Blaming climate change for every natural disaster is wrong: Writer Stephen Alter

Nainital, Nov 4 (PTI) Noted author Stephen Alter firmly believes that climate change is among the most pressing issues of our time, even as he cautions against blaming every disaster on it and using that as an excuse to shrug off one's own responsibility.

The 69-year-old conservationist, speaking at the recently concluded 10th edition of "Himalayan Echoes: Kumaon Festival of Literature & Arts", said that the term climate change has been used so frequently -- and often incorrectly -- that it has begun to resemble the old catch phrase 'acts of God', which has ceased to mean anything at all.

"One of the problems I have with the discussion on climate change is that everything becomes climate change. Everything gets blamed on climate change. We could even say the clouds have come over 'Mountain Echoes', so this must be climate change.

"It's used so often, and incorrectly, that we end up blaming everything on it and then saying, 'Ok, it's not our problem'," said Alter, who was felicitated with Himalayan Echoes' inaugural 'Nature Writing Prize' to bring Himalayan writings to the fore, alongside other powerful works from the natural world.

He pointed to the recent Himalayan disasters in Uttarakhand's Dharali village and the capital, Dehradun, earlier this year, noting that poor planning and unregulated development -- rather than climate alone -- amplified the damage.

“It’s our poor planning; it’s the idiocy of some of the development that has happened in the watercourses, the Valley, all around us that has really led to those problems. The old houses in Dharali are still standing -- it's the new ones that got washed away," he added.

Having authored over 20 books, some fiction, others non-fiction touching upon themes of environment, travel and India's natural wealth, Alter emphasised that science itself is a form of storytelling that can engage and inspire.

To buttress his point, he cited "Geology of India" by geologist DN Wadia, highlighting how scientific writing can be lyrical, rich in metaphor, and deeply engaging.

"It's a marvellous book. You can read it as literature. He's very lyrical, he's full of metaphors, and he's talking about rocks. And yet, at the same time, he's telling the story of these mountains. So, science is storytelling," he added.

For younger readers and students, Alter urged direct engagement with the environment.

"Get outdoors, observe, and ask questions. Notice the trees, the birds, the mountains. That's where the stories are. You cannot do this in a classroom or in front of a screen," he said, highlighting that firsthand observation sparks curiosity and deeper understanding.

The two-day festival, focused on both literature and nature, was attended by celebrated writer Stephen Alter, Booker-longlisted author Anuradha Roy, filmmaker Muzaffar Ali, environmentalist Vandana Shiva, and others.

The festival came to a close on Sunday. PTI MG RB RB