Climate Change- Act or perish

Whether one likes it or not the problems of humanity are mounting as mother Earth is striking back with vengeance. And rightly so.We have taxed the earth far beyond her carrying capacity and she is not willing to tolerate anymore.The writing on the wall is bold and clear – Act or perish. If soaring temperatures in the month of April are any indication worse is yet to come. And this is not a pessimistic outlook but an assessment based on sound realistic observation. The impact of climate change is being felt far and wide.Even the geographically blessed region like Europe is facing the heat.There is need to understand that it is time for fast action. Things have gone beyond the scope of awareness. In fact, it was some five decades ago that leaders of several countries deliberated over the problems related to the environment at Stockholm in which the then Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was also present. We have come a long way since then as far as creating awareness is concerned. But apart from observing World Environment Day or Earth Day, we still do not have the right clues as to what more is urgently needed to be done. Though some action has been taken they are not enough.The Problem is that the action to reverse the climate change has still not involved the masses. It has to be realised that the magnitude of the problem is too big to be left to a small class of elite whose actions  based on seminary and academic sophistication  will not have the desired impact. Moreover, climate change is the sum total of all human actions and the entire humanity has to be a part of the efforts to reverse the climate change.

Look where we have come. If we take  Jharkhand as a case study we can easily realise how grim the situation is. We are only in the beginning of the summer season and look at the temperatures that we are facing. Forty degrees plus by mid April is quite a significant pointer to the shape of things to come. Remember it is the same Jharkhand that was once the South Bihar plateau as per the class six or seven geography books that mentioned about the forests and the summer rains of the region. That was typical of a plateau region. It was due to the pleasant climate during the summers that Ranchi, the now capital of the new state Jharkhand was the summer capital of Bihar State. And the older generation may remember that April used to be quite pleasant in Jharkhand due to the intermittent rain and squall that would make afternoons and evenings quite enjoyable.

What has gone wrong? The very name Jharkhand suggests trees, bushes and forests. But they have all dwindled with time and the denuded landscape stands witness to the reckless human exploits as we  replace greenery with jungles of concrete. High rise buildings are our symbols of development and prosperity. But we hardly realise that they are also our road to disaster. The lop sided development has taken more than It has given.A deeper analysis would reveal that environmental health also is a result of faulty lifestyles like our physical health. All those so called indices of development like air conditioners, refrigerators, luxury cars and gadgets are in fact more villainous than friendly. And to cap it all hi tech water purifying techniques like reverse osmosis waste three litres of precious water to produce one. It is time to pause and think. Is all this sustainable?

It cannot be. The problems have been created by human beings. The answer also has to come from human beings. The so-called brouhaha over green technology will not take us far unless backed by sincere human action. Even small efforts of conservation by human beings will lead to a much faster reversal of climate change.The sooner we realise this the better it is.

Cricket is not just a game

The IPL season is on and the cricket fever appears to be as infectious as corona, albeit less dangerous, affecting people across age and gender. Talking about cricket at this time may be quite appropriate. Not just the commerce, the excitement, the charm, the emotion and the drama, but a lot more can be said and written.

From the gentleman’s game to a gladiator sport cricket has come a long way. What started as a pastime for English aristocracy has now become a means of global engagement, with not just the gentlemen but even the ladies becoming equally hooked. And in the course of this transformation there are many lessons that can be learnt. Lessons on life, on chance, on luck, on motivation, and of course on human potential. It is no longer about the two umpires who used to err at times, but also about the third umpire whose judgement is final.

A lot has happened on the field and beyond ever since the game was first played. While the history is long, the mystery that it unravels is even bigger. There was a time when  transistors were the only source of getting a ball by ball account. And yes, the commentary was a treat to listen to, offering many  lessons  on language and literature. Commentators excelled in the art of communication and could build an excitement that would make even the bollywood movies look ordinary.

Let us then talk cricket. 

There was a time when only test matches were played  and 200 to 215 odd runs by a batting side was the norm. Anything more was an  exception. But then came Kerry Packer, a marketer, on the scene. And the game changed forever. Initially the limited over format would see a batting side score around 225 to 230 runs. Anything more was a high score. The mathematics was 450 to 460 runs in a day. But this was the beginning. Some tweaking in style and even 400 per side was not enough. It was now 800 runs in a day. In fact, single batsmen would score double centuries. Then came the T20. Look what it has done to cricket, 200 runs in 20 overs. And to understand the way it is played just the recent IPL match between KKR and Gujarat Tigers is a pointer, 205 was the target for KKR. The score read 176/7 in 19 overs, 29 runs to be scored in the last over. A hopeless case for most observers. A tailender is to face the pace bowler. He manages a single that brings Rinku Singh on the strike. And then cricket  unfolds. A rarely hit six over the extra cover, and the commentator, who praises  the effort  finds it not enough for the winning cause.The other commentator, however, says stranger things have happened. And then comes the second six. And then the third, and the fourth and the fifth. The match is over. But cricket is on.The game of glorious uncertainties at its best.You need wit and grit. And,of course luck, a bit. But luck has always been  the factor X in life. Even our very consistent Sunil Gavaskar wrote in Sunny Days that had he not got  those two chances in his first innings, things would have been different. But luck apart, cricket is also about temperament and persistence.You can win, rightly has someone said that impossible is in the dictionary of the fools. The adage is right, at least for cricket as the match is not over till the last ball is bowled