“In nature there are neither rewards nor punishments; there are consequences”—Robert Green Ingersoll
Just as the human body has its structure and specifications, planet Earth has its shape, geology, and geography. Just as the placement and functioning of various organs within the body have undeniable specifics, the importance of different terrains cannot be undermined just because these are inaccessible or do not appear to be useful in a manner that our limited knowledge allows us to believe. Nonetheless, suppose there are gigantic mountains, vast oceans, forests, deserts, rivers, plains, or other formations. In that case, they are all definitely contributing to the environment in a manner we have learned to understand or are still trying to comprehend.
So far, creatures belonging to the animal world kept the ecology of this planet intact as the very nature of their existence prevented them from playing drastically with their surroundings. As a result, they evolved and adapted to the earth’s environment rather than forcing it to adapt to their needs. In return, Mother Earth generously provided these creatures, from unicellular organisms to huge mammoths, with nourishment that helped them to survive while retaining their organic balance and preserving their treasures. During periods of sickness, she finds her cure, with storms, hurricanes, or tornadoes to rid herself of undesirable elements and flourish again.
When humans descended or evolved (whatever way one’s belief system works) on this earth, their biological makeup prevented them from adjusting to the natural environment. With little hair on their bodies and an inability to protect themselves against harsh weather and wildlife, they had no choice but to create amiable conditions for themselves. Having been blessed with intellect, they soon found themselves in a position to harness available resources to establish colonies for survival and eventual take-over of Mother Earth. Over centuries, humans conquered lands, tamed the wild beasts, exploited natural resources to their benefit, and have now reached a point where they appear to have exceeded their limits, especially when it comes to environmental degradation.
Some nations have managed to rescue their natural possessions although at great expense for others, but many are still in the process of destroying whatever is left unscathed. With the need for food for the explosive population, not only have the lands been ruthlessly cultivated but even the quality of naturally occurring ingredients tampered with genetically, in the name of scientific improvements. Large-scale use of chemical fertilisers and harsh pesticides has led to further deterioration in the health and immunity levels of both plants and humans so much so that now stress is being laid on natural or organic modes of farming. Ironically these types of foods are more expensive than the engineered ones.
Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President of the USA cautioned: “To waste, to destroy our natural resources, to skin and exhaust the land instead of using it so as to increase its usefulness, will result in undermining in the days of our children the very prosperity which we ought by right to hand down to them amplified and developed”.
Our economic system and our planetary system are now at war. Or, more accurately, our economy is at war with many forms of life on earth, including human life
The above warning was meant for the people of his country but in reality, it applies to all and sundry who live on this planet, especially Pakistanis. We are hell-bent on converting this heaven of ours into a desolate land and that too at a very heavy cost. According to a news report, a gigantic project underway is to transform the Cholistan desert into a lush plush land by building six canals on the Indus River and diverting this water to the desert. This has given rise to protests from various stakeholders in Sindh under the banner of the Anti Canals Action Committee, they claim that Sindh would be rendered completely barren.
Nabi Bux Sathio, Vice President of the Sindh Chamber of Agriculture (SCA) said that instead of destroying 12 million acres of agricultural lands in Sindh for the sake of irrigating 1.2 million acres of Cholistan desert, the federal government should spend Rs. 240 billion on the Diamer-Bhasha dam.
When questioned on the workability of this ‘brainwave’ of a handful of so-called experts, Mr. Asif Sharif a leading agricultural scholar best known for his Paidar Qudrati Nizam Kashtkari (PQNK) meaning sustainable natural way of farming, had a lot to say about this abominable venture. He said that a similar project regarding cotton farming initiated forty years back failed to bring prosperity to this area. He states that agriculture is a science and not a production mechanism, requiring a profound understanding of the entire process in accordance with the unique characteristics of multiple factors associated with it.
Asif Sharif further elaborated by saying that a country like Saudi Arabia which can spend billions of dollars in subsidies to corporations engaged in the production of food and food security, is discouraging farming, preferring the import of agricultural products to save their aquafer freshwater resources from depletion. This is a sensible approach.
Nature is not meant to be fiddled with and that too in this drastic fashion. If all the deserts were to become fertile, excess rainwater could render heavy flooding and sand has a remarkable capacity to absorb moisture. There is already an ongoing dispute between the provinces of Punjab and Sindh over sharing river waters. These types of lopsided schemes meant to benefit a minor group can come with heavy costs for a country that is already wreaking under tremendous international and domestic debts, besides alienating a large chunk of the population forcing it to rebel against the federation. Economically and politically, these are highly sensitive issues that need careful consideration before impulsive implementation.
A beautiful quote by Naomi Klein from This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. The Climate says a lot about not messing with nature: “Our economic system and our planetary system are now at war. Or, more accurately, our economy is at war with many forms of life on earth, including human life. What the climate needs to avoid collapse is a contraction in humanity’s use of resources; what our economic model demands to avoid collapse is unfettered expansion. Only one of these sets of rules can be changed, and it’s not the laws of nature”.