Afterthoughts upon surviving the blast fest
This is from a couple years ago.
Indeed, some hazy memories are what remain of that visit on a rough and tumble journey on the back of a jeep that would groan more often than not under the collective weight of passengers, having to negotiate muddy and steep stretches, sometimes both at one go.
While soaking in the beauty of rhododendrom blooms of all sorts on the way to Kalinchowk amid chirps of birds of different feathers and whiffs of highland winds, some faraway images of the Everest and other massifs came haunting. Those were the images of those massive rocky formations enveloped in fumes.
Rocky formations? Such colourless words against such and such wonders of this universe?
This particular expression, is it not the indication of a heart undergoing rapid desertification? Is it not the height of insensitivity, environmental or otherwise, against the water towers on whom millions of people depend, not to mention a myriad flora and fauna?
Well, this heart could indeed be undergoing a rapid desertification like the highlands of Mustang. But those high mountains were indeed baring rocks, with the thick blanket of snow mostly gone.
Now, some imageries from the recent past. As in the past, Dashain, Tihar and Chhath were smoke and serial blasts-filled affairs. An occasional homo sapien walking under the influence of thoughts along the otherwise peaceful streets of Kathmandu would never know when another firecracker would go off and render her/him numb.
Gone are the days when our homes and streets would be lit with oil and vegetable ghee-fed earthen/metal lamps called diyo. Indeed, we all are well past the days when dancers clad in traditional attire would singh Deusi, Bhailo and perform Maruni and other folk dances to raise funds for some social cause. From where did we bring in this cacophony?
Amid noisy celebrations, staying indoors was not the option for that section of humanity that did not revel in cacophony. There was no escape from the thunderous sound and the fumes even in the confines of home. This, despite the fact that a blanket ban on the import of firecrackers was in place, this time too.
With the ban in place, how did all those crackers enter the country?
The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind.
Now, a little bit about the world greenhouse gas (GHG) emission scenario and our ‘contribution’ to it.
In terms of GHG emission, the major factor behind global warming and climate change, Nepal’s contribution is negligible.
Let’s have a look at some GHG data.
Under the topic titled ‘State of the climate Climate Action Note – data you need to know’, the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) states in its website: The world is in a climate emergency – “a code red for humanity” according to the UN Secretary-General. The concentration of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the atmosphere is wreaking havoc across the world and threatening lives, economies, health and food. The world is far from securing a global temperature rise to below 2°C as promised in the Paris Agreement. With a baseline in 1990, some countries are emitting more, some the same and others are emitting less.
The website, unep.org, adds: China is one of the top GHG emitters. It accounts for 27.79% of global emissions. In 2018, it emitted 13,739.79 million tonnes. It has had one of the biggest increases in GHG emissions — 250% since 1990.
The United States of America is one of the top GHG emitters, per the website, accounting for 12.74% of global emissions. In 2018, it emitted 6,297.62 million tonnes. It is one of the countries with the highest per capita GHG emissions — 19.27 tonnes.
India is one of the top GHG emitters, the website points, informing that it accounts for 7.32% of global emissions. In 2018, it emitted 3,619.80 million tonnes.
So, where does Nepal figure in terms of GHG emissions? With her neighbours as some of the world’s biggest polluters, it’s quite clear that Nepal usually gets more than what she has asked for. The website states: Nepal emits more GHG now than it did in 1990. In 2018, it emitted 51.18 million tonnes.
Compared to her giant neighbours and other top polluters, Nepal’s GHG emissions are negligible. An important thing to note, though, is that Nepal’s GHG footprint has grown over the years, perhaps mainly due to increased consumption of fossil fuel.
Interestingly, far more powerful economies like Denmark and Switzerland are emitting less than Nepal.
During the recent festive season consisting of Vijaya Dashami/Dussera, Tihar/Deepawali/Diwali and Chhath, Delhi and other major cities in India witnessed increased air pollution. The India Today magazine ran an online report titled: AQI in several Indian cities remain 'poor' on Diwali morning. It pointed that the air quality in several major Indian cities fell under the 'poor' category.
It pointed that Delhi on Diwali was the most polluted city in the world, followed by Lahore in Pakistan, according to IQAir. However, as per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the city's air quality was still the best for Diwali day in four years. Last Diwali, the city recorded an air quality index (AQI) of 382.
But the worst is not over, yet. With the paddy harvest season over, the Indian states of Punjab and Haryana are busy burning stubble in what is probably the world’s largest ‘annual fire event’. Farmers of these states believe that this practice helps keep the soil fertile by supplying nutrients.
Already, Indian media outlets are expressing concerns about further deterioration of air quality that comes right after festive celebrations like cracker blasts that have already worsened air quality. In a matter of days, the air filled with smoke will enter our country and affect us in very many ways, as if festive air filled with smoke were not enough.
Coal-powered, smoke belching factories affect not only the host countries, but the whole world, not to mention the immediate neighbourhood. Increased reliance on fossil fuel affects the whole world. Powerful acts of defiance like the rich and the powerful countries’ refusal to sign the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Climate Accord affect the whole of humanity.
The tell-tale effects of acts of blatant disregard for environmental well-being are everywhere.
They are visible everywhere from the world’s highest point in the form of the Everest Brown Haze, at the Antarctica in the form of fast-melting Ice Sheet to the rising sea levels.
If the crime against the environment continues unabated, there will come a time when our lush-green forests, our sparkling rivers and majestic mountains will remain in pictures and in works of art. If this continues, inhabitants of climate disaster-prone countries like Nepal will suffer the most.
In this context, an exhibition titled Sacred Realms, a collection of artist Binod Pradhan’s works of art, is currently underway at the Siddhartha Art Gallery, Baber Mahal. Coincidentally, the exhibition comes in the wake of Climate Change Conference 2022 at Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. SHVEMBER 2022
In Pradhan’s works, one can find the serendipity that this magically beautiful country called Nepal offers, especially for the less-travelled. Let the meditative vibes from his works inspire us all to leave the cacophony far behind and enjoy our lives on the lap of Mother Nature and Father Sky, for this universe does not have enough means to fulfil ever-burgeoning needs of homo sapiens of the 21st century.
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