(Question about things) Short comment: From heavy rain to typhoon, is the world's extreme weather the same as cool and hot?
China News Agency, Beijing, July 27th, title: From heavy rain to typhoon, is the world's extreme weather the same as it is cool and hot?
China News Agency reporter Wen Longjie
On July 20th, Henan, China encountered a rare and extremely heavy rainfall, and the rainfall in some areas in a short period of time set a record.
Some calculations pointed out that Zhengzhou was equivalent to more than 100 West Lake attacks in one hour.
Not long after that, the sixth typhoon "Fireworks" made landfall in Putuo District, Zhoushan, Zhejiang at around 12:30 on the 25th. The intensity was typhoon-level, with a central pressure of 965 hPa, and a maximum wind speed of 38 m/s at the center.
On July 22, the Special Operations Brigade of the Mobile Detachment of the Henan Armed Police Corps reinforced the dam at the Xinmi Wuxing Reservoir in Zhengzhou.
Affected by heavy rainfall for several days, three collapses occurred on the back side of the dam of Wuxing Reservoir, and obvious cracks appeared. Serious consequences will occur if they are not properly handled in time.
Photo by Wang Jingxiao
In recent days, extreme weather has occurred in different parts of the world.
The huge damage caused by the disaster has prompted people to reflect on the fact that even if the utensils are complete and the technology is prosperous today, people seem to be cautious and humble in nature and getting along with each other.
The "breakthrough" high temperature hit the northwestern United States, southwestern Canada and other places, killing hundreds of people.
The states of Washington, Oregon, and California broke historical records on a large scale.
The temperature in Leiden, a small town in British Columbia, Canada, even reached 49.56 degrees Celsius, which was more than 10 degrees higher than the local average temperature.
Central and western Europe suffers from severe flooding caused by heavy rainfall, which has killed at least 200 people and lost more than a thousand people.
The World Meteorological Organization’s report "Extreme Summer: Floods, High Temperatures and Fires" pointed out that parts of Western Europe experienced two months of rainfall during the two days from July 14th to 15th.
Western Germany and Belgium were the most severely affected areas.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel stated that the damage caused by the floods was "surreal" and that "it can almost be said that there is no word in German that can describe this disaster."
On July 16, local time, Erftstadt-Blessem, Germany, aerial photography of the town after the flood.
In recent days, continuous heavy rains in many parts of Europe have caused floods, destroying a large number of houses and roads, and disrupting communications.
In fact, the situation in recent days is only a microcosm of extreme weather around the world. Looking through relevant reports, record-breakers are everywhere.
There is no doubt that there are specific causes for extreme weather in various places, but are there any common causes behind it?
In an interview with the media, the Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization Peter Talas said, “Climate change has undoubtedly increased the frequency and severity of extreme weather.” Karl-Fer, the research group leader of the Geographic Institute of the Humboldt University in Berlin Friedrich Schlausner bluntly stated that in 2021 there is no need to doubt whether "climate change will contribute to meteorological disasters."
The causes of climate change are numerous and complicated, and the analysis of each one is not without benefit. The main crux of the problem lies in the fact that humans are trying to impose their will on nature.
The foundation of this practice stems from the philosophy of dividing man and nature into subject and object.
This dichotomy puts nature in the pure object position that is observed, requested, used, and transformed by people, and ultimately leads to the opposition between man and nature.
This is why Engels reminded people, "Don't be overly intoxicated by our human victory over nature. For every such victory, nature retaliates against us."
A huge wave was set off on the morning of the 24th in the Jinshatan area of Shitang, Wenling, Zhejiang.
Photo by Xu Weijie
With the evolution of modernization and globalization, it is necessary to reflect on this philosophical view.
China's philosophy of "Heaven and Man as One" also provides intellectual resources for this.
"Heaven" and "human" are not opposites, but unity.
Lao Tzu said: "Man follows the earth, the earth follows the heaven, the heaven follows the path, and the Tao follows the natural." "Zhuangzi·Qiwu Lun" said: "The heaven and the earth live side by side with me, and everything is one with me.
Similar to Western philosophy, Chinese philosophy also emphasizes "knowing the sky."
However, after understanding and acquainting the "Heaven", Chinese philosophy does not emphasize the use and transformation, but still maintains a kind of caution and humility of "respecting the sky" and "fearing the sky".
"Zhou Yi·Qian Gua·Classical Chinese" said: "The'adults' are in harmony with the heaven and earth, with the sun and the moon, and in the order of the four seasons."
In this regard, Wang Bi, the philosopher of the Three Kingdoms period, summed it up as: "There is nothing wrong with nature."
If it is no longer confined to the dichotomy of the two opposites, the reason is transparent.
"Heaven and man are one" means that people consciously form a life community with the natural environment of heaven and earth, and they penetrate each other, like yin and yang fishes that embrace each other in harmony and coexistence, and thus live endlessly.
Artifacts and technology, ideas and concepts, mankind still has a long way to go in dealing with extreme weather.
(Finish)