Extreme Weather Condition and Moral Masochism

The recent natural phenomenon, hurricane Sandy and typhoon Bopha, both are tied to extreme weather events, which are related to climate changes and global warming. In the recent Doha climate meeting, Philippine climate commissioner, Naderev M. Sano, was choked in tears when he was appealing for actions due to the devastating effect typhoon Bopha has inflicted upon Philippine. The conclusion is that human beings are guilty. The proposed cure is to cut down the emission of heat trapping gases and to cut down the usage of fossil fuels.

Human beings have been guilty for devastating natural phenomenon for a long time. From very early in human history, in various places, human activities were blamed for causing flood, drought, volcano eruptions, and so on. This belief is a mythological one. For example, in biblical terms, the devastating flood was God’s wrath at decadent human behaviors. And the terrifying formation of Crater Lake in Oregon’s was expressed in local Indian’s myth and it had a single cause which is human. At those times, humans and gods co-existed. Gods created the world and humans were the center of the world. Human activities are checked by gods and justice for any wrong doings was directly appealed to gods. .

Different from those gods-fearing eras, in modern human’s mind, gods no longer have all-powerful positions, or even died. In the absence of all-powerful gods, there is no place for humans to appeal for justice directly. But the residue from the past mythical roots lingers. Fueled by modern technological developments, humans are more than ever convinced as being the center of the world. Justice for any wrong-doings is directly appealed to ourselves. Therefore, human activities are continued to be blamed as evil causes to devastating natural phenomenon. We continue to be always ready to take on the guilt and, in this case, glorify ourselves through moral masochism.


april
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