Weathering the Weather

“Whether the weather be fine, Whether the weather be not, Whether the weather be cold, Whether the weather be hot, We'll weather the weather, Whatever the whether, Whether we like it or not”
An anonymous saying

 

Last year, the world was divided exactly into four sections when several leaders gathered in Copenhagen: (a) a group of front bench troublemakers -- the US and company -- working ‘towards a comprehensive climate agreement’, (b) the emerging pranksters, such as India and China, which are demanding that it’s their right to pollute up to Western levels, (c) global NGOs and their volunteers, and (d) the backseat drivers who view all these talks on climate change is a hoax.

What is your ideal weather? I have a whale of a time in spring and autumn, when the thermometer sways between 20 and 25 degrees. There are places that enjoy such climes consistently throughout the year, but we need to take two factors into consideration if we prefer to spend our life there for always. First, we got to have a good job and secondly, the place should have a cosmopolitan character.

Everything comes with a price, not necessarily in monetary terms, rather strictly speaking, as in the moral science lesson of being discipline for achieving excellence. Certainly there are some things money can't buy.

MOODY MONSOON

So we were talking about the weather. Who says there is nothing wrong with the summers in New Delhi? John Ruskin made a blatant error when he said that there is really no such thing as bad weather. Maybe he was carried away by the frosty and cheery English airs and never had the chance to visit the Victorian colonial India of his time.

The best bet we have against this sweltering heat is the heavy downpour. Albeit sporadic it had been a week ago, the occasional shower can be quite a relief -- it brings the temperature down to a tolerable level. And the met department predicting the showers would be delayed was as grim as the inevitable summer of burning and roasting and baking. Isn't it ironic that we know it's arrived when it starts raining consistently?

Take pity on the India Meteorological Department for the imprecision. But the other day when the shower commenced, their website was showing the southwest monsoon had delayed nearly 17 days over the Gangetic plains of North India. In these regions, according to other wire services, the delay might not impact much except that the farmers will have to bear extra cost on irrigation. But not anymore, I guess, with the unexpected arrival of the rains.

And thankfully the dolour in Delhi is seemingly over now. It was a real privation of modern living, spending the summer in this city. Of course, it's the thinking -- of working hard, earning better and that life will get fair someday -- which is making the ordeal lighter.

THE SECOND ROUND

But why do we always come across the simultaneous occurrence of flood and drought, which is so peculiar in this part of the globe? The country is too big, comprising several landscapes from flat, unforested grasslands, large expanses of deserts, fertile lands to river deltas and hostile mountainous lands.

People have been debating over the mixing of religion and politics since ages. But consider if the world worships only one god, as Baha’i and their company preaches, then that debate would subside. However, we will encounter another never-ending argument on climate versus politics. For heaven's sake, we should make Rajdeep Sardesai the moderator. He is emphatic and he bleats and he hosts anything from politics and sports to weather and talk shows.

BY AND LARGE

We have heard so many things about the climate change. Perhaps, the blend of climate and politics is already in the air before we had expected.

Last year, the world was divided exactly into four sections when several leaders gathered in Copenhagen: (a) a group of front bench troublemakers -- the US and company -- working ‘towards a comprehensive climate agreement’, (b) the emerging pranksters, such as India and China, which are demanding that it’s their right to pollute up to Western levels, (c) global NGOs and their volunteers, and (d) the backseat drivers who view all these talks on climate change is a hoax.

But simply put, anything in excess is no good. We are educated and can make informed decision on how to save energy. Several governments have effortlessly learnt the know-how because they don’t supply regular electricity at all!

RAINING THOUGHTS

Despite global warming, we have read the previous year was the warmest in 77 years; this year was the hottest since 1942; the next year will be the bloodiest in 56 years, so on and so forth. And the statistics in media reports never end.

Amidst these news and speculation, we have to move ahead and achieve whatever we can lay our hands on. Still our likes and dislikes shape our attitude, which in turn fashions our life. Besides, we can revel in our thoughts even if we cannot cool the summer heat down. Therefore the question about your ideal weather arises. What we think, so the Buddha says, we become. I know I’ll go some place cooler than or not so hot as Delhi some day.