Global WarNing
I was getting troubled by the fact that I hadn't posted anything original for a while. This is more of a soothing balm, than a panicky reaction. Or so I hope.
It is funny how we hope. Such an empty, flat word and yet so promising. Optimist Orgasm. We hope for so much, and often do so little about it. But then again, often so little is in our hands. This is turning into a bit of ramble. I think, I'll get straight to the point.
We, as humans today have much to hope for. The global mess we seem to have landed ourselves into, can only be 'hoped' to be cleared. I use the passive sense intentionally, with the safe knowledge that we humans won't actively do much for it. Global hem and haw.
In conversation with my father the other day, he (the eternal pessimist) suggested that the best years for the human race are essentially, past us. And for once, I found myself agreeing with his bleak outlook on Mankind 1.0. Peering into the futur-o-scope and into the 22nd century, it is difficult to see us thrive as we have for the last 4-5 centuries.
The good times can be said to have started around the 15th century AD, with the European Renaissance - times of great art and science. Literature and philosophy. Religion and architecture. Times of Michelangelo and Machiavelli. Of Galileo and Filippo Brunelleschi. Times that re-infused in our minds the great ideas of Plato, Cicero, Aristotle and Averroes - ideas about civilized society and the best that the human race could be.*Note(see below).
It doesn't take a history-buff to tell you that this was followed by the Industrial Revolution in the 17th AD.. blah.. technological advances.. blah.. mastery of the sea and Imperialsim.. blah.. World War I.. bang.. World War II.
The peak, according to him was 1950-2000 with constitutions, sovereignty, judicial systems and the equal'est' form of society, across the world. This is setting aside the gigantic leaps made in technology, communication, economic sciences, biogenetics and a superior knowledge about ourselves (perhaps one of current science's ultimate challenges, space aside). Opinions may differ about the timing of mankind's golden era but with today's global challenges of climate change, resource crunch- fuel, electricity and sheer space, facing us directly in the eye, only a fool would bet on the human race running into better times from here-on. At the risk of sounding like the friendly neighbourhood 'the-end-is-nigh' wacko - the end of the human race as we know it, is near. The ungrateful rape and plunder of the Blue Planet might cost us dear.
The crux of the problem lies with our inaction. Or in some cases, even non-acknowledgement. It is astonishing that we can still passionately debate, argue and fight over the causes and effects of the obvious degradation of our planet. Global warming is simply one of the more tangible and dramatic effects of our arrogant abuse. The whole truth is way scarier. Under-water tables, mangroves, drilled mountains, 'managed' rivers, coal and metal mining, effluents and waste. And let me not get started about the radioactive crap.
The simple and clear need of the day is for us to act as one and take on the BIG challenge of our age. We have it made as far as other aspects of our living are concerned, and plenty more headway is being made there. But fat lot of good that does, if there's no place to live on. Our planet is dying, and we know it. Man started it, and Nature will end it. Nature will survive, she's seen worse. It is the existence of Man that worries me, unless he magically comes to his senses, and acts swiftly and decisively - as one. Or so I hope.
*Note - Indophiles and Egyptologists might crib about their 'greater' (and earlier) cultures, but the truth remains that modern society is influenced more by European thought during the Renaissance, than by any other. Of course, European minds were open to Arabic ideas and philosophies, which in turn were partly influenced by Vedic thought. It may thus be argued, that European thought in the Renaissance period was a reflection of the finer ideas permeated through the history of mankind, coupled with original first-rate ideas generated by first-class European minds of the time.
