In a world where the effects of climate change are becoming increasingly evident, Aakash Ranison brings a refreshing and detailed perspective that empowers individuals to make a positive impact. As an environmentalist, nomadic traveler, filmmaker, and advocate for sustainability, Ranison continues to raise awareness about environmental issues and encourage sustainable practices.
Whether you are an environmental enthusiast, or a concerned citizen looking for actionable steps to contribute to a greener future, I’m a Climate Optimist is a call to action that enables readers to view climate change not just as a crisis but as an opportunity for growth and change. And we must change, NOW!
Here’s an excerpt from the book with valuable insights and guidance to navigate the climate crisis and create a better world for ourselves and generations to come.
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The Blind Leading the Blind: A Lack of Vision
What we tend to forget while discussing climate change is the simple fact that our planet doesn’t need our help. Our planet doesn’t need us at all, and would probably prefer to be left alone.
The natural world is no stranger to extinction-level events. From the meteors that destroyed the dinosaurs to ice ages that lasted over 1,00,000 years, our planet has seen many species emerge, thrive, and become lost to the immense power of nature.
Humankind has lived through the longest summer ever recorded on our planet, but just like the dinosaurs and all those who came and went after, there is no guarantee of survival in the future.
While our planet will survive the next extinction level event, and the ones to come after, we very likely will not.
Most of us today are content to go about our lives, droning on through the mundane motions of schooling, building careers, finding a suitable mate, raising a family and dying in our sleep, all while exploiting our natural world and driving the knife deeper into its wounds, barely sparing a sideways glance at the destruction as we do so.
As we die, we leave the world a little worse for us having been there. With every birth, the cycle repeats itself. This is because our generation, like the generations before us, suffers from a lack of vision.
We live in a world of instant gratification—instant deliveries, instant messaging, instant noodles and even instant banking. We have lost our ability to be patient, work hard and see results and invest today in a future that will come to pass tomorrow.
But there are no quick fixes to climate change and global warming.
You see, it’s not about eradicating carbon dioxide, methane or nitrous oxide—these are the ingredients that make life possible. The greenhouse effect is not a force for evil, but it is what makes our atmosphere hospitable for life. It is a state of imbalance that can turn these life-giving forces against us.
But there are no quick fixes to attaining balance, either. We need to realize that even if every person on the planet began fixing their ways now, there would still be a period of transition as our natural world corrects itself.
Think of our consumption patterns as a credit card—if your credit limit is a lakh, and you spend it but replenish it with a lakh of your money, your spending is balanced, and you are free from the danger of debt. However, if you spend two lakh, and do not have the money to pay the bank to offset the debt you have accumulated, you are in for a world of trouble and will have to work to pay it off.
In much the same way, we must offset our debts to our planet, and give back what we have taken from our natural world to keep it from turning against us. But how do we do this?
To save ourselves, we must invest in the future. We must take advantage of the power of knowledge as it can instill trust in our individual choices. We must choose to think bigger, envision sustainable futures and work towards them patiently.
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Get your copy of I’m a Climate Optimist by Aakash Ranison on Amazon.
