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writer's desk
Summer, 2021
“Whenever any animal population gets out of control, whether it be an overrun of deer or geese, humans usually step in and make plans to curb it through hunting or damaging nests. It seems cruel, but without natural predators to bring the population down, overpopulation could have devastating effects on the local environment. Yet, humans have shown themselves to be far more destructive than any other animal on this planet, so why don’t we offer ourselves the same consideration? I’m talking about anti-natalism here, the philosophical position that opposes procreation.”- These words of Natalie Shoemaker in a Big Think article published in 2015 called “Do Humans Have a Moral Duty to Stop Procreating?’ set me thinking.
Five years down the line, I remember that article. Different postulates have done the rounds about the principal cause behind the massive environmental tragedy due to colossal bush-fire in Australia, with climate change being at the forefront. And according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) fifth assessment report, 100% of the global warming observed since 1950 are caused by human activities.
Philosopher David Benatar, a famous antinatalist, once said, “If that level of destruction were caused by another species we would rapidly recommend that new members of that species not be brought into existence,”. So why not it is applicable for us? I don’t believe people should stop procreating. Nor I’m talking about any moral compunction of being born here. I am not particularly tormented by the cosmic meaninglessness of indifferent universe, even if that’s the way we choose to look at things. My argument revolves around fairness, equanimity and accountability.
But then, we also don’t get a scot-free treatment by nature. As of January 2021, Novel Coronavirus globally claimed 1.85M lives but vaccination is in sight to stop the count. On another positive note, a class nine student from Burn Hall School in Srinagar, Numair Muzaffar, created a pollution control equipment called Carbonic Smoke Adsorber amidst internet ban! He is the reason why humans shouldn’t stop procreating and sentient life shouldn’t disappear.
2020 already showed us the absolute need of the hour: to protect and improve our environment, something which I spoke about in the previous Editorial. While summer is still a few months away, Darkroom is getting ready with new content. As of now, you can read about my Kabini wildlife experience in the Photostory section. More fascinating stories are on their way!
-Ghosh
about me
I started gardening 5 years ago to increase O2 level in the environment and decrease my restlessness. In no time, to onlookers' dismay, I killed one lotus bamboo (very hard plant with minimum maintenance need) and impaired a sturdy terrestrial orchid. But then, as I gallop to the present, I see now 20 rather delicate and demanding plants are thriving in my small garden. Despite me, perhaps!
Having said that, it doesn't surprise me. I usually don't quit if I set my mind on something and enjoy to learn about it to the best of my ability. It takes time for me to get there, but I do arrive on most occasions.
I am extremely passionate and thorough once I consume myself in the process of building what captivates me. That's why even Darkroom took long to develop. Even though I actively worked on it during last couple of months in 2019, the seeds were around for quite sometime. I learnt many things outside of my comfort zone while creating it end-to-end on my own.
The flowers of Joshua tree, found only in Mojave Desert, blossom just on one night every year and can only be pollinated by female pronuba moth (Yucca moth). No other animal visiting the blooms transfers the pollen from one flower to another. But waiting is a verb. It's not stagnation. Nature taught me to experience such true moments of stasis before the rupture.
So even when I was doing nothing with my creative pursuits and skills for so many years, somewhere in a quiet recess of my heart, I was sculpting and thawing the stories that I want to tell, with the real mojo of silence, and of course, through few scattered and half-baked scribbling attempts. But I realized that at some point I have to wake up from my dream if I want to live it.
I believe it's imperative to be directionless in life to find our true north. And even though I've taken serious measures to create this content platform, I will allow this space to organically shape, unfold and take me on that curious ride.
As the owner/creative head/writer/photographer while I do have cogent visions in place, Darkroom is free to take life of its own.
A keen observer with diverse range of interest and a natural sense of wonderment about the world around, which hopefully will reflect in my photostories, I'm into technical writing by profession.