Climate Change Threatens Our Existence, Says Indian Spiritual Leader Sadhguru – Global Issues
BAKU, Nov 16 (IPS) – A sudden frenzy as Jagadish Vasudev, popularly known as Sadhguru, emerges from the interview room at the COP29 press centre. It is the early days of the conference and there is an atmosphere of energy and excitement in Baku.
With his long flowing beard and green turban, it is clear that many journalists are eager to interview the influential Indian air force leader and founder of the Isha Foundation, which has been dedicated to humanitarian projects since 1992. Cauvery Callingaims to support Indian farmers by encouraging the planting of 2.4 billion trees through agroforestry to restore the Cauvery River.
Now in Baku for COP29, Sadhguru shares his insights in an exclusive interview with IPS.
Inter Press Service: Sadhguru, climate change has been a recognized problem for over four decades. Yet despite many conferences and terms like “loss and mitigation” and “climate finance,” we are still faced with rising temperatures, floods, and droughts. Why don’t we succeed? Are we missing the right path?
Sadhguru: “Where to succeed, really? The problem is that there is no clear goal, which can be done. We are talking about economic development, many countries pursue it without stopping to think about its impact on the world. At the same time, those who have achieved something in the world. quality of life tell others not to follow the same path. It is a paradox. We tell people that give up hydrocarbons—coal, oil—but we don’t offer viable alternatives today, this very conference won’t last ten minutes!
We are all focused on what we have to stop but we don’t have sustainable alternatives, which can be. Solar, wind, and other similar sources make up a tiny fraction of our energy needs—less than 3 percent. For real change, we need technologies that provide clean, non-polluting energy, but we are far from that. Nuclear power is a powerful option, yet there is a lot of activism and fear surrounding it. Meanwhile, electric cars, often touted as solutionsdon’t really talk about environmental welfare; they simply reduce air pollution in cities.”
IPS: So, what would be the most effective method?
Sadhguru: It’s easy. We need to focus on reclaiming the land. Changing soil composition can reduce up to 37 percent of climate problems, according to research. The emphasis has shifted slightly from ‘oily’ to ‘earthy,’ and that’s a good sign. But beyond that, all our thinking needs to move from activism to scientific, science-based solutions. In the last 70 years, we have lost 84 percent of wildlife, 92 percent of freshwater species, and 84 percent of insects. Soil is devoid of organic matter, and without it, billions of micro-organisms essential to life would perish. Many scientists warn that if we continue at this pace, we may only have 40-50 harvests—about 25–30 years of successful farming.
IPS: Climate change is often seen as a distant, scientific phenomenon. Most people don’t connect with it. Why is that?
Sadhguru: A mind must have legs to walk. If it can’t, it won’t go anywhere. Rather than lofty ideals, we need simple, actionable goals. The soil is the basis of life: we eat from it, and when we die, we return to it. Ninety-five percent of life forms depend on it, and more than half of people interact with it every day. We have to invest in land regeneration, not just oil replacement technology.”
IPS: How do we make this understandable to the common man?
Sadhguru: The average person does not need to understand all the details. It is the responsibility of governments to act—to create laws and policies that enforce soil conservation. Blaming consumers misses the point. People want to improve their lives, and those who criticize ‘consumerism’ tend to hold to a double standard. You cannot stop people’s desires. If anything, we need to reduce our people’s environmental impact over time, but even mentioning that is controversial. The fact is that during the past century, life expectancy has increased dramatically—from an average of 28 years in 1947 to more than 70 years today. As people live longer, fertility must be adjusted to balance the population. But people resist these realities.
IPS: He has long advocated making living in the village worthwhile. How can we make rural life sustainable and attractive?
Sadhguru: Yes, but it’s about making rural life work, not loving it. If the soil is rich, rural life can be economically beneficial. Today, people pay more for organic products. Imagine if we could label food based on soil organic matter—consumers would pay more for denser products, and this would encourage soil conservation. Our agriculture needs to move beyond dependence on rice and wheat, which was a temporary solution during the Green Revolution. Now we have to move from that ‘bridge’ to more sustainable ways.
IPS: This requires government policies but they are small. Why don’t we see climate change as a political agenda?
Sadhguru: In a democracy, politicians focus on what their voters want, which is often not long-term environmental policies. In order to make meaningful changes, citizens need to express this desire. For example, our Save Soil movement reached 3.91 billion people in 100 days. This kind of widespread support has implications for policy. We are already seeing action in countries like China, India, and parts of Europe, albeit slowly. Unfortunately, sometimes governments wait for a disaster before they act. Then I understand that there is a flood. It got into your house somewhere. I think, after all, it’s in a flood zone, you know.
IPS: And he has said that thirty percent of human food should come from trees. Can you elaborate on that?
Sadhguru: For example, in Kashmir, more than thirty percent of the people’s food came from trees. They eat a lot of local fruits. When Hyun Tsang visiting India, he saw that the intelligence of the Indian people is sharp because of eating a lot of fruits. Today, unfortunately, most fruits are bought in supermarkets, often from faraway places. Local connections are lost, and this affects health. Eating local fruit is not just about culture. Microorganisms in our body and in the soil where we live are in constant contact. This connection between food and our microbiome is often overlooked, yet it affects us deeply. The biome in your body has “cousins” in the country you live in. In yoga, we advise you to eat a moderate amount of food that you can walk in a day. This keeps your body strong and in tune with the environment.
IPS: One critical problem back in India is farmer suicide. What can be done to address this?
Sadhguru: They did not die of their own free will but because of despair. When they take out a loan and can’t pay, life becomes unbearable. Many have inherited farming skills but have no other choice. If a person with an MBA or MSc in agriculture was given land, they would struggle to match the knowledge and skills of a farmer, but society despises this knowledge. Because of their small holdings—less than a hectare on average—they cannot support their families or avoid debt.
In the past, the villagers worked together as a community. Today, small farmers fence their small plots and install their own wells. The cost is huge and leads to another debt. We need to restore public support, expand the catchment area, or provide other effective means to prevent this vicious cycle.
IPS: And what about faith? Can it play a role in tackling the climate crisis?
Sadhguru: Let’s not focus on faith in climate change. It is our responsibility to do something. When things go wrong because of human error, people often call it fate or God’s will. But this problem is ours. And the problem we’re talking about is not a planetary problem—it’s a human survival problem. Life on Earth depends on complex interactions, from insects to microbes. If these were not eliminated, life on this planet would quickly disappear. The irony is that if humans disappeared, the planet would be fine. This is the vision we need: climate change threatens our lives, not the Earth’s.
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© Inter Press Service (2024) — All Rights ReservedOriginal source: Inter Press Service
