The Center of Strategic and Contemporary Research, Islamabad, has published seven essays by ILHAN Niaz on global climate change.
Conclusions are grim. We are making the planet uninhabitable. The arguments of Niaz cannot entirely be refuted.
Both essays discuss how Ibn Khaldun, Malthus, Darwin, and John Stuart Mill’s exegeses offer insight into how prior impulses such as these would hinder saner courses of action. In addition, Niaz rightly identifies growth as the major cause of global warming and its destructive excesses. Sustainability and ‘green growth’ are palliated, perhaps even a ‘hoax’, he contends. Malthusian desolation lies in the innate greed and individualism of Darwinian competition and Ibn Khaldun’s ‘asabiyyah.’
Economic growth was unsustainable, according to J.S. Mill. A ‘stationary state’ is required. Before this nirvana could be achieved, Earth would be unlivable.
Moreover, A thirst for higher living standards conflated with happiness intoxicates human societies with the industrial and technological revolutions and exponential environmental changes. A lot of Americans are becoming too profligate. The US model puts the world in the fast lane. We will not be able to sustain our planet if we democratize our lifestyle. It is paradoxical that human intelligence, innovation, and creativity are its enemies.
Many still fear climate change.
In the third and fourth essays, Herodotus argues that human nature is programmed to seek glory and success, which inhibit rationality and magnify conceit about superiority if these acts are accomplished. The fourth essay dismisses optimism as self-centered and delusional. Climate change and geopolitics, along with the scramble for space among rising populations, are discussed in the fifth essay. According to the sixth essay, any equilibrium between growth and consumption would remain ‘extractive’ and therefore unstable.
Is technology the answer? He answers ‘no’ because the malaise relates to human behavior that shows little willingness to adjust, for example, to reverse global warming.
It may sound familiar to Niaz. He presents them starkly elegantly.
A rational approach in serious political conflicts often overshadowed by raw passions and hubris based on my narrow experience.
Moreover, I witnessed the fate of two important efforts. As a result, Siachen remains a zone of conflict, despite suggestions for a jointly managed disengagement zone. In a fragile regional environment, the glacier endangered by armed forces. Second, Kashmiris allowed the freedom and comfort to manage their own affairs through self-governance.
Furthermore, It’s still too far for many. In addition, Creating a mutually reinforcing binary between productive and service sectors to channel human energy for gainful employment without spurring consumption. There is a need for “shifting emphasis on well-being and restoring nature”.
Nevertheless, pessimism is out. Conflicts and climate changes have shaped human history. Habits and behavior change. Viking descendants today are among the world’s most peaceful communities. Curiously, their governance has heavily favored women. It’s a hopeful sign.
Human affecting the Planet resources
Moreover, Consumption patterns and human population are key factors affecting the planet’s resources. Moreover – First, the development of life-saving drugs at the turn of the century caused a population explosion in Europe. European populations expanded into newly discovered continent-sized territories. China, South Asia, Africa, and the Middle East followed. Recently, however, Europe, Russia, and China have seen their populations stabilize and even decline. The world population may stabilize around 10bn and even start declining. While this prospect can be real, we should not be complacent.
It’s not food that’s sinister. Every individual consumes modestly. Energy spent on egregious lifestyles is, however, enormous and a major cause of greenhouse gas emissions. In the case of mobility, much fossil fuel burned in an unnecessary activity. Visual and audible communication virtually reduces travel.
In order to raise awareness about energy consumption, studies and regular monitoring are needed. The use of indices that measure environmentally irresponsible behavior and consumption patterns can help identify the culprits. We can’t let glitter conceal poison.
These essays are an eloquent, inspiring, and enriching treat for the mind for anyone interested in climate change or Niaz’s writings.
