Earth Matters
By Nasir Ali Panhwar

In July 2023, the World Meteorological Organisation said in a

statement that the first week of July had been the hottest week the world oversince temperatures werere corded and records kept. It also said that the Antarctica has been unusually cold at this time while the Artic was warmer than usual. One can say definitively now for the benefit of the climate skeptics-if they still exist -- that global warming is today a well established and auniversally accepted reality. What will be the future trends will now be determined by humankind's reaction to the information on climate change and the environment so freely available now. If governments cooperate and change their policies and the people adjust their lifestyles, the planet can stillbe     saved.True,governments have been a hard nut to crack as is evident fromthe difficulties encounters in negotiating the climate treaty and the cavalierlytreatment mete out to it after it was adopted. But one cannot ignore thenegative role of the populations in the matter. There has been minimalcooperation at the popular level in efforts to preserve the environment andconserve natural resources. Wastage ha sbeen rampant with little thought to its harmful implications. It is in the latter context that we as members of civil society need to join hands to create public understanding and awareness of the dangers we face and the role each person can play to save the world from destruction.Hence it can appropriately be said that Earthly Matters is a book that is most timely. Nasir Ali Panwhar has collected his articles - 81 of them - published in Dawn, The Express Tribune and The News. They have been made them easily accessible in the form of a book. Readable and informative, the articles should keep the reader engaged since all the topics covered relate to Pakistan which makes the writing most relevant and pertinent. The gravity of the problems in many cases is not widely known while suggesting solutions to the challengesa is only possible by a person who understands the issues. Take the example of Karoonjhar in Tharparker. It is hardly known to people generally and that has allowed vested interests to exploit the mineral wealth and the rich flora and fuana to make money. This has endangered the wild life in the region. The vultures are heading to extinction. Similarly another article on the excessive use of persticides points to the negative impact of this practiceon our crops should be an eye-opener for those who do not know about it. Yet another piece pleads for clean and cheap energy and makes a convincing case for solar and wind energy. The readers should be thankful to the author for drawing their attention to such matters that are not just earthly but also existential.