Every year on June 5, the World Environment Day (WED) ceremony is inaugurated under the aegis of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), a subsidiary of the United Nations since 1972. Every year, a program based on a new theme takes place in a different country. This year’s theme is “Climate Action.” This theme emphasizes taking action, and behind it lies the issue of climate change, specifically global warming.
Although there are differing arguments about “global warming,” the common proposition now is that “severe global warming is occurring” (though there are scientists here and there who do not agree with this). Four to five decades ago, instead of global warming, most scientists argued that “global cooling” was occurring. When the concept of Environment Day emerged in 1972, global warming was not making much noise. In the newspapers of that time, hundreds of articles argued that “the earth is cooling, glacial cold is enveloping us, and we are sliding into another ice age!” In the 1980s, the argument of “global cooling” suddenly disappeared, and the argument of “global warming” came to the forefront. A common argument is that new truths revealed by research led to this theory change. Along with that, a controversy also began that there might be some other motive behind this “change in argument” regarding “climate change.” It is noteworthy that after the 1980s, “climate change” became a favorite topic of left-wing extremists, and a new kind of “climate activism” began.
Under the altered intellectual climate, arguments were made that the earth is becoming a hot griddle and that heat is increasing in the atmosphere, backed by supporting statistics, events, and experiences. In the subsequent decade, “apocalyptic” arguments emerged, claiming that vast glaciers of ice would melt and cause a deluge. After the year 2000, this stance loosened slightly, suggesting that while there is no immediate danger, by “2050-70” or “by the end of this century,” sea levels will rise drastically and most coastal metropolises will be submerged.
The same argument is currently in force, and countless NGOs are working tirelessly to publicize it worldwide. Billions of dollars are being spent. New climate icons and superstars are being created. It is increasingly observed that they are actively working with interest not only on “climate” but also on other political, economic, and security issues. Looking at all this, some people are expressing suspicions that there might be some “hidden agenda” beyond just concern for the Earth’s environment.
In another kind of extreme development, right-wing political groups in the West that oppose the leftists have gone to the extent of saying that “the environmental problem itself is a lie.” If former US Vice President Al Gore is considered a political icon of the left group, current President Donald Trump is the hero of the right group. The conflicts between these two groups—”climate change” versus “climate denialism”—have intensified.
As a result of falling into the hands of inappropriate forces, the political weaponization of even a sacred subject like the environment has taken place. “Geopolitical” conspiracies to oppose specific development projects and security projects in the name of the environment have become rampant. The “environment” has become a major weapon to hinder the economic and security projects of other nations. More money is being spent on “political actions” than on “climate action,” pushing real environmental conservation work into a corner.
This is an era of the political weaponization of the environment. The world has reached a state where it is difficult to discern what is genuine concern and what is a hidden agenda of diplomacy. Yet, scientific facts cannot be ignored. According to the current consensus (mostly) of scientists, global warming is increasing.
Gases like carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, water vapor, methane, etc., are called “greenhouse gases.” Greenhouse gases trap the earth’s heat. They help by preventing the earth’s heat from escaping into space, keeping the earth from becoming a freezing, cold sphere. These are very useful gases. Because of them, the earth remains warm and suitable for living beings to survive. However, while they are good in required quantities, if they increase significantly beyond that, global warming increases. Due to environmental pollution (and other natural causes), greenhouse gases are now being emitted in excess. Hence, they say, global warming is increasing. When global warming increases, long-term climate change occurs. The ecological balance gets disrupted. Rainfall may increase, causing “floods.” Not only that, cyclones may also increase. Along with this, groundwater gets depleted. “Drought” may also occur due to a complete lack of rain. Due to global warming, ice on the earth melts. Glacial regions also melt into water and flow into the sea, raising sea levels. Because of this, many areas may submerge—this is the current scientific opinion. The argument of the denialists is that “these phenomena existed in previous centuries too; there is nothing extraordinary happening now.”
However, air pollution, water pollution, the vagaries of deforestation, depletion of soil fertility, decline in groundwater levels, the plastic waste problem, and the desertification of various regions are matters within everyone’s common experience. It is also clear that human activities are responsible for all these problems. This does not require “huge proof.” This is a bad situation visible to everyone and within everyone’s experience. There should be a consensus at least regarding these matters.
The major, toxic chemicals being leaked into the atmosphere in excess due to modern human activities are—sulfur oxides; nitrogen oxides; carbon monoxide; carbon dioxide; volatile organic compounds; dust particles, particulate matter; toxic metals like lead, cadmium, copper, etc.; ammonia; foul-smelling toxic air leaking from sewers and garbage; nuclear radiation—and so on. Among these, the amount of carbon emitted through factory and vehicle smoke is the highest. Carbon monoxide emitted from vehicles is very dangerous. It obstructs the body’s natural process of absorbing oxygen. Another is nitrogen oxide, which is also dangerous. Along with this, evil habits like smoking ruin physical health. It also ruins the health of non-smokers.
It is also true that human activity is not the sole cause of global temperature changes. Sometimes, natural disasters (for example, earthquakes, volcanoes, etc.) degrade the environment. In the 19th century, information about “acid rain” came to light. The process where nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide, and other chemicals emitted from volcanic eruptions (along with toxic gases emitted by human activities) enter the atmosphere and mix with rainwater is called acid rain. As acid rain pours onto the earth, groundwater (for example, well water), rivers, seas, and lakes get polluted.
In the earth’s billions of years of history, scientists have identified several ice ages. During periods when temperatures dropped drastically, ice sheets about 200 meters thick used to spread over land and seas. Scientists say that a very ancient ice age occurred about 2.5 billion years ago. Since then, ice ages have occurred many times. As the heat of the earth’s environment decreases, glacial ice sheet regions form in the North and South Poles. Over thousands of years, as the temperature gradually increases, the glaciers keep melting. Even today, one can see an entire continent (Antarctica) buried under an ice sheet in the South Pole region.
About 22,000 years ago, the current ice age reached its maximum cold level. A major part of North America was covered with ice. An ice sheet also enveloped the northern parts of the European and Asian continents. In many places, seawater had frozen into ice! Because of this, the sea level dropped by about 100 meters, and new icy land appeared in many places where there was water before. All of this did not happen due to human interference alone. Just like the day-night cycle, warm age-ice age cycles keep occurring on earth.
But our activities should not drastically change their natural pace, that’s all. It can be safe to say that the damage being caused to the environment by the artificial lifestyle of modern humans is perhaps unprecedented (as far as we know). It takes thousands of years for the climate on earth to change on its own. There is also a possibility that the sun is a cause for the increase in global warming. But due to human activities, global warming can increase rapidly. This is the opinion of many scientists today.
Chemical and radioactive waste products dumped by industries, and pesticides and chemical fertilizers used in agriculture, degrade soil quality and make it toxic. It is impossible to close down industries to prevent or reduce environmental pollution. Modern “civilization” is not in a position to stop human activities. It is being said that their forms can be modified.
For now, solar energy appears to be a great ray of hope. Although it carries the label of “clean energy,” the mining being carried out to obtain the “rare earth materials” required to manufacture batteries using minerals like lithium and to manufacture solar panels is the biggest polluting industry in the world! It is causing serious harm to people’s health and the environment. For now, in the form it is being used by us, the stigma of environmental damage has touched solar energy too. There is no consensus at the global level on what other kinds of solutions are possible.
Some discussions do take place under names like ‘World Environment Day’ to draw the attention of people and governments toward the problems being faced by the earth’s environment and human life, and to find appropriate solutions. However, a ‘consensus’ between nations is not becoming possible. There is no remedy for global power politics, where each country wants its political and military influence to be greater than others.
Thinking that many dangers can be avoided just by reducing carbon emissions, many agreements have been formed under the United Nations. Many conferences have been held. But very little actual repair work has happened. The harassment of diplomatic political interference is greater. People of the wicked clique have been projecting this very kind of interference as “Climate Action.”
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