Early economists did not include environmental issues as a part of their study. Now, people all over the world have realized that environment is not just the study of flora and fauna, but it has direct relation with economics and other branches of knowledge like Science, Economics, Philosophy, Ethics, Anthropology, etc. It is, therefore, imperative to understand various environmental factors, their influence in the economy, and their impacts upon the life of the people of the present and future.
Economics is no longer merely a science of production and distribution. It has to take into account the ecological repercussions of economic activities that could affect both production and distribution. Economics as a subject cannot exist in isolation. We have to take into consideration the impacts of the use of resources on the environment and human beings. Any study on the economic cannot be completed without touching upon the environmental aspects like pollution, damage, exhaustion, depletion etc.
Man’s life is interconnected with various other living and non-living things. But the problem is that man in his aspiration for better living has upset the ecological balance thereby endangering nature as well as himself. Quite often we find that there is a conflict between ‘Economy’ and ‘Ecology’. Disharmony arises as a result of the incompatibility of the basic ecological principle of stability as a precondition for the sustainability of ecological system and the economic principles of business profitability. To restore harmony and to reconcile the interests of human beings and nature, an ecological reorientation of the economic policy is required.
Materials and energy are drawn from the environment, which are used for production and consumption activities and returned to environment as wastes. Earth cannot respond properly to man-made or artificial wastes. Earth has reached the saturation point of this process resulting in major environmental issues in the world over.
The impact of the transformation of material inputs and energy into output is subject to several changes in the biosphere. Waste or damage to the environment is considered as the key theme of sustainable development. When environment is disturbed by the overuse and the huge amount of wastes, it cannot maintain stabile ecosystems. It further affects the life and existence of flora and fauna.
We treat environment as luxury good. By consuming natural resources excessively, we are not only becoming environmentally poor, but also making next generation poorer. Earth has limited resources. Non-renewable resources are very precious for humanity. We cannot weigh it in terms of rupee. Earth has carbon/hydrocarbon (such as oil etc.) reserve of about 1 trillion barrels with extended reserves up to 3 trillion barrels. The 28 billion barrels we use per year might last for 35-100 years only. If we continue consuming them at present level, almost all the natural non-renewable resources will exhaust within maximum 100 years. It means these are sufficient only for one more generation. Later on what? The renewable resources can be used as they can be renewed. We can plant trees and use their wood. However, there are two problems in their use: 1. Pollution 2. De-generation of earth. We are the trustees and not the owner of earth. Excess use of natural resources can’t be a criterion for human growth.
High technological developments is contributing in environmental pollution and thereby creating problem to whole of the humanity. To improve our quality of life, we invented many products to save our time and energy. We feel that saving our time and human energy will give us more pleasure, but it is not true. We feel that bodily rest will give us peace, but it is not reality. By pursuing such desires, we have complicated our life and now we are more disturbed than before. In this process, we have spoiled the nature-mother by consuming its resources like a greedy person. Now time has come to examine the negative effects of technological use on human lives and other living beings. However, still we have solar energy. We can use it.
Secondly, most of the economists focus on income growth. For enhancing our income, we use resources excessively. But income growth does not always contribute in the growth of humanity. It can contribute to human growth only if it promotes-.1.Equity (to satisfy the choice of max. people) 2. Sustainability (we should hand over the same earth to next generation as we took from our forefathers. Our growth should be sustainable.) 3. Productivity (investment in people (their health, education, well-being and an enabling environment for them to achieve their maximum potential).4. Empowerment (inclusive growth, in which people participates in the activities, events, processes of growth that shape their life.)
Even after growth in income, it has observed that there is unevenly distribution of income. Accumulation of wealth is dividing the society into have and have-nots. Black money is creating problem in every sphere of life. It is promoting exploitation. Technology has been used for War or other destructive purposes. Economic growth, therefore, can’t be a mere criterion of human growth. A society does not have to be rich to be just. A person does not have to be wealthy to respect the fundamental rights of other individuals. Quality of income growth is as important as its quantity.
We, human beings have installed about 500 nuclear reactors to generate electricity. What has happened in Japan? Despite all precautions, Japan is facing with serious problems. How much it is harmful, we have seen in Japan, recently. Some of the countries are now changing their nuclear policy. They are now shifting to solar energy despite heavy cost.
Dr Pramod Kumar
15-3-2011
Email: drpk1956@gmail.com
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