Wake up Mangalore...or be damned!

By Royston Fernandes

• 53% of the 6 billion+ world’s population lives within 200 kilometers of the coastline.
• 1 billion people live within a height of 20 meters above the mean sea level.
• 21 of the 33 megacities of the world lie along the coasts.
• Tourism is the fastest growing sector in the world economy. Coastal areas comprise of the largest number of tourist destinations.
• 35 million+ people worldwide rely on fishing as a source of livelihood.
• More than half of the world’s industries lie along the coasts.
• Contribution of coastal areas to a coastal country’s GDP is as high as 95% in some cases.
The world’s economic and social heart lies along its coasts. The world is where the coast is! Global warming induced climate change will change the way we look at our coasts. Rising sea levels will displace millions. The entire fishing industry will collapse. Coastal agriculture will take a beating. Unpredictable and unprecedented changes in the weather will wreak havoc. Existing infrastructural facilities that form the backbone of our economy such as ports, industries and power plants will become obsolete. Economies will collapse and diseases would rise. Lawlessness will prevail. Humanity would meet its doom! Can we prevent a doomsday like scenario? – Yes Can we do it in the present system? – No In the present system of a capitalistic selfish society, no amount of measures taken to adapt to or mitigate the effects of climate change would be enough. The present system looks at short term monetary benefits ignoring the issue from a long term humanitarian perspective. The need of the hour is a total overhaul of the system. A new socio-economic model – the society without selfishness.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Notion Press
• Release date: Aug 11, 2013
• ISBN: 9789383416738

Book preview

Change

PREFACE

At a time when climate change threatens the very existence of the human race, and at a time when there is a growing realization that man’s greed – which is the root cause of this problem, is also the main impediment to finding viable solutions for the same; we wonder – why this mess?

‘Wake up Mangalore… or be damned!’ tells the story of Mangalore – a small coastal city in South India and its struggles with climate change. Global warming induced climate change will change the fortunes of Mangalore forever. A prosperous city today, it will be reduced to dust – thanks to a failed government policy and ignorant citizens; accelerated by failing crops, water shortages, harsh weather conditions, crumbling infrastructure and a devastated economy.

Can the people of Mangalore save themselves? – Yes

But, as long as they are a part of the present system and continue their patronage towards it, they are doomed. There is no hope left in this system. This system is a farce! The need of the hour is a change in the entire system - a change in the societal structure and a change in policy through the establishment of a new socio-economic model – the society without selfishness.

The society without selfishness is a highly efficient socio-economic model where equal distribution of wealth and natural resources are its basic fundamentals.

It envisages a world without borders, a word devoid of war, a world minus suffering, a world filled with happiness and peace – a heaven on earth!

Dear friend, as you are reading this book I am sure that there is a 50% chance that you are living in some coastal city /town /village on this earth. If not, I am sure that you have a relative or a friend living on the coast. Nature has no boundaries. The weather has no limits. In case you are living away from the coast, you still need to be worried. The only difference is that those on the coast will be displaced by the rising seas.

Go ahead and read this book as though Mangalore is your hometown. I am confident that you will be able to relate the examples given inside with those around you. And then, you will agree that we cannot continue to be mute spectators.

So what can we do? – read ahead.

Royston Fernandes

Mangalore

Mangalore – An Introduction

In the language of Kannada there is a famous saying – Moorthi chikkadadaroo, keerthi doddadu, which means even though one’s appearance seems weak, his actions are great! This saying is the most befitting statement to make about the small city of Mangalore. Located on the west coast of India and sandwiched between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea, this region has been an important center of education, culture and trade throughout history. Also known as Mangalapuram in Malayalam, Maikala in Beary, Kudla in Tulu, Kodial in Konkani and Mangaluru in Kannada, Mangalore has made itself a name and a permanent place in the history books thanks to its determined and hardworking inhabitants.

Legend has it that the Hindu saint Parashurama fought the Arabian Sea and reclaimed this land from it. Since it was barren and salt filled, he prayed to the serpent gods to release serpents on the land such that their venom neutralizes the salt. He thus converted this strip of land into a fertile lush green paradise. The British who ruled India for over a century were so fascinated by the fertility of this land that one of their officers famously remarked that it would be unwise to promote any other kind of activity here other than agriculture.

That agriculture was a prosperous profession of the locals can be seen from the various harvest festivals that the local communities celebrate. The Catholic community celebrates its harvest festival called ‘Monti fest’, on the birthday of mother Mary on September 8th. On that day, the elders of each household offer a portion of their first crop to God thanking him for the abundant produce. Around the same time, the Hindu community celebrates their harvest festival on Lord Ganesh’s birthday. The timing of both these festivities indicates as to how through the course of time, the locals have understood nature’s cycle and honour

Reviews for Wake up Mangalore...or be damned!

[mariramona · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is book is very well written. Very thoughtful and inspiring. Every small effort to save this earth will make this planet a better place to live in