How Sane Are We?

                                                                                   Anuradha Chaudhary, Bangladesh (1947 - )
Summary in English

This essay reflects the modern environmental issues that writer talks about the insane behavior of the modern human beings who are blindly causing the ecological damage as well as the environmental destruction of the modern world. Human beings are selfish, commercial and self-destructive in the modern world. This essay implies that human beings cannot make rational decisions. Ecology and politics are closely linked although many people do not see any link between them. Similarly, we are not respecting our ancesters by conserving nature. Thus, it is necessary for us to change the present social, economic and political system of the world.
The essayist analyzes the misconception that our collective decision making process is rational. She shows the realistic picture of the environmental crisis in the modern world. She criticizes modern human beings for not being awareness about the fatal consequences of the environmental destruction so that they are directly or indirectly involved in creating pollutions and ecological damage. People from the developed countries have been using chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and other harmful gases and chemicals. CFCs were invented in 1930. They consist of chlorine, fluorine and carbon. They are man-made chemicals. They cause 20% of the greenhouse effect. Similarly, Ozone is a naturally occurring substance made up of oxygen atoms. The ozone layer is badly affected. If the rays reach the earth, they will affect co-system, decrease agricultural productivity, weaken human immune system, cause skin cancer and eye contracts. This is because only in 1985, it was believed that there is a between CFCs and ozone layer. Therefore, people from the world could stop the use of CFCs immediately and use cheaper and harmless chemicals to replace it. However, this principle could not be long-lasting so that people started using CFCs for creating destruction to themselves.
The writer says that modern human beings have been destroying their own existence. The decision makers as the political leaders are only worried about the next election, but not about the future of human beings. They are only concerned with immediate advantages. So, our collective decision is self-destructive. Therefore, we all human beings should save the nature, atmosphere, wild life, forests, water, resources, ozone layer and the whole ecology. If we fail to bring about fundamental change in our ways of thinking and doing politics, we just might sink and drown. To conclude, the writer suggests us that we, modern human beings should change our thoughts, behaviors and political and commercial activities.