Mother Earth has a fever, and it’s our fault

2026-03-25 - 22:41

Temperatures are rising, and it’s not just in West Asia and the Middle East. In Malaysia, as in many other parts of the world, it is sweltering. The hot news last week was that Padang Terap, a district in Kedah, recorded a temperature of close to 40 degrees Celsius. That’s like the Sahara on a summer’s day ... without the sand. Climatologists say that daily temperatures in Malaysia usually range from 22 to 33 degrees Celsius. Perhaps they should get a new thermometer. For those who have lived long enough to remember the “good old days” — in this case the “cool old day” — it never felt this hot. Environmentalists say we have only ourselves to blame. We messed up the environment and now Mother Nature is dispensing retribution. We’re supposed to go forth and multiply, but we have probably outdone ourselves. With more of us around, land needs to be cleared so we can keep expanding our concrete jungle. It is a love story, actually ... us and the concrete structures we build, though the love is not necessarily reciprocated. We swoon over “beautiful” structures, such as the Sydney Opera House, the Lotus Temple of India, the Harbin Opera House in China, or the MSG sphere in the United States. On the other hand, we forget that thousands of trees had to be cut down, and an equal number of animals lost their homes for these structures to take root. With the population explosion, more space is needed for more homes — from luxury highrises to low-cost flats, from mansions to the average terrace houses. Forests retreat to make way for our new digs, and so do insects, reptiles, birds and mammals. Where green lungs once absorbed the heat and regulated temperatures, concrete now radiates the heat from the sun. And we are wondering why the days are scorching and the nights blistering. The air-conditioning is working overtime. The electricity meter is spinning out of control, and our bills are shooting through the roof. Take a stroll in the park and you return home in a T-shirt soaked in sweat. Some experts say we are already past the tipping point. Global warming is already happening. Just look at the diminishing ice caps in the Arctic and Antarctic, or sinking coastal cities such as Jakarta, Guangzhou, Lagos, and Miami. Rising sea levels have forced the Indonesian government to build a new capital city in Nusantara, while frequent floods in Lagos have led to at least US$4 billion in economic losses for Nigeria annually. There is no turning back. Perhaps the era of man is coming to an end — not so much like the dinosaurs that were obliterated in one huge blast but the slower process of getting submerged as the tide rises. Unless, of course, humans evolve further and develop gills. The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.