The Interesting Myth of The Burning Frog Might Open Your Eyes to An Urgent Problem
We need to act now, or we’re toast.
Two frogs are arguing about something in the forest.
Frog 1: Croakk. CROAK! Brekeke. Gae-gooool. Op op.
Frog 2: RIBBIT! Cra-cra. Kero-kero! Croak…
Frog 1: Op op op op. Guo guo. Kwak brekeke gae-gool…
When suddenly, they’re kidnapped! (What the croak!?)
They find themselves in a kitchen in the throes of a menacing chef. The chef boils a pot of water and drops one of the frogs in. But the second the frog’s toes touched the scorching water, it jumps out of the pot, and then out of the window; grinning as he leaps out for rescue.
The chef now throws away the water and refills the pot. This time, he doesn’t boil the water and puts the second frog in. And this frog is okay with that. Now clad with a crooked smile, the chef puts the pot on the heater and slowly turns the dial.
The temperature of the water rises very slowly. Slow enough that the frog's cold-blooded body gets adjusted to the heat, and the frog remains ignorant of his future demise. He thinks he’s having a good time.
Only when bubbles appear on the surface of the water, the frog realises that… it’s toast!
Of course, this parable isn’t scientifically true. In practice, the frog would detect the slowly heating water and leap to safety. Hence this parable is a myth. For frogs, that it. Humans, on the other hand, are a different story.
We’re Denying That We’re in A Boiling Pot
Humans are ignorantly happy being in the pot as the heat slowly turns up. The pot is of course our planet Earth; the only home we’ve ever known. Only this time, there’s no alien chef with a crooked smile who’s turning the dial-up. It’s us.
Even then, we like to insist that it’s not us who’s warming up the planet. Or some of us like to go meta-ignorant arguing that climate change isn’t even real. Well, it’s very real.
- Twenty of the hottest years in the history of Earth have occurred in the last 22 years. And we’re breaking records as each year goes by.
- The global average temperature has risen by around 1-degree centigrade since the 1850s. That’s may not seem like a lot because it’s an average. But it is. Some places in the Arctic have risen by 4 degrees.
- Half of all amphibians are at risk of extinction.
However, the leaders of this world are not taking it as seriously as they should. Perhaps, it’s because they won’t have to live with the decisions they make. But many of us will.
And hence, it’s up to us to start living differently. Many of us question how much difference can one person create. But that is how change begins. Change is contagious. When you become climate-conscious, your friends will. And then, their friends will. And it goes on, like a domino sequence.
But we need to start now because there are a lot of dominoes to cover; 7,794,798,739 to be precise. Hence, the more places we start, the quicker we’ll be able to cover them all.
In this article, I want to discuss some ways that each of us can become more climate-conscious, and contribute to protecting our only home.
Buy a Tesla
Just kidding. You don’t have to buy a Tesla to save the Earth. I mean, you could. Especially if you’re rooting for Elon Musk to retain his position as the richest man on Earth. (Jeff who?)
But my point is that we need to stop using fossil fuel like we’re getting paid to do it. Burning fossil fuels releases greenhouse gases in the atmosphere that trap heat. Scientists predict that at the current rate of fuel consumption, we will witness a 4-degree rise within 80 years. And hey, I plan to live at least another 100 years. Hence that seems No-Bueno to me.
Hence, we need to start being mindful about how much fossil fuel we’re burning. Here are some ways to reduce fossil fuel consumption.
- Shifting to electric cars. That’s what the world will have to do eventually anyway. But the more smart early-birds we have, the better.
- Avoiding excessive use of vehicles. It just takes more awareness. Walk or cycle if the destination is not far away. Use public transport. Share cars when going to the same destination.
- Install solar panels to avoid excessive use of oils and gases. After the initial investment, these panels will help save a lot on electricity bills, and perhaps also help you make a buck if you’re consuming less that you create. Since we don’t have to worry about the sun running out of energy, this is a wise option to exercise.
Be Mindful of What’s On Your Plate
Before you tell me to go to hell, let me assure you that I won’t force you to quit meat and dairy. But how about going vegetarian or vegan one day a week? Or looking for some new meat-free options instead of your regular favourites?
Cows are the number one source of greenhouse gases from the agricultural sector. Each year, a single cow will belch out 220 pounds of methane. And mind you, methane is 28 times more potent than CO2 in warming up the planet.
Going partially, or fully plant-based will help not only the environment but will also radically transform your health. Plant-based diets are linked to numerous health benefits like reduction in heart diseases, obesity, cancers, cognitive decline and more.
All it takes is a little more awareness of what you’re consuming and how it affects the planet and your own body. Even if we’re not willing to quit meat entirely, we can certainly cut down a little.
Help Achieve a Net-Zero
To reverse the ill-effects of climate change, we need to get our greenhouse-gas emissions down to zero as soon as possible. Or, we have to labour to get to what scientists call a net-zero. A net-zero emission society is simply one that removes as much greenhouse emission, as it puts in.
Some really inspired solutions like storing excess CO2 within hollow bricks have come forward. However, while the climate-conscious leaders are doing their part in finding solutions, we can do our part as well by increasing the green in the world.
- We can start by planting trees in our neighbourhood.
- We can start being mindful of how much wooden furniture we buy.
- We can donate as little as a few dollars to organisations that aim to plant trees — One Tree Planted, Trees for the Future, etc.
Final Thoughts
Earth is the only home we’ve known. And it’s dying. The people who are making the decisions on this matter won’t have to live with the consequences of their decisions. Many of us will. Our children and grandchildren will. Hence, all of us need to do at least as much as we can.
We can be more mindful about how we consume fossil fuel. Our dinner tables could use a little more green and a little less red. And it’s certainly not out of our grasp to make the planet greener by planting a tree or two.
But the greatest gift to Earth from you can be something as simple as spreading a little more awareness. If we can become climate-conscious, and make a few around us more conscious too, we can start the process of saving the world.
Because, as I said, we need to start acting now. Or else… we’re all toast.
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