Understanding Basic Needs of the Earth

Donald Trump’s decision to opt out of the Paris agreement is evidence that we are gradually shifting towards individualism from universalism. This is the predominant reason for the rapidly decaying and destabilising environment on our planet

President Donald Trump’s radical decision to renege on the Paris agreement has created shockwaves across the world. Former President Barack Obama had worked tirelessly to navigate the intricacies of politics and diplomacy to craft this agreement.

We live in a world where choices are very important, and it is vitally important to take cognisance of the consequences of the choices which are made. This may appear to be very evident but the correlation is not well understood. Such is the case with the decision to abrogate the Paris agreement, which was cobbled together so meticulously.

The planet has been here for 4.5 billion years; in comparison, the Homo sapiens have existed for a very tiny and insignificant part of the earth’s history. The planet is certainly going to outlive us. Meanwhile, what we need to do is to align our policies and make a concerted effort to grow in a sustainable manner. Rejecting the fact that our polluting industries are resulting in a negative externality is ignorance. The decision to look askance at an egregious abuse is a grave injustice. We owe more to our posterity.

Carl Sagan’s captivating and thought-provoking video, The Pale Blue Dot, is a lesson in humility for those who absorb its message. It conveys a very profound message. We are insignificant and need to surmount our petty disputes and cherish life on this planet. Carl Sagan conveys this message eloquently when he says, “The earth is where we make our stand.” President Trump’s arrogance has clearly indicated that the US alone is where he takes a stand.

When President Trump rejected the idea of shared prosperity by putting “America first”, was he really not aware of the consequences of the choices he was making? World renowned economist Paul Samuelson stated that choices do reveal preference.

If this is the choice President Trump has made, then it certainly does not auger well for the future. Some States in the US have vehemently opposed this draconian decision, but one cannot gainsay that this ‘choice’ made by the President is going to have consequences; and grave ones.

The truth is that Trump was the ‘choice’ of the world’s oldest modern democracies. The democratic right exercised by the Americans has catapulted a fledgling politician to power — and the choices he will exercise now are going to have a ripple effect around the world. Elections are never fair, as the famous Arrows Impossibility theorem in economics illustrates. But it would be fair to say that Trump was the choice of millions of Americans, if not of all.

The choices we make are reflective of our concerns, both as individuals as well as a society — at least, in most cases. A lot about leadership is being sensitive to the consequences of our choices and the impact of such choices on the individual and the society. A good leader must have the patience to understand an issue.

He must be responsible and creative in finding solutions to the numerous problems which plague society. President Trump appears impatient and irresponsible. And creativity is certainly not his forte.

The US is enduring a rudderless era. Good leadership could also entail the ability to be more discerning and to evaluate disparate perspectives without a modicum of prejudice. In the case of the Paris agreement, the stakeholders are the United States and other countries’ posterity. No one stands to gain with this choice.

When the Blue Marble photograph of the earth was taken from Apollo 17 in 1972, it evoked very strong sentiments and infused very romantic ideas in the discourse of the day. People fervently spoke about a world without borders, a common Government and one language. Fast forward 40 years, and we have the famous selfie taken by astronaut Aki Hoshide in space.

The faint image of the Blue Marble can be seen in his space helmet. There is a subtle message. In the past 40 years, there has been a pivot in the trajectory of thought. We are moving from universalism to individualism.

Our capacity to empathise with one another is diminishing and we have become rapacious consumers. It is imperative that we take responsibility for our actions and elected leaders make a rational choice, since there is going to be an opportunity for every decision they make.

Choices made today are going to reverberate in the future. And choices which are made with respect to an existential threat must be more accommodative, wise and inclusive. Let us not choose to condone the simmering reality that individual choices have global repercussions.

(The writer is a socio economic commentator)

First published in The Pioneer.