It is Not Over Until We Say It Is: Humanity’s answer to the apocalypse is itself

TASHI DORJE

‘The world is burning, and the world is me. I am terribly disturbed and confused, and I think that there must be some order somewhere in all this, and that is what is making me look.’ These words, spoken by educational philosopher J. Krishnamurti in 1969 may have sounded cryptic in the 70s, but in today’s world, they hold great meaning for most of the world’s population.

Even as I write this article, there are most probably missile- and drone-attacks being planned by generals on either side of the Russia-Ukraine war, and the Israel government may greenlight another military raid on a hospital in Gaza in their ‘battle’ against Hamas. The threat of nuclear warfare only grows as the atrocities committed by all these nations continue to pile up, and anyone could push the big red button at any point. World War 3 would begin, and with it, the beginning of the end of humanity. At least, that’s what most people think will happen. Perhaps they even hope so, as they would prefer the sweet relief of immediate damage to the slow degradation taking place across the globe thanks to climate change. And if the bombs, landslides, floods and wildfires do not work, a virus which put the whole world in lockdown still exists, constantly adapting and becoming easier to spread. Any way you look at it, humanity is doomed. Or so we want to believe. But in truth, the end is nowhere near, and we can make sure it stays that way.

For starters, climate change, the big bad wolf of world-ending stories, is not as unsolvable as most people think. During the COVID-19 lockdown years, carbon emissions dropped by incredible figures in various sectors, especially transport, with numbers showing a reduction of 90 percent in the aviation industry. Due to the improved air and water quality, and reduction in human movement, many forests and seas were able to regenerate. The skies became much clearer, and miracles happened. In April 2020, the people of Chandigarh were able to see the Himalayan Mountain range, that according to residents had not been possible for almost 30 years due to the city’s polluted sky. This goes to show that pollution levels can be reduced if needed.

Another famous phenomenon that took place across the world during the pandemic was the appearance of wild animals in urban areas. Given the lack of cars and people on the streets, animals living nearby were often seen roaming casually through cities. Packs of jackals were spotted eating dog food left in parks in Israel. Dolphins were sighted in the canals of Venice. Humpback whales were spotted in pods, playing in the Hudson River of New York. The articles written about these sightings, along with the photos taken, told a story almost straight out of a fantasy book: the moment humans stopped destroying Mother Nature and refusing her call, she swept in with open arms and began to bring back the animals that had originally lived in those areas. Nothing short of extraordinary, these sightings made a lot of people realise just how close nature was to them, and how beautiful the world would be if harmony were achieved between human and beast.

The greatest proof perhaps, of humanity’s will to survive, comes from its past. After World War 1 ended in 1918, for a few years many people across the globe thought that humanity’s end was near, given the level of destruction and death that had taken place during the war. This feeling continued during World War 2, and in many cases, during the Cold War. Historical figures like Winston Churchill making speeches about humanity’s end did not help the situation in the least. But as we all know, we survived all those wars. Even highly dangerous accidents like the Chernobyl reactor meltdown and the Fukushima reactor disaster did not stop us. Instead of lying down and accepting death, people in the past did what we now find near impossible to do: they kept their hopes up and withstood the pain, until they knew they could change the way things were. Time and time again, humanity has displayed its awe-inspiring resilience and bravery in the face of near-certain doom, and saved itself. If we could do so before, we can do so now too.

Bringing this essay to an end, one solid fact must be stated: according to scientists across Earth, at the current rate of pollution and fossil fuel consumption, the world could surpass 1.5 degrees celsius of heating within the next decade, after which climate change would officially become irreversible. Thus, now is the time for humanity to act. Rather than accepting our fate, we should be working faster than ever before to save our planet and its inhabitants, to make sure that future generations do not curse us for being idle and letting the apocalypse happen. We should all say, ‘Nothing is over until we say it is,’ and believe in what we say. Say it with your mind, with your mouth and most importantly, with your heart.

(The author is a student of Azim Premji University. The views and opinions are personal)