Letter to BS: World War III is upon us and it's about nature vs man

Ever since the Cold War, there have been many predictions about World War III and the likely nuclear character it can take. However, World War III is already upon us and we are unable or are refusing to see it. The war is about nature versus man. Nature will win as it is far more powerful. Whatever control we think we can exercise over it is only temporary and soon nature will not only overcome it but do so with a brute force. Let’s forget about the Arctic ice and global warming for the moment and focus on recent local events. The floods started in Assam, moved to Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, then the entire western coast and now in Uttarakhand. The reason is just one – nature is reclaiming the space we have taken away from it. 

Compared to countries like the USA, Russia and Canada, our population should be only around 100-300 million. Even taking into account the other population giant, China, we should have only about 500-600 million. The excess is occupying nature’s property and it is claiming it back. True, human mismanagement in the levels of dams and ad hoc releases also added to the misery, but this is secondary. We have blocked nature’s path and it is angry. Soon we will need a cabinet minister for disasters at the Centre and in the states. 

T R Ramaswami, Mumbai

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