Development is one of the most important factors of human life and one of the abilities which distinguish humans from animals. Over time, humans have realized their power to gain whatever they want from the environment. However, it has not taken too long for people to understand that this trend can end up with a disaster. Over consumption of limited natural resources can cause environmental degradation in an environment that humans are depends on it for living. This essay will look into the concept of economic growth and the effects of economic growth on the environment. Then, by analyzing the current situation, this essay will attempt to answer the question "how and how much can humans reduce environmental degradation?”
The concept of economic growth & development
Economists evaluate development as “economic growth” and measuring it by calculating the gross domestic product (GDP) to find and compare the level of economic activity in different countries usually in dollar. There are many ways to calculate the GDP. However, according to Redmond (2006) GDP is “the total value of goods and services produced in a country over a period of time” usually a year. In other words, GDP is consumption + investment + government spending + [exports – Imports] (Stanford, 2008). In case of world GDP, this formula shows us the human-being consumption value.
GDP measure the economic growth But it cannot measure “social changes” which is equally important and effective on development (Seitz, 2008). In some cases social changes that fallow economic growth can accelerate the environmental degradation. According to UN's Food and Agriculture Organization by 2050 meat production doubled. This is more than the rate of population growth. In other words,...
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...at education is one of the priorities for any changes. But it must be with aim to bring common belief about future (ibid.).
Finally if all of these tasks are done, maybe there is a possibility to postpone effect of environmental degradation for a few years. But to solve this issue completely the only solution remaining is using new technology and using it in right way (ibid.).
Conclusion
None of these solutions mean that government have to reduce the rate of economic growth. Some of the environmental degradation still can be prevented. Others (like extinction of species) are too late to be prevented. The main point is that economy can grow under cover of sustainable development if people come to the conclusion that they have to pay for that even by reducing the rate of population and economic growth. Otherwise, the nature will show it to humans in a hard way.
15. As a limit to economic growth, environmental problems are more difficult to solve than
Here one of the continuous arguments is that Earth’s support do not only consist the number of people in the earth, but also the features of economics, environment and culture. Cohen takes into perspective also the economic growth and takes critical position considering its inconsistency. He describes that global economic system does not take into notion depletion of unowned stocks, their environmental and social costs and ignorance of human need. Growth of population also has many environmental impacts. He argues that human activity is closely linked to environmental problems, and when population growth is fast, the environmental problems get worse. He brings up the issue of trade-offs, for example trade-offs among burying municipal wastes. In his opinion, environmental vulnerability increases as humans move into cities and consume more. Third negative feature of population growth according to Cohen is cultural implosion. Due to migration and technology the rural and urban regions have shrunk the world, bringing cultures into contact and into conflict. He thinks that this cultural cohesion has raised problems on employment, cultural conflicts, gender inequality and distressing income gaps. Cohen says that these problems put aside also issues concerning the negative effects of population growth to environment. It is interesting to read about the important factor of regulating population. He says that it is hard to find solutions to this, and also highlights that the time is short for correcting our
By altering what it means to have development in a country, there can be a way to continue growth, if only in a different sense. There needs to be growth of education and sustainability, rather than a growth of production and consumption. The idea of what it means to be a consumer needs to change as well. Instead of overconsumption being the goal, a moderate consumer should be the ideal: never buying too much, only what is needed with small luxuries at the most. With sustainable practices in place and different kinds of jobs taking the forefront limits to growth can be assuaged, but only if these practices become universal. While one farmer’s switch to drip irrigation is always appreciated, it will not drastically lower the world’s water waste. With all of these working together, the real threat of global warming could become reduced.
But to what extent is economic growth an adequate measure of development? Surely regularly eroding the basic of our well-being for tomorrow today isn’t development. Our failure as a society to live within our limits has led to a rapidly growing human population, excessive resource consumption and depletion and pollution on a local, regional and global scale. As population growth increases so does the need for food, shelter, water, clothes and other services and to meet these demands we rely on the Earth’s already depleting natural resources. Thus, the rapidly expanding population results in an increase in pollution and a decrease in the standard of living. A study carried out by a research group in Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the 1970’s found that the human population would exceed the Earth’s ability to provide resources and assimilate our waste within a century if exponential growth continued. This study brought to light the unsust...
Economic growth and social development are complementary and they have a close but complex relationship. With the economic growth, it is clear that there are many environmental concerns in today’s society. Air, water, and land pollution have worsened; the environment of wild animals and plants has been seriously damaged; many species are threatened with extinction, deforestation and over-exploitation of mineral resources.
Growth in human population and in material living standards leads to increased production. More production, given the technologies that are currently employed, result in a rapid depletion of many natural resources and to the production of numerous pollutants which are not only dangerous to the environment, but are also, employed on a scale which cannot be absorbed and diluted by the natural environment.
Though several people see large rapidly growing populations in developing regions as the primary culprit in environmental decline, we need to focus on the costly environmental outcomes of overconsumption among the gradually increasing populations of the developed nations. These differing emphases naturally point to fundamentally different solutions: slow population increase in less-developed nations or change destructive consumption and production patterns in the more-developed nations. This debate, however, assumes a one-step answer to the complex problems created by population pressures on the environment. Both population size and consumption ...
It is natural to be misled by the idea that economic growth is the key
Economic growth also play a role in reducing debt to GDP ratios. Therefore, money can be spent on protecting the environment. With higher real GDP a society can dedicate more resources to promoting recycling and the utilization of renewable resources investment. Economic growth encourages investment and therefore encourages a virtuous cycle of economic growth.
Have you ever thought of what would happened to the Earth if we don’t change our bad habits that has negative impact on the Earth? The issue that is been happening in our surrounding is environmental degradation. Environmental degradation began when Industrial Revolution was established, when people started using fossil fuels to run the machine, cars and transportation which now gives off pollution to the air and added more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and had negatives impact to environment that causing environmental degradation. The real definition of environmental degradation is the depletion of resource such as air, water, and soil. These resources are important components to keep us alive. Moreover,
Economic growth heavily relies on our natural resources therefore they play a pivotal role in our world today. However, economic theory suggests that being environmentally sustainable limits economic growth. Strong sustainability, which is what we should aim to achieve is outlined as; The existing stock of natural capital must be maintained and enhanced because the functions it performs cannot be duplicated by manufactured capital (Hart, 1998). In more recent years there has been in an increase in debates over sustainable development and how it is meant to be achieved. One factor hindering this is the poverty environmental trap is very common in developing countries. This trap is defined as the relationship between the poverty condition and the degradation of the environment (Finco, 2009). Some studies show that there is a connection between poverty and the environment as higher levels of poverty imply less environmental sustainability i.e. more natural resources being exploited. According to the
This research paper is about climate change with the concept of sustainable development, meaning that it will approach the climate change problem with an economical way and try to solve it with the new growth theory. New growth theory argues that innovations, population growth, new technology, and creative destruction are connected to each other and that these connections will solve the climate change problem. The exponential technology growth, improved international private rights and improved use of human capital are some of those key terms what the theory is all about. The most important thing towards the solution is human capital. Improved human capital will lead to a better efficiency of industry and therefore improve the environmental friendliness. Government plays as an important role even though the regulations of market are set in minimum. Government’s job is to create a good business atmosphere with attractive incentives. These incentives and good private property rights will help to achieve this business atmosphere and new innovations will come out. The biggest barrier for plan is the theory itself. An example of this is the neoliberal revolution in Argentina during 1989-1999 when Carlos Menem was the president of the country. His neoliberal and market liberal politics, which are one of the corner stones of new growth theory, achieved big victories in the start of 90s but when the economy started to slow down and the unemployment exploded the problems doubled up. To avoid this kind of market overheating, corporate leaders and politicians had to be liable for their decisions. If those people manage to be liable for markets, the markets will repair themselves and also the pr...
decrease in resource consumption and a ‘steady state economy' for expanding human development on the planet.
‘Development that meets the needs of the present with the ability for the future generation to meet their own needs.’ (World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987) Sustainable development requires three key components: economy, society and environment, sustainable development can be success through striking balance in those factors. These three components are indispensible, they compel to depend on each other. On the other words, we can only gain a decent and energetic environment and society if the economy is strong with a healthy a stable growth rate.
“Only when the last fish is gone, the last river poisoned, the last tree cut down...will mankind realize they cannot eat money” Greenpeace. Every person in this world are working hard and earning much money to make their future sustainable. Most of people dream of a happy family in a beautiful house, but we did not imagine about environment in those days. Industries and vehicles are releasing carbon dioxide, which damage our environment. While we are dreaming about our bright future, our earth has been raped by our activities since humans are exist. When people realize about environmental problem, they push their responsibility to solve and protect our planet to the large organizations. Instead of blaming governments and factories, people should join individual hands and make our future come true. Everybody nowadays is busy in his or her daily life, there is three ways to protect environment, which can matched up with our life style.