Rain, Winds, Lightening: Another Day in Paradise

The monsoon season has come back around for us and it is flexing its arms, quite strongly in fact. With almost daily rains and winds which seems to sweep you off your feet. I am a rain lover, I would take rain over the scorching sun any given day, specially when you live in a tropical country where you sweat profusely even if you step outdoors for a few seconds.

While I do love the rains in this little tea drop of a nation, it does sometimes causes inconvenience like for example unable to walk outside because doing so would cause you to get drenched in water. This is far worse when you use public transport to travel because getting wet in inevitable, in such situations you have 3 options;

1. Stay indoors till the rain passes over to go outside

2. Bring an umbrella so that you seek its safe heaven when the sky breaks loose 

3. Or my personal favorite, say rain be damned and make a run for it

Option one is attractive if you still have a lot of work or friends to keep you company while the rains blows over, provided of course that you don't have a prior appointment.

The second option perhaps seems to be more sensible but however for people like me, who loath carrying an umbrella, this is unappealing. The reason of despising to carry an umbrella is because you have to carry it around with you all the time and for people who does not carry any bag of a sort it is a hassle, especially when it is wet and dripping with water. And no, grown adults in Sri Lanka do not wear rain coats, except maybe for the policemen. The citizens of Sri Lanka would not be caught wearing a rain coat even though it might probably be more effective in countering the rain in keeping yourself dry than an umbrella, and this applies to me as well. 

The third option is the least appealing but if anyone does not prefer the first two options then the third is your winner, Ta-da!! Yes there is a probability of you getting wet, and yes there is a possibility of you getting sick as well but really, what is life without a bit of risk and not using your brain? But of course if you are travelling in public transport and you opt for choice numero 3 and you happen to get really soaked, then expect to travel in that condition for the duration of your journey to your destinations. 

Sadly though the monsoons seasons are changing causing unpredictable times of rain in the year. Generally during this time of the year the whole island would receive rainfall, even though the quantity of rain varies. However, this is currently not the pattern, while the western part of the country experiences enough and more rain, the eastern and south eastern part of the country there are prevailing droughts, and Sri Lanka is not big as to have significant changes in climate like USA. The cause for this change in the climate is attributed to global warming with its ever increasing influence of the world's natural cooling systems. 

While progress has been made to change the effects of global warming it has to be more radical in order to have a huge impact on reversing its effect. If this is not followed then there is going to be an unprecedented amount of disasters occurring in the near future. Governments need to make their cities more Eco friendly, this can be achieved by doing simple things such as planting trees along the roads instead of concrete masses or metal fences. Further another possibility is for the government to invest in solar panels to power street lamps which are kept on throughout the night. Further research must be undertaken into renewable energy sources and also improving existing sources because in the future a country which is has sufficient renewable energy to fund its energy requirements, will be a country to dominate others. Building more recycling factories to cope with the recyclable trash disposed of each year is another option. 

Governments alone should not be the only ones doing their best to counter the effects of global warming, you and I can do simple things to change these effects. Simple acts such as separating our trash according to degradable and and recyclable materials. Powering off any electronic equipment put on stand by,travelling by car which have hybrid technology so that it does not use fuel as much as other cars.

But often these are things that we fail to perform. Governments fails to make sustainable living a priority in their agendas and people fail realize the impact of individual actions. And there lies the problem.