If the cycle of seasons goes haywire

Climate change is too big an issue for a layman's comprehension. But One thing is sure that it means higher, not lower, temperature. There was no harm if it also meant the reverse of the rising temperature. Unfortunately, this has not happened for people in the tropical countries. Even when Parisians in Paris smart under sweltering heat, British Columbia experiences record heat at 49.6 degree Celsius and the heat waves in June and July claim 808 (in 2021) and more than 600 in the north-western America, the deadly impact of a hotter planet can easily be realised by even a layman.

Well, a warmer weather may come as a blessing to some exceptional areas as well, where lands get cleared as the frozen ice melts away allowing people to cultivate crops. Some regions of Russia have definitely become a beneficiary of this. There are still some highly blessed pockets or small territories where weather is pleasant round the year. In a few areas of the state of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu such as Bangalore and Ooty, the temperature does not vary much and ranges between 16-24 degrees, rarely rising a few degrees but never proving intolerable.

Where does Bangladesh known for its unbearable heat find itself? True, last year was wetter than many of its preceding years and even this year too when in the month of Chaitra, Baishakh and Jaistha, the sun turns into an upturned burning cauldron, there were regular rains. Hardly did the roadside trees looked pale with thick dust gathered on their leaves. The trees looked lively and the heat also was within limit for human tolerance.

However, what has puzzled people here is more or less a dry month of Ashad. On the Bangla calendar, Ashad and Shraban make the monsoon. But rains have literally vanished. There is a feeling of Chaitra and Baishakh in Ashad with, of course, some difference. What is that difference? there are clouds sailing over but those are mostly white. Rarely are there visible patches of dark clouds interposing their white cousins. Even at a time of taking leave, Ashad had been drier than ever before. Although there were pitter patter raindrops on the last two days, they only increased the humidity. In fact, the white patches of clouds at times reminded one of the autumn when the sky is exceptionally clear and blue.

Now what can be expected of the second month of the rainy season and then the autumn? It seems monsoon has become a spent force or has it shifted its timing ahead of its schedule? If it is a one-off phenomenon under the influence of climate change, it may not be a cause for serious concern. But if it sets a new pattern of seasonal cycle, many things will go topsy-turvy. Seasons will not remain the same ever and more worrying is the fact that people in this part of the world will have to adapt themselves to new realities and consequences.

Apart from the weather that is likely be hotter, the surrounding world with its flora and fauna will have to respond to the emerging condition for their survival. Cropping pattern may as well be affected and even administrative and academic schedules may have to be changed accordingly. Animals and birds may have to rearrange their breeding and nesting season.

So there is a whole range of undesirable possibilities. And for hastening the this process of transformation, only the human species is responsible. The Russia-Ukraine war has only exacerbated the situation by forcing even greater use of fossil fuel, including coal. This is likely to upset any plan to reduce global temperature as agreed under the Paris Climate Agreement protocol. The West has been playing in the hands of America which is pulling the string from a safe distance.

Now that Euro and Dollar have become on a par in value, Europe may rue over the manoeuvring behind expansion of the NATO right under the nose of Russia. The cold war has long been over. What was the urgency of pushing the sphere of influence further to anger Russia which is no pushover in terms of military might? And look, when the push has come to a shove! It has come in the post-pandemic time, dividing the entire world and causing economic bleeding to the majority of nations which are not even a party to the feud.

So, arresting the rising heat to a desirable limit will be impossible and the relentless march of a worsening climate regime unstoppable.