Is Mankind Emulating the Arctic Rodent- The Lemmings?

It is almost a lapse of two years since I visited a large Shopping Mall in my area. At the insistence of my family I, rather reluctantly, joined them on their sojourn on the weekend. Not that I “anti” going to the Mall; but at my age there is no meaningful necessity. As the saying goes – “I have seen it all; and I have done it all”. But with the weather getting colder and hampering my constitutional evening walks, I got lured to accompany them; as they dangled a carrot in my face and said – you need to go for a walk, it’s good for your health. With the raging Corona Pandemic I was sceptical to go into a gathering of many people. But I did venture out with a nagging and rather
irritating face mask that often “misted up” my eyeglasses; and doused my hands with sanitizers that are placed all around the Mall. Social Distancing was being enforced in the premises and there was a “One Way Traffic” demarcation and enforcement; and I did adhere to it without a murmur. Enter a few shops I certainly did; but what I did see were fashions of two years ago. Obviously stockpiles that lingered in the shops that were forced into closure for an extremely long period of time due to the Pandemic. As my clothing was still in vogue I decided it would be best if I find and occupy the first seat I could find; until the return of my family from their shopping spree. I noticed a few other husbands too doing the same. The bench was a rather uncomfortable wooden bench; but I followed the concept of “Grin & Bear” as I often encountered in the Armed Services. Very soon did I discover the many who were obviously doing their Christmas Shopping early, to avoid the anticipated “mad rush” when Christmas Day & New Year’s Day comes closer. The shopping seems frugal in comparison with the yester years. However, I did not notice a single person loaded with packages of goods as one

would have seen in the earlier years. The Mall was however crowded but not as voluminous as the previous years.
Very soon I did tire of seeing the frenzy and the charade; and quickly revert to my reverie of thoughts of the past. I remember vividly being taught in school in the late 1840’s – “Man will kill Nature; and Nature will kill Mankind”. This was followed in the year 1958 by an article I read by a leading Meteorologist that was published in a well read
newspaper. He warned the World of major catastrophic changes that would befall the World if no preventative and immediate steps are taken to avert such catastrophic happenings. He stated that if we did not take immediate steps to control the following attributes in our day to day uses and abuses, we would have disastrous changes in the
ecology and the World’s weather patterns; and we will only have ourselves to blame. The attributes and direct effects to such changes would be due to:
– Deforestation
– Over-Population
– Burning of synthetic materials
– Excessive use of “aerosol” cans
– High Flying Jets (At that time the only commercial jet airliner
flying the skies was the De Havilland Comet 4C) These facts are known by almost everyone and talked of in various
Political and Environmentalist lobbies, forums and conferences. However, there does not seem to be any tangible, visible changes or determined action taken; except of course “taxation” of the sources of pollution. Of course we are so hell-bent on the economy of the country that we do not hear a whimper of any actions being taken against the major polluters or environmental devastators; as long as there is economic accruals to the country; which reeks of the old tale of – “Killing the goose that laid the golden egg”. In addition one needs to mention of the fact that no one appears to address the “Air Pollution” created by the high flying Jet Airliners; especially over the Pole where the atmosphere is at the lowest and the route is most economical to fly.

Another point of major relevance is the “Over-Population” factor that faces the World. With talks of dwindling water and food supplies due to the ecological changes that seems apparent. Though spoken of in undertones this a very major factor/problem that Earth is faced with; but I did hear some folks talking about it. It was China that tried to take the lead in this aspect way back in 1980; but met with Worldly condemnation and the ire of Human Rights groups. Due to the overwhelming growth in population “The one-child policy/program” was implemented nationwide by the Chinese government in 1980; in order to limit Chinese families to one child each. The policy was primarily enacted to address the growth rate ofthe country’s fast growing population, which the government viewed
as being too rapid for the country. There were of course exceptions made to the program. In or around the 1990’s they relaxed on the “One Child Policy/Program”; and by the beginning of 2016 abandoned the program. We now come to the crux the matter; is over-population playing a major role in our current Global Environmental crisis? For sure, the demand of food and necessities are proportional to the availability of Earths’ resources. To put it simply it is just a “Supply & Demand” problem. On the whole, what comes into mind is that this situation reeks of the story/myth of the Rodent – Lemming. One of the most renowned

myth is that they commit suicide by jumping over a cliff and into the water. So, let us explore the myth and see how well it tallies with the current situations that the World is facing: Extract from Wikipedia – “Lemmings have become the subject of a widely popular misconception that they are driven to commit mass suicide when they migrate by jumping off cliffs. It is not a deliberate mass suicide, in which animals voluntarily choose to die, but rather a result of their migratory behaviour. Driven by strong biological urges, some species of lemmings may migrate in large groups when population density becomes too great. They can swim and may choose to cross a body of water in search of a new habitat. In such cases, may drown if the chosen body of water happens to be an ocean, or is in any case so wide as to exceed their physical capabilities. In addition another myth may have roots in the fiercely aggressive nature of the lemmings during population booms.” An extract of the Encyclopedia Britannica has it as – “But there is one myth that has held on tenaciously: Every few years, herds of lemmings commit suicide by jumping off seaside cliffs. Instinct, it is said, drives them to kill themselves whenever their population becomes unsustainably large. There is also a myth, of course – that lemmings are indeed one of the irascible rodents, but they mostly channel their rage into fights with other lemmings”. Some similarities seem to emerge from the traits of the lemmings and humans. Over-population seems to cause them to fight each other; and the search for food (fresh pastures) seems to urge them to take risks and to swim large tracts of water and hence sees the demise of the weaker who cannot reach the other shore.

My mind goes through at the migration of humans seeking fresher pastures and pity those who make the trek from the African Coast to Mediterranean and other European countries from the African coast. They appear to use any type of floating device and most succumb to the dangerous and perilous journey to reach their Utopia. The same
can be said of the occurrence in many other countries. We also have many migrants due to various types of persecutions in their own countries; inclusive of those from war torn countries. The list is never ending. In addition, the “Covid” Pandemic has and is taking a toll on the Human Race; with many ignoring and protesting at the Pandemic Protocols put in place for their own safety and well-being. One stands aghast at the gatherings at various social and sports gathering; in additions to the protests and demonstrations inrebelling against the protocols in place. Protocols done in good faith and for the good of individuals. One can only ask oneself the question – are they trying to commit suicide? Like Emperor Nero fiddling while Rome burned in flames, the World Organizations meet frequently and appear to be just “All talk and no action”; or does it come within the confines of the definition of a
meeting – “Where hours are spent and minutes are kept”? – While motor vehicles are being churned out with bigger and powerful engines with more horse-power and high fossil fuel consumption, oblivious of the maximum speed limits of the country; and the humongous High-Flying Passenger aircraft that are flying the skies without any thought of air pollution that they create – especially using the “Polar Route” and no one appears to be addressing this issue and why? Needless to say the luxury space flights for “ego satisfaction”. Are they not “Environmental issues that should receive

attention from the Political Hierarchy; and that which also should be the concern for the “man on the street”. So, dear Learned Readers please give this problem you serious thoughts. Won’t you? It is imperative that one must think of this calamitous state before it is too late Let it not be as predicted in the 1940’s – “Man will kill Nature;and Nature will kill Mankind”.

Noor Rahim
November 15 2021.