Acharya Prashant explains that the root cause of climate change is the fundamental constitution of man, characterized by a deep inner unrest and a sense of dissatisfaction. This man, driven by a mode of thinking that avoids self-understanding and focuses entirely on the outer world, seeks to consume everything in an attempt to find happiness. He avoids looking at the ego or the self because it is either uninteresting or humiliating, preferring instead to philosophize about external matters like money, nations, and production. Consequently, he proceeds outwardly to explore, battle, and consume three categories: other human beings, man-made objects, and the natural world. This drive to consume manifests in three destructive ways that define the totality of climate change. First, man consuming man leads to unsustainable population growth. Second, the consumption of man-made objects results in massive energy demands and a heavy carbon footprint. Third, the consumption of the natural world leads to the loss of biodiversity and the extinction of species. Acharya Prashant asserts that climate change is not just a result of specific human activities but is a compulsion of the human ego. He describes man as having a metaphorical hole in his heart that he tries to fill by consuming the entire universe. Unless the mind changes its orientation from outward consumption to inward understanding, man will continue his path of destruction, even extending it to other planets once Earth is exhausted.
