Of cattle and climate

“The time has come, as the Walrus said, to talk of many things,
Of ships and shoes and sealing wax, of cabbages and kings,
Of why the sea is boiling hot, and whether pigs have wings” -Lewis Carrol
No one would have thought, that the time would come when the world would be seriously debating over aircraft carriers, the (North China) sea, of decimating a kingly empire (Brexit), of GM technology for farm produce (cabbages), and finally cattle (pigs or cows having wings), and the climate (boiling seas).
Not to mention that the level of dialogue and negotiations would seek the level of what Alice had at the Mad Hatter’s tea party. The “queen of hearts” and the way she played her game, no longer appears a piece of imagination. It’s pretty close to the way the world runs!
Take cattle, the cow in particular. Election rhetoric and promises win majorities, but everyone who has come to power knows the next step is to descend to a level where winds are less stormy, and finally touchdown in what is termed as a soft landing.
That cows are respectable is a part of a culture, and indeed they provide milk and every other milk product. Wars have been fought for horses, and families still mourn the demise of a pet dog.
The cow over multiple eras assumed a holy status. It draws respect by a culture, as though it was a crucial family member. That instinct of protection perhaps is more deeply rooted in and sincerely followed that of the trendy PETA. One has to allow similar instincts of animals considered to be devilish, even unmentionable by other faiths and cultures.
The prohibitive instincts of consuming the flesh of either animal are equally enforced though one be a sin due to the commission, and the other a sin due to non-omission.
So, as civilizations moved on, livestock and its protection through belief, took deep roots in mindsets.
There have been periodic agitations, protests and skirmishes spurned out of reported instances of cow slaughter, to theft to supply to the leather industry. This indeed was allowed through actual instances or unbaked rumours that were to be divisive for the existing faiths.
Probably, no government found it worth to interfere, as division and deprivation, disrespect for another’s belief gave one an instant serving of the biggest chunk of the political cake.
Taking the present turmoil after enactment by the present government in a northern state, election fever settling down, it now becomes a matter of mature regulation. There may be penalties attached to cow stealing, or such arbitration that puts an end to the matter right away, with less abrasion as is possible. The matter also concerns hygienic storage and retailing of animal meat. Token of respect for each other may be established. The common man is running for other promises for his survival.
The next is a regulation for an animal that has become unproductive. A mechanism has to be made, where they are sent to “old age homes” for nurture as well as rehabilitation. It is here, that under approved laws the animal may be put to rest, to provide leather, meat whatever. It may be done in barricaded areas, so as not to excite public sensitivities. Think for a moment, is that not the end of all human flesh, except that human skin is not durable in the form of a package, nor does it have value as “fur”, in as much it is no longer fashionable to keep the patchy growths menfolk unless of course it is on the face!
Climate: Is Paris burning? Or is it just warming up? Who else but Donald Trump, president of the US, has the powers to suddenly withdraw and ask for a US re-negotiation of the Climate Treaty. This is just the inverted image of President Obama’s great stress to conclude the Heidelberg Summit.
It was a world event, with riders, where most of the developing countries asked for concessions to burn their fossil reserves to achieve a level of sustainability, to be able to afford less polluting refined fuel.
Taking a different point of view, it is just as well that India (lowest per-capita, but a higher total capita emissions), Europe and China should carry on the mantle. The world would be better with rotating responsibilities. India has stated 40% non- fossil energy by 2020. It’s a challenge, and perhaps time has come for the country to meet all global parameters on its own. Solar and nuclear energy would be the mainstay. Hydro may catch -up, but has a long gestation period.
The climate statement drew more resistance from US industry, its green lobbies, including ex Vice President and Nobel laureate Al Gore, than it drew from the rest of the world. It may not be binding for the moment, but it defines a larger US policy to dilute its involvement from matters that are becoming burdensome for its economy. It probably is banking on the wisdom of involving other countries in playing their role in global affairs.
Donald Trump has the instincts of a businessman—quick to dispose-off any loss- making venture, and yet keep the group’s share value high!
Quite certainly, we are in the midst of an era, that is about to set its record straight. I remember having seen “The Lion King” at Broadway.
So well done, but the message I carried was, Elton john’s “Circle of Life”. So simply explained to Simba, “The deer eats the grass, the wild goat eats the deer, the lion eats the goat, and finally the lion dies, and new grass grows from the spot where the lion fell!
But subtler message comes from Disney’s production of Kipling’s “Jungle Book”. Baloo the bear is so convinced, and therefore carefree about, “The simple bare necessities of life”! while Sher Khan is obsessed with controlling the whole jungle, which probably he never would!
Sher Khan notwithstanding, the peace in the jungle came from Baloo’s song!
I have a firm belief that “the cows shall come home” with well thought regulations, that respect sensitivities and the government would be working on this.
As for the “Climate” – “Wherever you go, take the weather with you”!
I think, I’ll take Aesop’s Fables sometime later