Rose challenges sleeping Colombo with global warming, ozone layer analogy

By Naomi Gunaratna

December was hot. Hot as it was heated up with talk about the Copenhagen summit on climate change. But the heat fizzled out to nothing leaving almost everyone who observed with fervent eagerness incredibly disappointed. Yes the global meltdown does seem to be beyond saving -- irrevocable, with no real hope. But imagine the zeal -- and the many treaties that would have been signed --- and the support that would have been garnered to stop Iran from strengthening their nuclear programme, if that was the cause (for good or for bad -- remember Iraq?).Unfortunately this is a game of greed and Getting By... and getting by in the most luxurious manner possible.

Eminent explorer

Paul Rose, eminent explorer and BBC presenter was in the spotlight as he presented his experiences on the program “Global Meltdown, what’s really going on with our climate?” at the British Council, Colombo, and Copenhagen was yet again warmed up for discussion. Paul it seems spends most of his days up in the Antarctic (we all envied him much for that) and along with an almost lifetime of experiences of being a scientific adventurer he has had a deep insight into the troubles of our chronic planet.
‘Climategate” scandal turned out to be Climate Change skeptics’ dream come true, but Paul says ‘No!’’ the evidence is overwhelming, and there is no division among scientists in really recognizing that this global warming phenomenon we are experiencing is more than 60% our fault entirely. It’s just that as, Professor Phil Jones the perosn behind the muddy affair revealed, scientists are a bit careless and their data is sometimes not that well organized leading to such pratfalls as “Climategate”.
Copenhagen failed but looking back at the reasons it was obvious why. It was only a political get together. It was what it was; nobody wanting to give in, nobody wanting to lose in the race to be the most powerful. It failed mostly because the culprits didn’t budge and unfortunately it is they who call the shots at the UN, and not the weaklings who are going to be affected most by climate change, and as it happens contribute only an insignificant proportion to the global carbon emissions.
Yes the odds seem dismal and as some had in laid back optimism pointed out, should we just lean back with nonchalance and enjoy the moment and use up everything and hoard all possible in the short term? Worry not about the droughts, floods and all nature’s vengeance to our actions --- and worry only when trouble comes, if it comes at all?
However, Paul passed on a lot of his optimism on this grim business as he reminded of the effort it took to “save” the Ozone layer. The issue was big during the 80s and 90s and is now in the least troubling category as far as the lay persons are concerned. The reason for its success was that the problem was identified and the solutions were accepted almost unanimously while the relevant parties made the right decisions and implemented them on a worldwide scale.
That’s what we are capable of: Capable of curbing the formation of a hole in the atmosphere if it was happening. So maybe this global crisis too is not as bad as it may seem. It won’t be if we react now in a collective and committed manner....because this time it isn’t just about replacing the gas in the refrigerator but replacing the refrigerator altogether
There is a lot to fight for, yet we still seem to be wasting a lot of time fighting amongst ourselves rather than fighting against the real enemy that would make all of this internecine fighting pointless. And just for the record this isn’t about saving the whales and the enormous amount of “useless” toads and plants from extinction, this is about us. The fittest survives and nature will find a way to make those adaptable pull through the heat wave and unfortunately for us her choice will not be made with our best interests in mind because evidence shows that it is the “pests” which are more likely to increase in numbers. We, unlike the insects cannot adapt even slightly to a change in our environment overnight. We are incapable of migration to better land due once again our political boundaries. We contribute only some 0.2 % to the global carbon output and although it would be impossible to get our (former) cabinet under water, due to its sheer size more than anything else, in order to show the world our stance on global warming, we as individuals, as Sri Lankans, can go for a better and more meaningful lifestyle and leave behind a legacy for our children, from whom we have borrowed our limited resources for a short time. We can do it for everyone, for all 6 billion and not just for a 20 million.