Hopeless-hagen

Googling- hagen means noble boy. Well the nobel boys(and girls) of the world, sat down to discuss and (try)  agree upon some common measures. Well it didn’t take a genius to predict the inevitable-nothing positive has come out of it.

Sure, globalization means that we the people of the world, with our wonderful rights to speech, voiced our despair; But no one heard us. Maybe, as the Delhi CM said, when asked about the Commonwealth games, let us pray.

The Accord by the way is this(click on the link to read it). And the flaws just present themselves to you, unless of course,  you don’t happen to understand English. This clearly shows that no one gives a damn. I had mentioned in the podcast, that a solution is going to be tough to arrive at and also discussed some of the problems- well pity our leaders, seem to crying over spilt milk and more bothered about other things- this shows we still cannot see ourselves as humans first.

I am not going to write a huge post, about this, mainly because those who read my blog are clever enough to understand things anyway, but I agree to most of what he has to say.

Recently, I went for a debate, where the topic was ” Climate change a conspiracy against the developing world” and well it seems true now. I had talked about in my podcast- pledging money etc, shows us that the “West” is still after control over the others.

The US portrays itself as a champion of modern “free” values, but it is the main culprit(or so it seems). If you are so wise, why don’t you just set some examples? We have enough hypocrites here and we know how you people work, so if you give a damn about “global warming”(  when your cities are covered in two feet of ice), then you better start doing some work.

Transfer of technology and establishing a fund sounds great, but where is the technology? And USD 100 billion? You mean, that the developing world needs only that much to change, when your companies need more to bail themselves out?

Shifting the burden on the developing world is fine, but the main aim here is to try to provide a square meal a day to our entire population, providing gainful employment(how about cleaning the environment?) etc. If you indeed have the technology, why aren’t you already using it?

I have already mentioned(in my podcast) that this is not about saving Earth, but this is about saving humanity. But the treats are apparently not visible to many. Whether the scientific results are true or not is a question, this is a critical issue. Yesterday we fought over our resources, today we fight over who religion and sects , tomorrow we will be fighting over our waste.

And rationing the amount of energy a person can use is absurdity. Unfortunately we(who have the technology and the rest) use (and emit) more than those who are living in refugee camps and fighting for survival. Maybe as a specie, we will survive through this. But it is not about that, we are talking about living-as “the most intelligent race”, we deserve better(?). Unfortunately, there seems to be a lack of humanism among our leaders.

The way forward- come up with “green technology” for the primary industries first- no drying(and polluted) rivers is not going to help reduce the amount of water in the ocean. If nuclear is the way forward, then well better start using to produce energy, before Uncle Sam decides he can’t answer questions and throws one at us, to shut us up and as for the nuclear waste, well I am sure the deserts make a very good dumping yard(hope you get the sarcasm).

Maybe manufacturing goods which last long( just try your international brands here, to make a washing machine work for more than a year, you need waste about  Rs.5000, make calls, threaten to sue etc) and follow some basic norms. Improving public  transportation facilities will help( seeing people hanging from foot boards isn’t let’s say isn’t going to make me take a bus!) and also reducing traffic jams will help. Planting more trees in urban areas, will help lower the temperature(caused due to concrete and metal) and reduce the need for ACs.

I did feel that dividing industries among countries(to avoid duplication of resources), might be a solution, but then it has many flaws. One thing is for sure- time to see ourselves as humans first and the rest.

Well to end this post ,let me quote  Shelley–

Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!

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The poem that inspires me-ODE TO THE WEST

There is always that one thing which changes our lives. One moment which changed my life, was when I started writing poetry. I still remember that day. We had a free period and it was after the short break. And suddenly something forced me to start writing. Ever since that day the way I look at myself and the way others have looked at me has changed.

Not that I never used to write before, I did, but it was about once or twice in a year. I have no clue who or where or what I will be if not for that one single moment. And the inspiration for to pick up the pen again, ODE TO THE WEST WIND.

Of all the poems(written by others) , this one is still  something very  special to me. It was a part of our English syllabus(our 9th and 10th grade English text books were one of the best  I have ever had) . The last two stanzas- carpe diem!

If I were a dead leaf thou mightest bear;
If I were a swift cloud to fly with thee;
A wave to pant beneath thy power, and share
The impulse of thy strength, only less free
Than thou, O uncontrollable! If even
I were as in my boyhood, and could be
The comrade of thy wanderings over heaven,
As then, when to outstrip the skiey speed
Scarce seemed a vision, I would ne’er have striven
As thus with thee in prayer in my sore need.
O, lift me as a wave, a leaf, a cloud!
I fall upon the thorns of life! I bleed!
A heavy weight of hours has chained and bowed
One too like thee: tameless, and swift, and proud.

Make me thy lyre, even as the forest is:
What if my leaves are falling like its own!
The tumult of thy mighty harmonies
Will take from both a deep autumnal tone,
Sweet though in sadness. Be thou, Spirit fierce,
My spirit! be thou me, impetuous one!
Drive my dead thoughts over the universe
Like withered leaves, to quicken a new birth;
And, by the incantation of this verse,
Scatter, as from an unextinguished hearth
Ashes and sparks, my words among mankind!
Be through my lips to unawakened earth
The trumpet of a prophecy! O Wind,
If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?

 

You can read the full poem here.

It still moves me.  IF  WINTER COMES, CAN SPRING BE FAR BEHIND?