The planet is doomed due to rising consumption levels

Indus Valley Civilization (also known as Harrapan civilization) flourished from approximately 3300 BC to 1300 BC (for almost two thousand years) in a large area from north-west India extending up-to Afghanistan; then it disappeared in a span of just few years. Earlier, historians believed that this demise was the result of Aryan invasions from Central Asia but, on the basis of recent evidence, historians are unanimous in their opinion that what led to the destruction of this civilization was sudden change in climate. This climatic change resulted into widespread drought in some areas and flooding in others. But even today, we are at loss to understand as to what led to this sudden change in climate.

In its fifth assessment report (AR5), the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) has clearly warned that due to the rising pollution levels there is a danger of not only a rise in global temperature but also a change in climate, and that it is going to adversely impact the entire world. But poorer countries, and more so poorer people in these countries, are at grave risk as their livelihoods and dwellings would be affected. There is a danger of food shortages as climate change may affect crop pattern — this, in turn, may lead to widespread social unrest, especially in poorer countries.

NASA (National Aeronautics Space Administration) also in its report warned about melting polar ice caps, rising temperatures, increase in levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and rising sea levels, leading to irreversible climate change. It has come out with a very strong warning that a little change in climate can render our planet inhabitable for both animals and plants. 

In 1979 when the entire world population was just 3.62 billion, Levi Strauss & Co (owner of the brand Levi’s) alone had sold 2 billion jeans and, besides, there were a host of other leading brands such as Lee and Wrangler.

This was an era of the Cold War and denims were worn mainly in the Western countries with small populations. From these numbers, we can safely conclude that each buyer must have been buying denims not in one or two pairs, but in tens each year. Let us remember that this piece of apparel is so durable that a pair lasts for few years. Jeans we have taken just as an example for ever growing consumption after machines replaced men roughly 150 years ago — the situation is the same for all consumables. Our current economic model is based on perpetual consumption, so much so that in developed economies retail sales are tracked on a weekly basis and a little drop shakes the entire economy and the country. We all know that for manufacturing this prodigious quantity of consumer products, vast amounts of energy and raw materials are used. Almost all this energy is generated by burning fossil fuels such as coal, petroleum, gas etc. Raw material such as metals and other minerals are also extracted from the earth. All this is leading to irreversible change in earth’s climate.

Scientists are still groping in the dark to know the reason for sudden climate change 3,500 years ago that destroyed the Harrapan civilization. But we know the reasons that are the cause of current climate change; we have to take concrete steps before it is too late.

Some advocates of big business proclaim that all these prophets of doom tend to exaggerate the entire scenario; this could have been true until a few decades ago since the study of the physical environment is a complex science. But in recent years we have made great advances in this field; consequently, all these warnings are based on proven data.

The author is a teacher and corporate trainer