The New Nation - Internet Edition

Dr. M. S. Haq

In recent times, it has been observed, among other things, world people, governments and others - to whom it may concern - are making extra efforts towards: as to how to control emissions of green house gases for protecting the earth and its inhabitants from consequences - both immediate and long term - of climate change. It is expected this year's (2007) noble peace prize to the area (I mean, climate change) will be instrumental in triggering additional motivations among the people, governments and others for doing more in areas of environmental protection, among other things.

But questions remain: whether or not green house gases are the only factor responsible for creating holes in the ozone layer? Or, the holes in ozone layer are the sole factor responsible for climate change. What are other factors, if any, responsible for climate change? Whether or not climate change on the earth and the resultant developments therein - both existing and anticipated - are, among other things, the part of cyclic, as well as continuous process of change and transformation the universe has been undergoing since the birth of say, 'time' and space? Kindly note: the term 'time' has been used here in a wider sense including inter alia the function of Einstein's time dilation.

By the way, are existing climate change theories adequate for assisting world people, governments and others (including inter alia UNEP, World Bank, Green Peace, IUCN) in the development, in the augmentation, in the implementation and in the promotion - as appropriate - of anti-climate change processes, anti-climate change initiatives and anti-climate change measures in a more meaningful manner than at present - all in pursuits of 'common' good, among other things? Please note: the term 'anti-climate change' has been used in the article for differentiating it (the term) from things that are associated with pro-climate change, per se.

I believe the present day effort towards halting global warming is, in many ways, relevant and constructive particularly, when it comes to dealing with challenges of climate change based on contemporary knowledge and understanding in pertinent areas. The effort would, however, need to be intensified further for addressing the challenges in a more concerted, solid, result-oriented and satisfactory fashion and with a reasonable sense of urgency. Also, taking into cognizance factors such as: uncertainties surrounding the domain of climate change; and implications of climate change - both existing and impending - on the universe; it will now be logical, among other things, to call for broadening further the scope of investigations in areas of climate change with a view to making more unknown things known in pursuits of promoting deeper knowledge and understanding in climate change areas and facilitating, in a sustainable manner and as appropriate, better coping strategies and better practices than ever in those areas.

In that respect, I also believe causes, effects and causalities of climate change should not be perceived in an 'inflexible' way and in a somewhat one-sided manner against the backdrop of contemporary parameters that are connected with or ancillary to green house gases, for example.

"Climate change due to green house gases" is, in a sense, one of the popular present day perceptions of world people. The perception of above nature has potentials for facilitating, to an extent, the advancement of anti-climate change agenda through existing limitations, but it (I mean, the perception) could, on the other hand and among other things, be instrumental in contributing to greater limitations through the future - if climate change for example, starts revealing its other faces unknown to living beings at this point in time. Those and other limitations could, either individually or in combination, be instrumental in, among other things:

one, making - in varying degrees, though - further explorations and further expeditions in areas of climate change victims of tunnel vision, naïve realism, and fixed reality comprehension, to mention a few. One of the underlying assumptions here is: such developments could, in future, make anti-climate change effort costlier, less effective, less affordable, less wholesome, and more unsustainable. In such an event, there is a possibility, anti-climate change efforts could become, - among other things, either directly or otherwise and in varying degrees - sources and forces of global warming, relative to known and suspected variables, through the foreseeable future;

two, hindering, at least for a time being, people's attempt towards say, examining, appreciating and evaluating climate change beyond controlled variables of present day sciences and technologies in pertinent areas - we should not forget, there exist truths behind the truth in the relativistic universe;

three, depriving living beings of for example, identifying, capturing and harnessing opportunities that have been and will be arising out of and in the course of climate change, relative to time, space and other variables, though; and

four, affecting conscious efforts of living beings - save and except those associated with 'involuntary' actions for example, reflex actions - when it comes to matters like, continuous internalization of pertinent realities of climate change in human and other systems in a proper and profitable manner. One of the underlying assumptions here is: present day theories and practices associated with efforts towards reducing the emission of green house gases might not be sufficient for containing known and unknown effects of climate change on for example, life, living and continuity in the universe through the foreseeable future.

The bottom line is: the physics, the chemistry, the biology, the engineering, the technology and others associated, directly or otherwise, with knowledge, understandings and applications in areas of climate change should not be limited only to, and dominated only by, the domain of green house gases when it comes to creating and sustaining the future of universe and its inhabitants that will be safe hopefully from interventions like, environmental disasters and ramifications thereof and when it comes to providing protection to all from those things in an equal and equitable manner, as far as practicable, to mention a few.

World people, governments and others including inter alia media (both print and electronic) must be able to visualize the big picture of climate change - sooner the better - and must be able to recognize present day limitations associated with policy research, planning and implementation in areas of climate change even within existing premises of gas-climate interface - I would like to call it in that way. They must be able to unite themselves, in a best possible manner they could muster, under the present circumstances in pursuits of more collective management of problems relating to global warming and sorting out those problems in a more effective and efficient manner, among other things.

It is being felt increasingly, the demand side and the supply side of opportunities associated with climate change are not, at present, getting their due share when it comes to considerations, decisions and actions, as appropriate, pertaining to matters of climate change. Ignoring opportunities that are emanating and will be emanating from the domain of climate change might be disastrous for world people, governments and others because consequences of ignoring those opportunities could inter alia be instrumental in limiting choices for people and others in areas say, programming resources for anti-climate change activities.

Opportunities of climate change - in for example, its (I mean, climate change) extreme form - might arise out of climate change related situations, solutions, outcomes and ramifications, whether in-process or otherwise, through the foreseeable future. They (I mean, opportunities) could include inter alia and relative to time, space and other variables: relocation of human habitations, per se; reconfiguration of global commons, as well as systems of governance in qualitative, quantitative and other terms; changes in patterns of survival and continuity on the earth, per se; a perhaps 'reengineered' eco system; a new or additional set of challenges for biodiversity; additional demands for breakthroughs in areas of engineering and technology that are associated with for example, up cycles and down cycles of heat treatment, space, robot, and IC (information and communication); additional demands for reinventing laws of conservation of mass and energy and their application in pursuits of say, establishing and maintaining a more reliable balance sheet of climate change through 'quantum computers' for an instance; additional demands for perfecting gene therapies for say, combating new generations of pathogens; additional demands for more effective roles of seas as for example, antidotes to direct, indirect, side, after and other effects of 'changed or modified' global environments; additional requirements for adjustments in behavioral and non-behavioral areas; and additional demands for changes in say, the nature and the mode of transactions in relevant areas of intra, as well as inter-generational transfer.

In short, the factors mentioned and not mentioned above have, among other things, potentials for facilitating the creation of and sustaining new world order (used in a wider sense) in - what I would call - a regenerating world and for that matter a regenerating universe. In that respect, one of the challenges now is: how best and quickest world people, government and others will be able to factor opportunities associated with climate change into policy, program and implementation dimensions that are or will be connected with or ancillary to say, measures for meeting pertinent challenges in a result-oriented manner and to the satisfaction of all living beings, as far as practicable, through the foreseeable future?

Strategies and measures for climate change preparedness should not be built only in and around certain focused areas such as, those relating to green house gases. Disaster management strategies for say, facing climate change and preparing world people and others for negative outcomes of climate change should be more relevant, more holistic, more realistic, more user-friendly, more outcome-oriented, more sustainable, more equitable, more futuristic and more collective, to mention a few. It will not be out of place to mention here: creating panic among people by blowing climate change issues out of proportion, by limiting its focus on certain fixed areas and by politicizing matters associated with climate change (used in a negative sense) will perhaps do less with more when it comes to for example, ensuring and promoting wellbeing of all living beings on the earth and for that matter in the universe through the foreseeable future.

In tackling climate change, it is expected, world people, governments and others will become, among other things, more objective, less emotional (used in a negative sense), more enriched with entrepreneurial skills, less speculative, more practical, more balanced, more interdisciplinary and more result-oriented. It also expected, common challenges such as, climate change should be dealt with by more common objective, by more common motivation and by more common result-orientation, to mention a few.