People vs. The Environment

The environment debate has made little progress in a significant amount of time. The common attitude is that we have to put either the environment above people, or people above the environment. Such narrow minded thinking has never advanced society. People have to be allowed to benefit from industry, but we also have to respect the environment. Without either, survival isn't possible as we know it. So, perhaps it's time for a new theory that doesn't involve superiority, or one above the other. Something like Sustainable Development.

Sustainable Development is the concept of balancing out human needs with environmental protection. It's obvious that humans have to be allowed to grow and develop, but its also obvious that the rate and way in which we do so now is destructive. Many of the countries that need the most environmental help are not as financially well off as the countries who develop environmental safety net plans. We can't expect poor factories in poverty stricken countries to use cutting edge, expensive technology, when many western world factories who can afford it don't. A better plan for sustaining resources is needed. We have four main areas that need to be sustained; the natural environment, industry, agriculture, and the social needs of humanity.

Environmental Problems

Only 39% of the world is wilderness. A little over 1/3 of that is nothing but ice. This leaves all of the rainforests, deserts, and grasslands making up only 1/4 of the world, and it shrinks daily. The Amazon Rainforest alone is losing an area the size of Switzerland each year. A large percentage of our freshwater is located in the Amazon Rainforest. Many people, animals, and plants in that region depend on it. At the rate we're destroying the rainforest, the water cycle of that region is going to be severely damaged. Without plants to hold the soil in place, the heavy rains are going to destroy the land and make it infertile and useless to not only the animals that lived there, but people as well.

The ocean has become an easy solution to waste management, that is, when you aren't the one living in the water. All of what we dump into the oceans is then in turn taken into the animals that are forced to live there, mainly through food. This does have a way of coming back and hurting humanity, however it typically doesn't affect the person disposing of the waste. In many Asian countries that consume large amounts of ocean dwelling fish, this pollution is contaminating their food supply. Many problems such as these exist; we can't continue like this if we want a functional future.

Industrial Problems

Industry has become vital to the way that society functions. Not only do we need the products produced by industries, but humanity needs the jobs that it offers. The economy wouldn't be able to function without corporations or industries. It's important to allow industry to continuously develop to improve the prosperity of not only governments, but the people living under those governments. We can't protect the environment if the countries providing the protection have ceased to manufacture to do so; they would have no finances.

Agricultural Problems

Even more so than manufacturing industry, we truly could not survive without the products produced by agricultural industries. Food is a necessity, that won't change. Environmentalists estimate that the Earth could efficiently and safely sustain 3 billion people. Our population is at 6 billion, so you can see why so much environmental damage is occurring due to the land loss to accommodate the farms needed to sustain this many people. Even with all of the crops we produce, people still starve on a daily basis. The problem isn't that we need more farmland, it's that we need to redistribute what we have. 80% of all the crops grown in the United States are used to feed livestock. A smaller meat consumption would result in more food to trade with poorer countries.

In Costa Rica, the government pays farmers to protect the rainforest. They receive money for allowing certain fields to regrow and become parts of the rainforest again. This has had a positive impact on the environment, resulting in the land area of Costa Rica's rainforests to increase. However, how long can they afford these payments? Many people assume things like "Well they shouldn't have to pay them to not destroy the environment! How selfish!" In reality, they aren't all selfish. For many people, it comes down to allowing a tree to stand or feeding their children. Of course, given the opportunity to help the environment they would, but if they had to put their family in danger to do so they won't. Can you blame them?

Social Needs of Humanity

Cultural diversity is just as important to humanity as biodiversity to ecosystems. More and more countries are adapting to the "modern" world and by doing so they end up losing their cultures in the process and they shouldn't have to. They also shouldn't be told that they aren't allowed to develop like other countries. It's cruel to think that we can expect people to live in poverty. Their needs must be sustained as well.

Humans are by nature quite curious. This is what makes tourism so popular. Tourism has become a major industry in many underdeveloped countries due to this cultural diversity. Tourism is helping countries advance socially and economically, without losing historical values. Though many countries may be poor in industrial resources, they're plentiful in natural beauty.

At a national park in Kenya, tourists come from all over the world to view the majestic animals that live there. Outside of the parks, local communities have built and constructed lodges. Not large scale cities destroying massive amounts of land, but something efficient to accommodate tourists. Not only does it accommodate tourists, but it generates revenue. In addition, nature benefits as well. People tour the national parks to see lions. The people living in the surrounding areas now have a healthy respect for lions because they are needed for profit. This creates a balance between humans and nature, sustaining both.

Many people feel Sustainable Development isn't possible. That in reality, it is just a nice way to say no development. Typically, those people are also the ones who think the polar ice caps are melting just because it's fun and that all the critically endangered animals are just playing hide-and-seek. That isn't the case. We have no choice but to balance the needs of everyone. As long as we keep thinking with the People vs. The Environment attitude no one can win, and we'll have everything to lose.

All of the statistics in this article came from a documentary called Planet Earth; The Future.