Earth by Bill McKiben - Essay Example

In addition, we cannot separate current economies from carbon emission and hence the world will continuously become devastated. Global warming and melting of mountain capes ice are some of the indicators of the destructive effects of our carbon dioxide driven economies. Unlike the original earth, the eaarth has a production rate that greatly exceeds the earth holding capacity. The author is also concerned about the measurement of global economic growth rate and the preference that people have on positive economic growth.

Positive economic growth results when the total production in a country exceeds consumption or people’s requirements. However, this is not an absolute measure of economic growth or productivity in a country. This is because economists do not account for carbon dioxide production. Thus, the author argues that the current measures of economic progress should be replaced with measures that account for carbon emissions. Due to our lack of concern about the environment, the cost of living will increase constantly despite having positive economic growth.

The author argues that it is a contradiction for people to pay high prices for basic commodities such as food while their countries have strong economies. This phenomenon is basic difference between earth and eaarth. . In addition, countries have subsidies on petroleum products instead of subsidizing basic food products. High cost of living has resulted from the damages that we have caused on the environment. Unpredictable weather patterns have been a direct result of damages that modern economies have done on the environment.

Floods have been a common phenomenon in some countries such as Bangladesh. According to the author, the damages that people have done on the environment initiates a series of problems that leads to lack of basic human needs. For example high carbon emissions leads to global warming leading to low rainfall and poor harvest. On the other hand, global warming leads to floods, which cause destruction of infrastructure leading to high cost of living (McKibben 110). The author argues that people concentrate on the consequences of these problems instead of addressing their roots.

An immediate solution to the problem is the additional of more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere through economic stimulus packages offered by the government or subsidies on petroleum products. The author notes that people are gradually acknowledging the devastating effects that they have caused to the environment. This indicates that people have noticed the difference between earth and eaarth. However, people are not doing enough to restore the earth to its previous position. For instance, people have not stopped destructive behaviours such as deforestation and misuse of energy.

The author also notes that consequences of environmental destruction do not affect countries according to their role in production of pollutants. Thus, pollution from America would cause problems to a country that is many miles away such as Bangladesh. This indicates that the efforts towards environmental