The climate crisis begins within: Lessons from Kancha Gachibowli

The real change begins with personal responsibility, ecological awareness, and conscious, self-driven action. The climate crisis stems from unchecked consumption and inner emptiness.

- ACHARYA PRASHANT

There was a time, not so long ago, when I would confront and agitate people by asking them how they would justify their inaction on the climate crisis to future generations. I no longer ask that question. The truth is painfully clear: we may not have too many future generations to answer to. The question is no longer when the effect of climate change will hit us—it's already here, and the most vulnerable communities of the world are already reeling under its horrendous consequences.

What we call as climate change is not just about rising temperatures, erratic rainfall, melting glaciers, rising sea levels, intensifying wildfires, prolonged droughts, loss of biodiversity, or collapsing ecosystems. It is rather the inevitable consequence of a deeper disorder: a compulsive, collective urge to consume without restraint. This endless consumption is not merely a lifestyle preference; it reveals a profound ignorance in the human psyche. At the root of ecological collapse is this inner emptiness we try to fill through consumption.

Our blind but insatiable hunger doesn't just destroy forests or ecosystems, it also drives all kinds of exploitation, including child abuse, human trafficking, and deepening income inequalities throughout the world. When we don't understand our desires, everything becomes a target to consume: forests, animals, and even fellow human beings. Each personal choice—what we eat, wear, and buy, feeds into this larger narrative of inner hollowness and external consumption.

KANCHA GACHIBOWLI: A TURN TOWARD RESPONSIBILITY The student-led protest at Kancha Gachibowli, which opposed mass deforestation, offers a powerful and timely reminder. While public figures and celebrities remained silent, young people rose to the occasion. Anonymous students became the voice of the movement—a decentralized but determined force for change.