The three headlines in succession say everything: 3000 kg garbage collected from Mount Everest. Emperor Penguin colony in Antarctic disappearing. Singapore turtle haven fights for life.

The headlines are a summary of despicable human behaviour and the homo sapiens species has the gall to call themselves civilised. Are any of the above a parameter of being civilised? Does leaving garbage in your wake a mark of civilisation? Is making life a literal hell for other species that they are driven to extinction, a mark of civilisation?

Or is civilisation a definition that suits only human beings, meaning, a civilised lifestyle is one that gives maximum comfort for a human. The cost, at which this comfort comes, doesn’t matter. Civilisation equates to chopping down trees and forests to make roads and buildings. Civilisation means eating up the Earth’s resources to acquire more wealth, whether these resources are in the Arctic or Antarctic or the Amazon, doesn’t matter.

 Civilisation is the USA who generates the biggest carbon footprint and points fingers at others. Civilisation is Japan who culls whales. Civilisation is hollering from the peak of Mount Everest or any other high mountain, at the cost of the 3000 kg and more garbage.

I must say, this is worse than any wild animal. Because despite living in the wild the animals and birds and trees are not guilty of even a percent of the above mentioned ‘civilisation’. If human want to be truly civilised, they must learn from nature.

Because, civilisation doesn’t mean sitting in an air conditioned high rise office in an Armani suit and making decisions. Being truly civilised means knowing how to live in harmony with nature with respect that is congruent to reverence. That’s what civilised means.

J Dias, By email