As if Covid-19 was not enough, Amphan has damaged infrastructure, rendered many homeless, and imposed a cost on the West Bengal economy whose indelible impacts will be felt in the long-run.
A study in China estimates that there are now more than 30 strains of SARS-CoV-2 spread across the globe. This pandemic is no surprise. It was coming, and so will others.
While India has given a strong turn in the energy roadmap towards renewables and re-balancing the energy mix, it would be unfair to expect to wean off fossil fuels completely at this stage of our developmental cycle.
Amid one of the largest environmental protests ever, the commitments from some of the biggest emitters — the US, China, and India — are awfully inadequate.
When we choose AC comfort or our own vehicle over public transport, we are harming the environment. It's not just world leaders who can fix the planet. It's you and me, if we actually care.