Writer Stephen Alter: Blaming climate change for every natural disaster is wrong

Noted author Stephen Alter firmly believes that climate change is among the most pressing issues of our time even as he cautions against blaming every disaster on it and using that as an excuse to shrug off ones own responsibilityThe 69yearold conservationist speaking at the recently concluded 10th edition of Himalayan Echoes Kumaon Festival of Literature amp Arts said that the term climate change has been used so frequently and often incorrectly that it has begun to resemble the old catch phrase acts of God which has ceased to mean anything at allOne of the problems I have with the discussion on climate change is that everything becomes climate change Everything gets blamed on climate change We could even say the clouds have come over Mountain Echoes so this must be climate changeIts used so often and incorrectly that we end up blaming everything on it and then saying Ok its not our problem said Alter who was felicitated with Himalayan Echoes inaugural Nature Writing Prize to bring Himalayan writings to the fore alongside other powerful works from the natural worldHe pointed to the recent Himalayan disasters in Uttarakhands Dharali village and the capital Dehradun earlier this year noting that poor planning and unregulated development rather than climate alone amplified the damageIts our poor planning its the idiocy of some of the development that has happened in the watercourses the Valley all around us that has really led to those problems The old houses in Dharali are still standing its the new ones that got washed away he addedHaving authored over 20 books some fiction others nonfiction touching upon themes of environment travel and Indias natural wealth Alter emphasised that science itself is a form of storytelling that can engage and inspireTo buttress his point he cited Geology of India by geologist DN Wadia highlighting how scientific writing can be lyrical rich in metaphor and deeply engagingIts a marvellous book You can read it as literature Hes very lyrical hes full of metaphors and hes talking about rocks And yet at the same time hes telling the story of these mountains So science is storytelling he addedFor younger readers and students Alter urged direct engagement with the environmentGet outdoors observe and ask questions Notice the trees the birds the mountains Thats where the stories are You cannot do this in a classroom or in front of a screen he said highlighting that firsthand observation sparks curiosity and deeper understandingThe twoday festival focused on both literature and nature was attended by celebrated writer Stephen Alter Bookerlonglisted author Anuradha Roy filmmaker Muzaffar Ali environmentalist Vandana Shiva and othersThe festival came to a close on Sunday