A few days ago we all read a headline. In which it was written that 'due to climate change the size of the human brain has become smaller'. The funny thing was that even the national newspapers of India to the vernacular newspapers took note of the news. That's right, the world media also printed this news about the size of the human brain. However, I personally do not feel any surprise about the news. Because in the research of the University of California, it has been stated that the size of the human brain has decreased
in the last five thousand years. And what is the reason? so only climate change has an effect on our brain size!
Now this may seem very glamorous at first glance. That is why the world media is promoting this news after all, this kind of news can easily generate a lot of likes, traffic, and numerical graphs. But I have two questions in this whole case. The first question is whether the size of other parts of our body has not changed in the last five thousand years? We are not talking about centuries, but eras. That is, if there are a hundred years in a century, then there are a hundred centuries in an era! And here we are, talking about five thousand years. So it is natural that from time to time as humans, the size of our organs and our body structure changes. So why is this issue being prioritized and discussed as a global issue on the international level? Climate change is a problem of the last century only. Rising temperatures in particular are a question of the last century! So, has the size of the human brain decreased in the last century?
Of course, as an environmentalist, I am very serious about the effects of climate change. And climate change must be prevented by all of us together. But I am also very clear on this matter that we cannot promote sensationalism in the name of climate change. Because when such sensations occur, we cannot come to any definite conclusion. And we limit the whole issue to a debate. That's why when I read the report about the shrinking human brain, I had only one thought that climate change is such a serious issue, and in that issue a small human brain may work, but a narrow human mind would not!
Because the current situation in the world is that no country in the world is thinking about climate change with a big heart. Rather, playing the blame game, all the countries keep blaming each other for the pollution or heat. This is why all these countries require various summits and agreements every year, but do not implement them. And here we are not only talking about the governments of few powerful countries. What about individuals or NGOs or other institutions working for climate change? Aren't all these in the business of blame games and sensationalism? If it were not so, why are the problems of climate change becoming so terrible day by day? If everyone is so worried, then why are we not working towards the results?
We are not moving towards results on climate change because we are narrow minded about it! If our brains were concerned in that direction, we would not have to face new epidemics every year. Millions of people around the world would not be affected by climate change if our minds were not narrowed. However, it is not too late. Instead of discussing the size of the human brain becoming smaller, let us worry about the human brain becoming active regarding the climate. For that, first of all it is necessary to reach people with correct information about climate and climate change. Because people will be able to create the right relationship only if they have the right information.I have personally seen that when I have reached out to people with movements like 'Satyagraha Against Pollution and Climate Change', people have participated in it very enthusiastically.
After watching the public participation in my awareness drives, it became clear to me that the more people participate in climate related movements, the more they become aware of the actual issue! On the other hand, most of the time, they do not know what they have to fight against and they even don't know how to fight. But the first thing I realized when we started the drive on the principle of Triple A Awareness, Attitude and Action is that people are ready to fight against climate change. But their problem is that correct information is never provided to them. People are being misled by creating a sensation, due to which the climate problems remain untouched and unsolved, but a new business venture gets borne with the sensationalism in the global market.
Otherwise, now is high time. It is at this time that we have to initiate global public participation. Ultimately, our countries may be many, but our earth is one. We have no choice in that.
By Viral Desai
(The author is a known Environmentalist and the pioneer of Satyagraha Against Pollution movement,
viraludayindia@gmail.com )
(The content of this article reflects the views of writers and contributors, not necessarily those of the publisher and editor. All disputes are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of competent courts and forums in Delhi/New Delhi only)
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