It’s the 5th of June – World Environment Day.
And it makes me remember reading a book – “State Of Fear” by Michael Crichton.
Now, Michael Crichton is one of my favourite authors. I like his books, the ideas he expresses in them, his ability to entertain even when explaining complex scientific theory…
Obviously I liked State of Fear. It’s a great book. And it even opened up my closed, idealistic mind towards some of the facts about the politics and bureaucracy of the environmentalist lobbies, environmental terrorism and authenticity of the phenomenon of Global Warming.
I seriously started to doubt all the propaganda about Environment, Global Warming and “Inconvenient truths”.
Then the other day, I happened to go up to the terrace of our Office building. (That does not mean I shirk work. But a little time away from the “Intelligent” Idiot Box – my term for Computer - helps me clear my mind)
This Office building in question is at Interface - Malad – in Mumbai. It is flanked on one side by a concrete jungle of Mumbai, and on the other end is a wide sewage canal, followed by a jungle of mangroves growing over swampy ground as far away as the eyes can reach. It’s like coming to the end of the civilized world.
Anyways, it was afternoon; the Sun was high in a cloudless sky. It was hot, and I was trying to catch any breeze that might stray my way. When I came near the edge, I was met by the glorious sight of the Concrete jungle on one end and the mangrove jungle stretching on the other. There was just one little defect in this beatific picture.
As far as my eyes could see, the landscape was blurred by the misty curtain of urban dust. And I thought - this is what we breathe!!!
I do not care about inconvenient truths or environmental fear-mongers. Neither do I care whether Global Warming is a real phenomenon or not.
Michal Crichton still remains one of my favourite authors, and I still respect his ideas and his writing talent.
But I do feel that mankind is an inherently careless species. We progress, but hardly give much thought to the byproduct and the waste that results from it.
I am sure that much more thought, money and resources are willing spent in coming up with newer and better items of luxury and entertainment as compared to the efforts that are invested in finding environmental-friendly solutions. It is too inconvenient.
I just hope that we start doing something about it, so that our descendants may get better air to breathe, better water to drink and a better Earth to live in than we do now.
And it makes me remember reading a book – “State Of Fear” by Michael Crichton.
Now, Michael Crichton is one of my favourite authors. I like his books, the ideas he expresses in them, his ability to entertain even when explaining complex scientific theory…
Obviously I liked State of Fear. It’s a great book. And it even opened up my closed, idealistic mind towards some of the facts about the politics and bureaucracy of the environmentalist lobbies, environmental terrorism and authenticity of the phenomenon of Global Warming.
I seriously started to doubt all the propaganda about Environment, Global Warming and “Inconvenient truths”.
Then the other day, I happened to go up to the terrace of our Office building. (That does not mean I shirk work. But a little time away from the “Intelligent” Idiot Box – my term for Computer - helps me clear my mind)
This Office building in question is at Interface - Malad – in Mumbai. It is flanked on one side by a concrete jungle of Mumbai, and on the other end is a wide sewage canal, followed by a jungle of mangroves growing over swampy ground as far away as the eyes can reach. It’s like coming to the end of the civilized world.
Anyways, it was afternoon; the Sun was high in a cloudless sky. It was hot, and I was trying to catch any breeze that might stray my way. When I came near the edge, I was met by the glorious sight of the Concrete jungle on one end and the mangrove jungle stretching on the other. There was just one little defect in this beatific picture.
As far as my eyes could see, the landscape was blurred by the misty curtain of urban dust. And I thought - this is what we breathe!!!
I do not care about inconvenient truths or environmental fear-mongers. Neither do I care whether Global Warming is a real phenomenon or not.
Michal Crichton still remains one of my favourite authors, and I still respect his ideas and his writing talent.
But I do feel that mankind is an inherently careless species. We progress, but hardly give much thought to the byproduct and the waste that results from it.
I am sure that much more thought, money and resources are willing spent in coming up with newer and better items of luxury and entertainment as compared to the efforts that are invested in finding environmental-friendly solutions. It is too inconvenient.
I just hope that we start doing something about it, so that our descendants may get better air to breathe, better water to drink and a better Earth to live in than we do now.
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