For the last several decades saving the environment has been the burning topic of the day, and, one international conference after another is being held in one country or the other on the subject. From the high pulpits there are exhortations, appeals and what not, to the effect that the world is doomed unless the environment is saved, without exposing the real problem and meeting it head on, which only amounts to beating about the bush, writes Prof H C Pande
There is an important theorem in mathematics called the existence theorem. This, in a generalised way, can be taken as determining whether a problem with the given constraints has a solution or not. If a solution does not exist then there is no point in attempting a solution at all.
A simple example would be finding the square root of all numbers. The square root exists for all positive numbers, rational or irrational, in the real number system, however, it does not exist for negative numbers. If the square root of all numbers, positive or negative is the requirement, then, the system has to be enlarged to admit complex numbers. In short, the solution of a problem depends on the constraints as well.
This is true of all problems in life, but, often enough, out of ignorance or sheer bravado, we persist in looking for what does not exist. An amusing example is the verbal exchange between Anastas Mikoyan,the then the Deputy Premier of the USSR, and, Richard Nixon the US Vice President in 1959,during the former’s US visit .
While taking Mikoyan around an industrial plant, Nixon remarked ‘Here is peoples’ capitalism’ on which Mikoyan quipped ‘How can you have fried ice’.
For the last several decades saving the environment has been the burning topic of the day, and, one international conference after another is being held in one country or the other on the subject. From the high pulpits there are exhortations, appeals and what not, to the effect that the world is doomed unless the environment is saved, without exposing the real problem and meeting it head on, which only amounts to beating about the bush.
Simply formulated the problem reduces to meeting the increasing material demands,of the increasing population,with decreasing resources.Clearly the solution does not exist,since the population multiplied by their demands,keeps increasing,and,resources available keep decreasing.The possible ways for a solution to exist are,to decrease the population,or decrease the demands,or decrease both or recycle the utilised resources.Satisfactory solution would surely exist if a combination of these measures is adopted.God of materialism has to be unseated,small family norm has to be strictly observed,and,recycling of,process waste or residue,fully utilised,damaged,or,failed materials should be adopted.
If a single family is to be the size of a cricket team,complete with manager and coach ,the offices are to be of football field proportions,and ‘use and throw’ culture is to be adopted,then,one is afraid,that,the hole in the Ozone layer can be mended only after the hole in the head has been repaired.
(Prof. H C Pande is Vice Chancellor Emeritus , BITS, Mesra)
