Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Nature's fury!

Recently someone in US had predicted an end of life as we know it. Luckily for us all he was wrong! Funnily enough he simply changed dates to 5 months later. I might have said "Budddha sathiya gaya hai" (the old man is bonkers) except that he has built a multi-million dollar empire based on this fear.

World didn't end but a lot of cities have been brought to their knees. Devastating earthquakes, tornadoes and thunderstorms taking life and property alike without mercy. Some cities like Joplin have been almost wiped out. The worst part is that it's not over yet. More thunderstorms and tornadoes are on their way!

We can only pray to God for kindness and help for the victims. Those who have survived may have triumphed death but not destruction. They have a long struggle ahead of them. Picking up mercilessly scattered pieces of their lives. Moving on. Rebuilding. Coping with loss of loved ones. How does one do all this and have a happy life ahead? Don't know!

For US and the world, these whiplashes are doing more than destroying lives. Nature is slowly but surely bringing the already slow-grinding economy to its knees. Monetarily the devastation has had huge impact on insurance, healthcare and small, private businesses. US definitely needs to redefine its policies and focus inwards. Let other countries sort out their problems on their own for a change.

It doesn't make sense that a super nation has to go build houses and schools for people who don't want their help while people in its own backyard are struggling to go through life. Even now, extremists in the war-torn countries are probably happy that there is devastation in US. I read a comment somewhere that US is being punished by God for killing innocents in Mid-East. Wonder why God would target only one western country for the act of many.

No the reason for this destruction is not God's anger. Rather Nature's fury! Why is Nature angry? Simply because in an attempt to modernise, industralise or monetise, man has attempted to subvert and control nature. Building dams, cutting off natural plant and animal habitats, trying to straighten rivers, and a recent term I learnt "weaponise weather" are all culprits either singly or collectively.

You can't tame Nature and expect not to be whiplashed. Nature isn't a lion that man can control its wild nature and make it jump hoops.

A documentary showed how building unnecessary dams has nearly wiped out salmon population. And we know that because we eat salmon. Those creatures which aren't a part of our food chain may have been wiped out without our knowledge. And now millions are being spent trying to increase their population and blowing out some dams.

It's like cutting off your legs and trying to learn how to run. Maybe we should stop and look back. As a nation, and as a league of nations. Else what legacy are we leaving for our kids?

2 comments:

  1. Samiksha Desai-ShethJune 19, 2011 at 11:41 PM

    There you might find some accountability for projects and their completion, their environmental impact etc...here one finds projects are 'randomly' approved, work started, displacing villagers and cutting forests, rivers changing course.......halfway through they are abandoned, the next official decides on another location and history repeats...maharashtra is full of such minor and major irrigation projects ... my heart bleeds at my inability to devote time to work for my beloved nature...flora and fauna irrevocably damaged :( :(

    ReplyDelete
  2. Problem is everywhere axtions are justified any which way....look at Iraq war or dabhol project.....and eventually the hoi poloi is safe n richer .....at these times honestly we "the common people" have no power...merely the illusion of it.....democracy has become a big joke....

    ReplyDelete

Followers