Mankind knows not what it does

Tim Flannery has by now become a familiar name to those interested in ecology and wild life. In his home country, Australia, he is popular even as a broadcaster, besides being a brilliant writer, eminent scientist and explorer. With over 100 peer-reviewed scientific papers to his credit, apart from about a dozen books on nature, ecology and animal life, Flannery has now come out with this book on climate change, written in his typical racy style.

The Weather Makers, as the title suggests, attempts essentially to drive home the point that while climate might have originally been created by God, it has since been shaped very much by man. As such, the book dwells at length on the role that human beings have played"" and are playing""in setting into motion the processes that have led to the dreaded phenomenon that is often referred to as "climate change".

What is even more notable is that he has not left the subject at that, but has gone on to suggest how man himself can reverse this process and save the planet for his own survival's sake. If everyone takes concerted action to rid our lives of atmospheric carbon emissions, we can stabilise and then save the cryosphere, the author asserts. This can save around nine out of every ten species that are under threat of extinction. Besides, he points out, it can limit the extent of catastrophic weather-related events so that losses are gradually minimised in terms of both human life and investments.

A down-to-earth approach in the description of even complex phenomena seems to be the hallmark of his narration. He has amalgamated the science of climate change with sociology and biology, along with ecology, with the ease of a cross-discipline expert who values clarity of expression.

For example, the author's explanation of what the ozone layer is, and why it is important, makes for such clear reading that even those not well-versed with environmental issues can grasp it. Simply stated, the atmosphere's ozone layer, consisting of two atoms of oxygen joined together, prevents the harmful ultra-violet (UV) rays emitted by the sun from hitting the earth. With the depletion of the ozone content and consequential emergence of "holes" in this protective layer, these UV rays would hit living beings on the planet's surface, harming living body cells and altering DNA, with grave health consequences.

Interestingly, the damage to the ozone layer, first detected in the 1970s, was initially viewed with suspicion, presumed as it was to be some sort of instrumental error. Even later, when its consequences began being understood by scientists, these were portrayed with a degree of humour. Sherwood Rowland, one of the three discoverers of the ozone layer hole who were subsequently awarded the Nobel prize for this feat, is on record recalling that he told his wife one evening: "The work is going very well but it looks like the end of the world."

But Flannery is not one to allude to impending doom with such tongue-in-cheek humour. He is more direct and forthright. Says he: "We have seen that human health, water and food security are now under threat from the modest amount of climate change that has already occurred. If humans pursue a business-as-usual course for the first half of this century, I believe the collapse of civilisation due to climate change becomes inevitable."

However, the author is a little sceptical about the role of the media in projecting environmental and climate change issues. But then again, he himself concedes that climate change is difficult for people to evaluate dispassionately because it entails deep political and industrial implications. "The stakes are high, and this has led to a proliferation of misleading stories as special interest groups argue their case," he maintains.

He also attributes the modest goals for the reduction of harmful gas emissions under the Kyoto protocol to the twin forces of economics and politics. This bitterly contested international treaty essentially reflects a great divide between those who are convinced that such a measure is essential for the earth's survival and others who are fiercely opposed to it on economic and ideological grounds.

In any case, like it or not, the challenge posed to humanity by the climate has to be faced by none other than the present generation. "We are now the weather makers," warns Flannery, "and the future of biodiversity and civilisation hangs on our actions."

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THE WEATHER MAKERS
THE HISTORY AND FUTURE IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE

Tim Flannery
Penguin
Price: £6.00; Pages: 341