The Hindu Business Line : Saving Planet Earth

Quite a few phenomena in nature puzzle scientists, and one of them is the harmony observed in the universe in that it is found to be “a cosmos and not a chaos”. Taking planet earth specifically, the way life originated and the pattern of the evolution over millions of years are nothing but a marvel. More impressive is the congenial atmosphere that developed to sustain both life and living.

If all the rays of the Sun that reach and hit the earth were to be free of any obstruction, without getting filtered by the ozone layer and the heat generated without being trapped by certain compounds, they (sun’s rays) will radiate back into the vast space above.

A consequence of this will be that the whole earth may become a sheet of ice, rendering life impossible. Water vapour, carbon dioxide, and methane trap and retain part of the heat, to keep the globe warm enough to sustain life. These are greenhouse gases (GHG).

Then comes a stage when the ideal balance between absorption and emission of GHGs gets upset. Apart from excessive emission of harmful gases ( a result of rapid industrialisation, coal-burning, increase in human population, excessive utse of power consuming gadgets like refrigerators, air conditioners, etc., and aircraft and automobile emissions), mindless destruction of forests aggravate the situation leading to climate change and ecological disturbances.

Free energy

How do people face this disturbing situation? High-profile conferences in Kyoto, Bali, etc. apart, what could smaller bodies and ordinary individuals do? There was a suggestion that all UK homes could be wind powered as enough electricity could be generated off Britain shores. This is considered possible as Britain is said to have some of the best conditions for generating carbon-free electricity. It is heartening that there is universal consensus over switching over to compact fluorescent lamps.

People are already experimenting with the idea of turning off all electrical appliances for an hour or so at night as part of a campaign against global warming.

The authorities in Paris and Sydney have curtailed the illumination of Eiffel Tower and Opera House respectively, a lead which others can follow. While Nanjing has banned turning on air-conditioners in public offices until temperature touches 33 degrees C, some skyscrapers in New York have gone a step further in minimizing their energy requirement by adopting a system that relies on blocks of ice to pump chilly air.

Population pressure

The increase in human population directly affects the atmosphere and considerably increases global warming.

Growth in population has to be arrested.. An ecologist at Michigan State University went to the extent of saying “divorce can be bad for the environment as each time a family dissolves, the result is two new households”! There are other simple measures available.Lifestyles largely in tune with Nature are among them. ‘Simple living and high thinking’ has been the ideal since ancient times. Drastic reduction in the usage of aeroplanes, ships, and automobiles is imperative.

Recently, concerned over the alarming pollution levels, authorities in Beijing decided to take 1.3 million automobiles off the roads to test if this could improve the air quality for 2008 Olympic Games. Thanks to all these measures, Planet Earth may not become Planet Death as feared by environmentalists.

(The author is a Bangalore-based freelance writer.)