Whyshouldweprotectourenvironment
Nowadaysyoumusthaveheardaboutthegrowingconcerntowardsglobal
environmentalproblems.Onemayaskwhythereissomuchconcernabout
theenvironment.Theanswerissimpleandclear;ourveryexistence
dependsonconservationoftheenvironment.Theunprecedentedeconomic
progressof19thand20thcenturieshaspushedtheenvironmentaland
ecologicalawarenessintothebackground.However,todaythewhole
world,particularlythedevelopingcountries,facesanear-crisis
situation–botheconomicandenvironmental.
Perceptionofenvironmentalconcernsdiffers.Broadly,therearethree
typesofresponses.Thefirstonesaysthatenvironmentalconcernisa
conspiracyofthedevelopedFirstWorldagainstprogressintheThird
Worldandthatenvironmentwillbecomeanissueofimportanceonlywhen
theunderdevelopedcountriesreachthelevelsofproductionand
consumptionoftheindustrializednations.
Thesecondarguesstronglythatallthisnonsenseaboutpreservingthe
tigerandaestheticbeautyofgreenbeltsisdivertingtheattention
fromtheproblemsofthepoorandthatenvironmenthasnothingtodo
withtryingtogiveabetterdealtothelargeandever-growing
populationresponsibleforenvironmentalcrisis,maintainingthatthere
istoolittleofeverythingexceptpeople.Thethreedifferentviews
illustratehowlittleweknowofecosystemandecobalance.Letus
examineeachoftheseargumentsbriefly.
Thefirstargumentisthatenvironmentalconcernsarethebusinessof
richcountries,whichcausemostofthepollution.Butenvironmentand
developmentarenotnecessarilyincompatible.Themistakemadeby
developedcountriescanbeavoidedifproperdevelopmentalstrategies
areworkedout.Further,thereisnodivisionsuchastheenvironmentof
developedcountriesandthatofdevelopingcountries.Degradationof
theenvironmentisgoingtoaffecteachofusirrespectiveofthe
country,regionorarea.