being decimated?
Answer:The 'local' forests are decimated due excessive cutting of trees for the use of firewood for cooking. In the poorer countries the increasing demand of the increasing population for the use of fuel and firewood causes the destruction of the forests.
Tropical Forests are also decimated because of the deforestation and reduced natural extension. People in the adjacent areas use cow-dung as fuel for cooking deprives the soil of a most essential fertiliser which prevents the growth and extention of the forest lands. This leads to the extinction of the several species of animals.
7.'Forests precede mankind;deserts fellow'. Explain this statement.
Answer:The excessive felling of trees for the use of wood for various purposes, occupation of forests land for the use of industrial set up, extension of residential areas and the setting up of resorts and lodges leads to the destruction of forests land. If this kind of demands by the increasing population will continue for years this will definitely lead to the advancement of desert and forests will disappear before the mankind.
8."Our grasslands are being converted into barren wastelands, and croplands deteriorate. "Justify this statement.
Answer:The reducing areas of open grasslands leads to the over- grazing of animals converts into barren wastelands. The excessive application of fertilisers to increase the productivity to meet the demand of the growing population leads to the deterioration of the croplands. It effects the natural quality of lands and productivity is being impaired.
9.How is the population explosion perpetuating poverty?
Answer:The growth of world population is one of the strongest factorsfor 'distorting' the future of human society. Development in any kind becomes meaningless if the present increase in human population continues. Because it leads to the rise of economically unequal classes. The rich become more richer and the poor becomes more poorer. The birth rate in the poorer section of the society is high due to some misconceptions. That they think more children means more workers but in reality it means more people without work and food. So a choice is necessary for the human being that is,to adapt birth control measures or to perpetuate poverty.
10."No generation has a freehold on this earth. All we have is a life tenancy." Do you agree with the statement of Margaret Thatcher?
Answer: Nani Palkhivala says no other statement is so perfectly and precisely explained like this statement of Margaret Thatcher. The statement makes it clear that human has no right to think himself as the Lord of the planet. He has to work like a responsible trustee of the legacy of the future generation. Already man had done a lot which causes so much degradation and deterioration of the planet's natural environment. But at present man should think about his earlier misdeeds and from now onwards he should work the better health of the planet. Man should learn to live a life of a good tenant as he has to handover the earth in its best position to the coming generation.
11.what signs reveal that the earth is a patient in declining health?
Answer:The four principle biological systems in the world, the fisheries, forests, grasslands and croplands which form the foundation of the global economic system are now reaching an unsustainable level. The human demands on these systems are increasing in such a high level that the present world environment is degrading and deteriorating. All these indicates that the earth is now an ailing planet.
12.what are the principal biological systems of the earth and what is their importance?
Answer:Mr Lester R. Brown in his thoughtful book, "The Global Prospect", points out that the earth's principal biological systems are four-fisheries, forests, grasslands and croplands. They form the foundation of the global economic system.
They provide us food and raw materials for our industries except minerals and petroleum derived synthetics.
