climate change

Social contract theory suggests that people enter into an unwritten contract with the ruler (government) to be protected and served with the basic necessities of life in exchange for which the peoples acknowledge and recognize the legitimacy of the ruler’s sovereign authority. Be it a monarchy, democracy, or any other form of government, the most fundamental duty of the State is to fulfil its people’s basic needs  to lead a life with dignity and protect them against injustice.

Research on the correlation between climate change and mental health is a new but rapidly growing field. The term mental health in particular does not refer to mental illness, mental problems and mental disorders alone but also includes states of mental wellness, emotional resilience and psychological well-being.

Every now and again an article pops up telling us that the day is not far when humans will live on the Red Planet. This is not, the writers insist, something out of an Isaac Asimov book or the ramblings of a Star Trek fan. In my mind whether the human race is technologically close to achieving trans-planetary habitation is not the question as much as whether we should be trying to do this when we’ve been such poor stewards of planet Earth.

The IPCC report leaves no room for doubt that the climate is changing (and that humans are responsible for it). What will be the impact of climate change on Tamil Nadu? What must we be ready for, in the coming years? And is there anything we can do to escape this crisis?