In an era where the dire consequences of climate change are becoming increasingly evident, one might expect governments to spring into action, armed with robust strategies to combat the impending catastrophe. Alas, reality is far from it. We find ourselves witnessing an awe-inspiring display of governmental acrobatics, where the verbal gymnastics of leaders are matched only by their profound inaction
People have learned to dismiss Climate Change as all the other end-of-theworld prophecies that have come before. But perhaps this is the beginning of the end. We always imagine the end of the world (with the help of films and books) as a catastrophic event of sorts whether it is a meteor hitting the earth (in the film ‘Don’t Look Up’) or aliens taking over the planet. But I have always thought of the world ending gradually like descending down the hell in nine stages. T S Eliott captures this thought perfectly through his 1925 poem that says “This is the way the world ends, not with a bang but with a whimper.”
Dante’s Inferno provides a fitting allegory for our current predicament,a descent into an environmental abyss of our own making. The sixth circle of Dante’s Inferno is reserved for heretics, and what greater heresy is there than denying the overwhelming scientific consensus on climate change? Even though climate change is a wella-ccepted phenomenon now, the world can’t seem to get out of its state of inertia. Almost as if in Limbo (the first circle of hell).
THE POLITICAL PURGATORY
The commitment to climate action often takes a backseat when political and economic interests come into play.It’s truly saddening to see governments prioritize short-term profits over the long-term survival of the planet. Who needs clean air and a stable climatewhen you can have a robust GDP, right?
The example of New Zealand is just one of the many. In a groundbreaking move, New Zealand has become the first country to tax livestock for their contribution to global warming. The government had stated earlier that the ‘flatulence fee,’ as it is commonly called, will go towards funding renewable energy and developing technologies to reduce emissions from burping bovines. However, the strong farmers’ lobby in New Zealand managed to push back on the legislation. This was in 2003. Twenty years later, the legislation has been delayed again because of the upcoming elections. In New Zealand, the cows outnumber the people two to one, and each of those cows is a walking, mooing methane factory. The country’s greenhouse gas emissions are going through the roof… or rather, through the ozone layer. If New Zealand wants to combat climate change, it needs to take drastic action, and fast. Otherwise, the only thing left will be a bunch of sheep grazing on a barren, post-apocalyptic landscape.
THE CARBON TRADING CONUNDRUM
This prioritizing of GDP and political gains over the health of the planet has led to the creation of carbon credits and carbon offsetting methods to encourage reductions in emissions. Carbon trading, the grand illusion that allows wealthy nations to buy their way out of carbon reduction commitments while exploiting the efforts of poorer nations. It’s a bit like buying a ‘get out of jail free’ card in a game of Monopoly. By purchasing credits, polluters can continue to pollute. The credits reward slight reductions in extremely polluting activity rather than the least polluting activity or pathway. These credits can then be sold to a purchaser who will use them to pollute more than their allotted amount. Factories and facilities that go above their allotment must purchase credits but need not reduce their pollution. A recent Reuters report has said, “Voluntary carbon markets have shrunk for the first time in at least seven years, as companies including food giant Nestle and fashion house Gucci reduced buying and studies found several forest protection projects did not deliver promised emissions savings.” Many other reports have also iterated the overestimation of value of such projects.
THE CORPORATE GREENWASHERS
Corporate sponsorships of climate events often end up as a veneer behind which is hidden decades of environmentally harmful actions of the same corporates. It’s like a burglar sponsoring a police convention. A perfect example of ‘greenwashing’.When a company makes itself look environmentally friendly, without actually doing anything to reduce its environmental impact, it is called ‘Greenwashing’. In other words, greenwashing is like putting a coat of green paint on a toxic waste dump and calling it “eco-friendly.
I don’t know how far we’ve descended, but perhaps this is the beginning of the end of the world. And so what if it does, you say. Indeed, all good thingsmust come to an end. We’ve already started thinking of habitable planets other than Earth. NASA has even started preparing to send humans to Mars. After all, the first world nationsare good at colonizing. The New Earth Colony! Got a nice ring to it, right?
The question remains: Will we take heed and change our course, or will we continue our journey into the depths of climate catastrophe, not with a bang, but with a whimper?