The need for good sense

With all the recent blunders in its ground breaking report on global warming being admitted by the IPCC, skeptics have got a new voice. I think global warming is a threat. If not in the short term, then definitely in the long term. Unfortunately this series of errors is bad publicity; the IPCC has lost credibility. But as is usually the case with issues of a global nature, the larger picture goes missing. For me, when an issue like this gets endorsed by a mass audience (Copenhagen last year for example), it reeks of gimmickry.

Whether global warming is real or not, shouldn't we continue to do the sensible things? Global warming may not be proved beyond doubt, but there are problems we know are causing considerable damage to the environment and society. One of them, broadly speaking, is pollution. Yes, a lot of it overlaps with the global warming issue (greenhouse gases) but the results are in front of our eyes. Industrial and vehicle pollution spoils the air we breathe and waste is being dumped into the water we drink. With air pollution especially, you know things are not right when your eyes start watering whilst out on the street.

Fossil fuel is being burnt to generate the electricity we use. So are we really running out of fossil fuels (and hence the need to rapidly reduce our dependence on them and start using alternate energy)? Maybe, maybe not. But lets ensure that we use only as much as we need. Lets use better appliances, switch them off when not needed. (Note: While CFLs are a well meaning technology, I'm not sure they are the way forward. The bulbs are filled with mercury which makes them a bio-hazard. Any leak/contact with humans is very dangerous. Disposing them, for the same reason, becomes a problem. I mention CFLs because they are being promoted vigourously.)

Lets not waste water. It is such a precious resource in this day and age. While we in the cities use liters and liters on a daily basis, there are people who have to make do with less than a liter a day. And if not for the aforementioned people, do it because it makes perfectly good sense!

As I said, the larger picture has gone missing. Sooner or later, we will find out about warming and its effects. Now, lets tackle the problems right in front of us. There is a desperate need for sense to prevail.