无法呼吸:一个污染移民的故事
我们已经失去了呼吸新鲜空气的权利。我们必须从头到脚改变“攫取-生产-废弃”体系来恢复城市的生机。
India, Southern Asia
Story by Piyush Dhawan. Translated by Jie Li
Published on August 28, 2022.
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未来七个月,请深呼吸,然后再屏住呼吸吧,因为新德里的所有居民在九月会经历过去五年来一直经历的磨难。
流鼻涕、眼睛痒、喉咙痒、呼吸喘,因为这空气有毒,让人窒息,连呼吸都要多费点力气。
国家政府之间互相推诿的戏每年准时又将上演。一些报告将公布令人震惊的事实:我们都会折寿十年。我们会看到空气净化器和加拿大空气的广告。想象一下,人类生存需要的唯二因素是空气和水源,这两种东西会被放到罐子里出售。
生在这个城市,每天见证这个城市的衰落让我如鲠在喉。如今,一波波的德里精英阶层为了呼吸质量更好的空气,离开德里。
他们管我们叫污染移民!但我们别无他选。
世界上有15个污染最严重的城市,其中10个都在印度。全球10个发展最快的城市都在印度。
我认为,从经济角度讲,这是一件好事,印度将成为世界经济的龙头。但是,从环保角度讲,这件事还值得怀疑。
只占据世界1%的土地,却拥有超过一半的人口。GDP占据全球的85%。为了维持人口数量和GDP占比,城市野心勃勃。这些城市消耗了75%的自然资源,生产了全球50%的垃圾,释放了世界75%的温室气体。
埃伦·麦克阿瑟爵士在TED上的演讲让我备受鼓舞。麦克阿瑟爵士在自己的游艇上独自生活超过两个月。爵士被一个问题烦扰:我们的世界如何能继续以过去两个世纪的经济模式运行?如果我们不仅能保护环境,而且能积极改善环境呢?听了她的演讲后,我想了好几个星期:如果资源耗尽,会如何?然后,我茅塞顿开!我开始认为城市是隐藏的资源宝库!从建筑物到电子垃圾,人们生活在有价值的物品中。
我想象,城市通过减少自然资源消耗和废物产生在满足物质需求方面做到自给自足。我看到,城市里到处都是绿地,为人类和其他物种提供的避难所和栖息地。我认为,城市具有社会包容性,能够利用数以百万计来到城市的流动人口的优势。
我坚信,目前的制度已经不再适用于任何企业、个人或生态环境。几十年来,印度一直与中国在经济方面竞争!这种比赛的问题在于,输家比赢家多。我们已经失去了拥有新鲜空气和干净水的权利。我们失去了当地的生物多样性。贫富之间的差距达到了最高水平。在这个转折点上,我们需要决定,是盲目追随增长奇迹,还是向往包容和公正!
预计到2030年,印度70%的基础设施建设仍在建设中。想象一下,如果改变我们管理和使用下一代所需的大量资源的方式会怎么样。我们可以将气候和移民问题纳入发展规划的主流,解决造成贫困和粮食问题。移民应该是一种选择。这样我们就可以创造一个繁荣的经济,让地球上的每个人都受益。我们有权呼吸清洁的空气。让我们建设承认这项基本人权的城市。
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