The Sunday Feed
COP-26 — The struggle to appease mother earth!
As we get closer to the end of the month, all eyes are focused on Glasgow where the UK will host COP26 from 31st October to 12th November. It is believed that 30,000 people will represent 200 countries and present their ideas while pledging their support for the noble cause of protecting the planet.
So what are the reasons we have come to this.
Carbon dioxide: Human activities currently release over 30 billion tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere every year. Atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations have increased by more than 40% since pre-industrial times.
Methane: Human activities increased methane concentrations during most of the 20th century to more than 2.5 times the pre-industrial level.
Nitrous oxide: Nitrous oxide concentrations have risen approximately 20% since the start of the Industrial Revolution, with a relatively rapid increase toward the end of the 20th century.
And how does this affect the planet:
• Global average temperature has increased about 1.8°F from 1901 to 2016.
• Changes of one or two degrees in the average temperature of the planet can cause potentially dangerous shifts in climate and weather. For example, many places have experienced changes in rainfall, resulting in more floods, droughts, or intense rain, as well as more frequent and severe heat waves.
The objectives of the summit:
1. Strive for global net zero emission by mid-century
2. Protect natural habitat
3. Mobilise finance for poor nations to implement the strategy
4. Work in synch
Well I do appreciate and support the proactive steps taken by the world to help the planet and I firmly believe that something is always better than nothing at all. However, I think this is a solution to a problem that requires a more introspective look rather than an outward action.
If you have watched the brilliant movie on the most deadly sins called “SEVEN”, you will find no difficulty to understand what I am saying. And if you have not then let’s begin by revisiting the sins:
1. Pride
2. Greed
3. Lust
4. Anger
5. Gluttony
6. Envy
7. Sloth
Look closely and you will realise, 2 sins actually represent the same thing. It’s just that Greed is about the mind and Gluttony is about food. So how does this relate to climate change? Let me put down the 10 most produced things in the world that create emission.
1. Electricity
2. Vehicles
3. General transportation
4. Shipping industry
5. Trucking Industry
6. Manufacturing
7. Wood/ oil burning
8. Animals
9. Farming equipment
10. Plastic production
Was it difficult to make the connection between the sins and how we go to produce much more than we actually require. I do not have the figures but I guess we use less than 20% of the goods we produce! To put it in perspective, have you ever realised how many shirts or tops were produced to allure you to pick one?
The real solution is not in reducing emission but adopting a more minimalistic lifestyle where we produce what we need and eat what is necessary. We have to plant more trees but also stop the eco-system from being destroyed by wiping the oceans from the bottom in the name of fishing.
We often go around the world looking for something that actually lies within us. The fire we see on the outside is just the manifestation of the greed that lies within. Control the insatiable appetite and the world will take care of itself!
Photo: Lara James on Pexels