How sane are we?

-          Anuradha Chaudhary, Bangladesh (1947- )

I. Literal Comprehension

            Context: This essay is written by Anuradha Chaudhary, Bangladesh (1947- ). She is an experienced professor of environmental biology. In this essay, she has discussed about the growing harm to the environment due to the irresponsible human activities.

            The situation of the ecology is degrading day by day. The hazardous condition of the biosphere is the result of humankind’s fundamental irresponsibility towards nature. But the citizens, even the university students, are not able to understand that the degraded ecological condition is directly linked with the present day bad politics and wrong ways of thinking. It’s because mostly we wrongly think that our collective decision-making process is rational, but the world is not a wholly rational place. The humanity is, as a result, on the verge of sinking and drowning by its greed, shortsightedness, and colossal stupidity.

In 1974, the scientists found that chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), the long-lived manmade chemicals, destroy ozone that protects the life on Earth from the harmful effects of the ultraviolet radiation of the sun. Invented in 1930, the combination of chlorine, fluorine, and carbon, which are nontoxic, odorless, and inert, are being used as coolants in the refrigerators and air conditioners, as foam-blowing agents, as propellants in spray cans, and cleaning agents for computer chips. They deplete ozone resulting into the rise in the cases of skin cancer, cataracts, suppression of human immune system, threats to the Antarctic food chain, damage to ecosystems and agriculture, and extinction of some wild species.

During the 22-year lag from indictment (1974) to partial lockup (1996) and about the 11-year interval from discovery of the Antarctic hole to the partial ban, the use of the CFCs has not become less despite the fact that they are not indispensable to the world’s economy or to average quality of life. Therefore, we can guess that humanity is on the verge of sinking and drowning by its greed, shortsightedness, and colossal stupidity. They have concluded that the world is not a wholly rational place.

            In the present world, not only CFCs but also other harmful products are present, but our collective inactions have ruled over the world. As a result, the idea of the existence of the collective rationality has been proved wrong and we seem bent on digging our own, or our descendants’ graves. If we fail to take decisive action, if we fail to bring about fundamental changes in our ways of thinking and doing politics, we just might sink and drown.

II. Interpretation

            Despite knowing everything about the harmful effects of CFCs on the world environment and ozone, we are still unable to work decisively on quitting its use because of bad politics. Because of the humankind’s fundamental irresponsibility towards nature, our collective decision-making process is not rational. CFCs are not indispensable to the world’s economy or to average quality of life, but it took 22 years for making the decision of partial ban on CFCs since they were found guilty of destroying ozone for the first time in 1974. It also took 11 years from discovery of the Antarctic hole to the partial ban. Because of this collective inaction, and because of our greed, shortsightedness, and colossal stupidity, we are bent on digging our own or our descendants’ graves. If we fail to take decisive action, if we fail to bring about fundamental changes in our ways of thinking and doing politics, we just might sink and drown.

III. Critical Thinking

            I agree with the writer that the increasing environmental hazards are the results of the political inactions and human greed. We have already started experiencing some serious bad consequences of the ozone layer depletion due to CFCs, such as the increasing cases of skin cancer and eye cataracts, suppression of the immune system, the global warming, etc. But the overall situation is not as bleak and hopeless as the writer has suggested. In fact, we can be hopeful for the better future as many countries in the world have already cut off the production of CFCs, and by the year 2030 the CFCs emission will have been totally stopped. Even the ozone levels are expected to fully recover by 2065.

IV. Assimilation

            This essay has made me aware of the harmful effects of CFCs on the ozone layer that is found in the stratosphere and is indispensable for the human survival. In this age of consumerism, we often neglect the long-lasting effects of our luxurious lifestyle, and knowingly or unknowingly we are inflicting upon the environment. Our collective irrationality and bad politics are responsible for the increasing environmental hazards.