Dear All,
Perhaps I am not the only one to be tired of reading the nasty and abusive letters from some of our friends. It is time for us to think about bigger issues. It is time we discussed our future in this ever changing environment.
Methane, carbon dioxide, climate change... your letters have thrown up some interesting points!
However, before you blame or criticise anybody, hear the history of climate change from a wise old monkey.
If you think that this is the first time our climate is changing, then you must read this letter.
Let us start 4.6 billion years ago when the earth was born as a spinning ball of fire. It took many millions of years before it cooled its many layers of crust to form, and the first forms of life, microbes and blue-green algae to appear. I know this from human scientists, of course! How do they know? From fossils, ocean beds, and rocks.
The first major climate change came some 700 million years ago. It was the first of many “Big Chills” that have occurred until now. As I was saying, 700 million years ago, the earth froze over. Who knows why it happened? It remained thus for many, perhaps, 10 million years. But the centre of the earth remained hot and molten. The pressure was building up inside. As our cow friend pointed out, the gases have to be released. Volcanoes erupted, spewing out lava and releasing hot gases, shattering the ice sheets that covered them. Carbon dioxide and methane were released from the earth’s belly. Truly, astronomical gastronomic emissions! I like that expression!
Moving on... these gases proved to be one of the reasons for life on earth. Both trap heat from the sun — methane, more so than carbon dioxide. In the hundreds of years that followed, glaciers melted. The planet warmed up. There was an explosion of life after that. Who can deny the value of these greenhouse gases?
Microbes, algae and multi-cellular organisms ruled the world until amphibians and reptiles joined them some 300 million years ago. These chaps were around when another ice-age happened. Once again, the warm cycle followed. Evolution continued.
The dinosaurs appeared and then disappeared 65 million years ago. I am not sure why they became extinct. Was climate change responsible? I am not sure, but another ice-age began some 130,000 years ago. It continued till 15,000 years ago. With every climate change, extinction of some species occurred; and evolution of others.
My friends, if our planet goes through repeated cold glacial and warm interglacial cycles, what can we do against the forces of nature? Why are we pointing fingers at each other? Would there be no climate change if the cow didn’t burp?
Gray langur
Reply from Aristotle
Wow, how old are you?
