Economic Growth And Environmental Development

Economic Growth And Environment Development

Exploitation of Natural Resources

Discuss About The Economic Growth And Environment Development.

The actions of human beings and ruthless exploitation of natural resources have resulted in the degradation of environment. They have created a never ending maze of chain events like climatic changes and submerging of countries all together, each of which are fatal to life.

The individual identities like companies are exploiting and consuming the natural human resources management at such a fast rate that it is often said that man is ‘eating’ into his life systems by devastating ecosystems. The researchers are further saying that the rate of environmental degradation in the major biospheres like the Amazon Rainforests have crossed the ‘safe’ levels (theguardian.com 2018).

As per reports by the UN, this herculean scale of environmental degeneration by individual companies have brought about several environmental issues some of which are extremely severe (un.org 2018). The issues which this human induced environmental destruction has resulted in are, climate changes at an alarming, loss of biosphere, pollution beyond level of tolerance of human bodies and marked increase in natural calamities of massive scale.

It has become extremely important to take appropriate to reverse or at least minimize the impact of the environmental damage which is shooting at a fatal rate.

Inconsiderate exploitation of natural resources by water resources has devastated water resources and caused degradation of the water quality to a horrifying limit. For example, The ground water and the water resources around mining regions have alarming masses of dissolved iron, arsenic and other minerals (ncbi.nlm.nih.gov 2018).

However, one can contradict this fact by mention that exploitation of natural resources like mines and water bodies have become important for the mining companies to meet growing demand for minerals in the global economy.

It would be equally prudent to point out that other manufacturing companies should also be held responsible for exploitation of natural resources like water. For example, multinational beverage companies often exploit natural resources like water reserves around their factory. This activity of theirs have attracted resentment from the society which ultimately led government bodies take actions against them (hindustantimes.co 2018). The discussion can be summed up by pointing out that exploitation of water resources is having devastating effect on the environment.

Individual business organizations during their production operations release immense amount of poisonous gases which has polluted the atmosphere to an alarming level. Air pollution has led to the next devastating form of pollution, water pollution.

Air and Water Pollution

  Air pollution is held responsible for more than 7 million premature deaths around the world (cbsnews.com 2018). The industries while producing goods release horrifying levels of gases like nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide and sulfur dioxide. These poisonous gases dissolve in the air water and snow, thus making these sources of water acidic and corrosive in nature. This corrosive water results in severe damage to forests and standing crops.

This argument can be refuted by stating that industries are not the only sources of pollutants and acidic gases. The agricultural sector too releases immense amount of poisonous gases which ultimately contribute to the level of pollution caused by industrial gaseous effluents. This statement can be supported by fact that the agricultural sector is also responsible for releasing immense amount of green gases especially methane. The agricultural sector is in fact held responsible for large scale water pollution. The cattle meat processing units use immense quantities of water to wash meat and other animal products. This causes immense water pollution. The fertilizers and pesticides from the fields are washed down to rivers and streams which ultimately reach the ocean, thus devastating marine life. Thus, it can be summarized from the discussion that both agricultural and industrial sectors are responsible for causing large scale water pollution.

The irresponsible exploitation of natural resources like soil, air and water has resulted in climate changes which is in turn attracting frequent and devastating natural calamities. The world is living under continuous threats of sudden hostile climatic conditions which in turn has attracted chains of destructive reactions like rise in sea level, meting of glaciers and several important cities reeling under threat of submergence.

The industrial sector around the world exploits the natural resources to an alarming rate. They pollute the water resources and the atmosphere. They release immense amount if dust particles which float in the atmosphere, Thus providing the clouds bases to accumulate around them. This gives rise to sudden rain fall over cities and towns. The rain washes the accumulated dirt and pollutants into rivers and other water bodies, thus taking the pollution level to a far more alarming than could be imagined. The sudden rainfall causes flash floods and devastates resources. Flash floods drown crops and settlements washing crops and huge amount of soil into the river and finally into the ocean. Thus leads to further pollution of the water bodies. When the flash floods occur in the mining areas, they cause erosion of huge amount of soil and drowns the mines. The water reacts with the minerals, forming poisonous gases. The natural calamities are showing increasing trend and killing thousands of people every year, making mining one of the most accident prone industries (Al-Mulali, Saboori and Ozturk 2015). Thus, incidences like flash floods are impeding infrastructure development in several continents like South America. The minerals spread over hundreds of kilometers of soil, thus making large tracts practically unsuitable for settlements. The minerals seep into the soil and make it too poisonous to support life. Thus, air pollution and water pollution leads to soil pollution.

Climate Changes and Natural Calamities

One can contradict that companies manufacturing of goods are not alone responsible for the large scale pollution, but in fact irresponsible acts by individual consumers are equally responsible for environmental degradation. The consumers consume immense amount of products and dispose their containers made especially from plastic into oceans and rivers. This irresponsible disposal chokes the water ways and prevents the water from flowing. The chemicals in those products cause death of hundreds of aquatic creatures living in the water body, thus devastating the entire system. The degrading bodies of the aquatic animals result in release of harmful gases and chemicals. This results in further damage. It can also be pointed out that consumers use cars and other transport modes irresponsibly, thus causing immense amount of air pollution. The drivers keep the engines of their cars running even when they are stuck in traffic congestion. This release immense amount of polluting gas which in turn add to the pollution caused by gases individual companies’ release. Volcanoes release immense amount of dust particles, smoke and deadly gases. Thus, natural calamities too contribute towards increase of pollution and environmental degeneration. This is devastating the global economy by destroying natural resources worth billions of dollars (Panayotou 2016). Thus, individual customers are also responsible for intensifying soil and water pollution.

Conclusion:

It can be concluded from the discussion that both industries and consumers are responsible for the degeneration of the environment. The outcomes of the environmental degeneration are proving to be fatal to not only the ecosystem but also to the global economy. Today, drastic climatic changes, acid rain, flash floods, immense volume of poisonous gases in the air and poisonous water are causing deaths of billions of people every year. The industries are often attributed solely to this immense level of pollution and its devastating effects. management, one can point out that the individual consumers cannot avoid their responsibility towards preservation of environment and lowering of pollution. Finally it can be pointed out that environmental degeneration is actually a fatal labyrinth which is ultimately suffocating the global economy (one element the 4Es). It is the responsibility of all the members of the society to collaborate to minimize this pollution and environmental downfall.

References:

Al-Mulali, U., Saboori, B. and Ozturk, I., 2015. Investigating the environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis in Vietnam. Energy Policy, 76, pp.123-131.

Cbsnews.com. 2018. The most polluted cities in the world, ranked. [online] Available at: https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/the-most-polluted-cities-in-the-world-ranked/ [Accessed 14 Jun. 2018].

https://www.hindustantimes.com/. 2018. Coca-Cola, Pepsi emerge victorious in Tamil Nadu water war. [online] Available at: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/madras-high-court-dismisses-pils-against-water-supply-to-pepsi-and-coca-cola/story-tK4x9QIdnvrrovmHXnB7sL.html [Accessed 14 Jun. 2018].

Lelieveld, J., Evans, J.S., Fnais, M., Giannadaki, D. and Pozzer, A., 2015. The contribution of outdoor air pollution sources to premature mortality on a global scale. Nature, 525(7569), p.367.

Milman, O. 2018. Rate of environmental degradation puts life on Earth at risk, say scientists. [online] the Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/jan/15/rate-of-environmental-degradation-puts-life-on-earth-at-risk-say-scientists [Accessed 14 Jun. 2018].

Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. 2018. Groundwater assessment and environmental impact in the abandoned mine of Kettara (Morocco). – PubMed – NCBI. [online] Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28886535 [Accessed 14 Jun. 2018].

Obida, C.B., Whyatt, J.D., Blackburn, A.G. and Semple, K.T., 2017. Spatial Analysis along a Network: Human and Environmental Exposure to Pipeline Hydrocarbon Pollution in the Niger Delta.

Panayotou, T., 2016. Economic growth and the environment. The environment in psychology, pp.140-148.

United Nations Sustainable Development. 2018. Rate of Environmental Damage Increasing Across the Planet but There Is Still Time to Reverse Worst Impacts if Governments Act Now, UNEP Assessment Says. [online] Available at: https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/blog/2016/05/rate-of-environmental-damage-increasing-across-planet-but-still-time-to-reverse-worst-impacts/ [Accessed 14 Jun. 2018].

Vanos, J.K., Hebbern, C. and Cakmak, S., 2014. Risk assessment for cardiovascular and respiratory mortality due to air pollution and synoptic meteorology in 10 Canadian cities. Environmental Pollution, 185, pp.322-332.