China shows way forward, but planet needs united action

Death and destruction. The world has watched in horror the unprecedented floods that have killed more than 400 people since May 29 in Kerala, the southernmost state of India and left hundreds of thousands marooned and homeless.

For the record, the state suffered its worst-ever flooding in 100 years. It may perhaps take years to rebuild and bring the state back on an even keel.

While some armchair experts sitting in air-conditioned rooms were quick to pick on the local government for what they called a "mishandling" of the crisis, there were others who more philosophically pointed to global warming, climate change and sundry other natural phenomena surrounding us, and warned that it was time for each one of us to take note and take corrective steps.