The raging fight for resources

Natural resources are a key factor for the successful existence of everybody in the world. From woodlands to the environment we live in and the natural reserves such as fuel and even water — all are a gift of nature. One thing that everyone enjoys is making full use of natural resources, never turning back to restore the supplies of Mother Nature.

At present, every nation is in a constant battle of stocking up fuel and energy so as to cope with their future needs, without paying any heed to the damage done to the environment. The US is known to have stored fuel to fulfill the needs of approximately 400 years. This is how human nature is: mean and selfish. We think of ourselves and nobody else.

Indeed, no one can blame the US or any other superpower for taking measures to be self-sufficient. This is just how the human race is. This is just how nation-states function.

Regardless of whether it is wise to hoard food and supplies to tackle future challenges, the truth is that the poor stratum of society is left paralysed as it is penniless — its welfare completely disregarded. On a much smaller level, hoarding clean drinking water for water sanitation purposes is observed as something being taken for granted, but does anybody stop to think if everybody around us has a right on the resources nature offers us.

Unfortunately, it is a norm for us humans to absorb all we can in accordance with who we are and what our stature is. We keep on subjugating the ones below us, depriving them of their rights. Shocking? Yes, it is everyone’s right to have full access to nature’s bounties. It is just that man is too acquisitive by nature which makes him think only in individual terms, neglecting the overall externalities of his actions in the larger picture.

Cautious use, better understanding, sustained protection and searching substitutes for natural resources is critical to Pakistan. On the one hand, we need to change our behaviour and mindset, while on the other, we must be sensitive to the plight of the masses and should address their needs to the best of our abilities. Natural resources are persistently shrinking in the chase of who consumes it to the best and the most. Oil, gas, water, wood, food — everything is being gulped down. But the hunger for more doesn’t seem to be fulfilled any soon. I think if there would be a time when people would fight for oxygen as well.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 16^th, 2014.