We can build ocean-spanning ships; aircraft that skim the border of space; and trains that travel faster than World War II warplanes, but nature, and her fury continue to evade our devious hands.
As pictures trickled in of the MV Explorer, slowly sinking into the icy waters around the Antarctic, the message was clear, nature is not going to give up her controlling-stake in our planet. Not without taking a few of us with her anyway.
In that sense, the passengers of the Explorer were lucky: all 90 of them survived. But the writing is on the wall, as cyclones buffet Bangladesh, hurricanes lash the man-made coasts of North America and earthquakes and volcanoes batter the cursed islands of Indonesia.
If we, however, delude ourselves into thinking that by building bigger, faster and stronger vessels for our ignorance, we will be able to tame — nay control — nature’s indignation at her rape...we are in for a surprise.
We will not only suffer the fate of Icarus, but the next ‘Explorer’ that impales itself on nature's icy limbs may be carrying far more than 90 people. And this time they may not be so lucky.