Earth on the Balance - Essay Example

?Our world faces a true planetary emergency. I know the phrase sounds shrill, and I know it's a challenge to the moral imagination. Al Gore Earth on the balance: forging a new common purpose (Al Gore) Al Gore, a prominent figure in the U.S. Democratic Party and the official candidate of that party for USA President elections in 2000, was born March 31, 1948 in Washington. Al Gore got a brilliant education, in Harvard University (where in 1969 he became a Master of Business Administration), Supreme religious school at the University of Vanderbilt in 1972 and the School of Law at the same university in 1976. In 1969-1971 he served in the U.S. Armed Forces. He took part in the hostilities in Vietnam. In the 70-ies Al Gore worked as a manager of the company Tangle-wood Note Builders Co. in the state of Tennessee, and was a columnist for The Tennessean. In 1977 he was elected to the House of Representatives of the 95th Congress convocation, and was re-elected in 1979, 1981 and 1983. In 1985 he was elected to the U.S. Senate from the state of Tennessee, and reelected in 1991. In 1991 he announced his candidacy for a U.S. presidential candidate of the Democratic Party. At the Democratic National Convention he became a candidate for vice president. In November 1992 he was elected vice president of the United States and re-elected to that position in 1996. Al Gore is married and has one son and three daughters. He lives in Washington, DC. The book “Earth on the Balance” (1992) was written at a time when Al Gore was the chairman of the Senate committee on ecology and environmental protection. In it in an accessible and vivid form the problems of maintaining global ecological balance in the current situation are considered. According to many critics, it is one of the most professional researches on environmental problems, ever issued from the pen of political activist. This certainly gives the book a special flavor and keen reader's interest, especially in the third part, where the author offers a number of specific practical measures to improve environmental law and keeping the natural balance in third world countries. The book consists of three parts. In the first part called “Balance at Risk” the specific examples of ecological imbalance in the different regions of the planet are viewed. In the second part “The Search for Balance” which, from my point of view, is the most conceptually rich, the author analyses the social, economic and ideological reasons that have made a destructive attitude to the environment possible, which was until recently characteristic of the industrialized world and which even today distinguishes the policy of most developing countries. The third part “Striking the Balance” is devoted to assessing the ways out of this situation. The book combines a deep analysis of economic and social causes of the current ecological crisis and the great factual material with, in my view, idealistic notions about the possibility of consolidating the efforts of developed countries in the fight against the impending danger. In particular, considerable attention is given to the propaganda of “a new Marshall Plan” as the author names it, i.e. the reallocation of national product of developed countries (amounting to 100 billion dollars per year) in favor of environment-oriented programs in third world countries. I can’t help noting that even much more modest financial measures approved by the World Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, have not been implemented up to now as well as the fact that the volume of U.S. aid to developing countries in this area was significantly reduced during Bill Clinton and George Bush’s presidency. Meanwhile, a book by A. Gore remains highly relevant as an example of a deep analysis of the origins of the ecological crisis and reflection of the concerns of political circles in the West. “Earth on the balance” over its four hundred pages undoubtedly gives us a lot of hard-to-dispute empirical facts about the Earth on which we live, about the environment. Using living examples, such as the more and more devastated the Aral Sea area, Gore gives his readers a range of opportunities to see the vivid consequences of environment destroying. To help people to understand and realize the results of environment degradation the author masterfully analyses his own experience, environmental research and factual data. Al Gore expresses his concern brightly giving specific examples and describing possible situations. Can you imagine living in a world which has no seasons? Can you imagine that a specific type of climate spreads worldwide? In his book the author touches upon such topics as depletion of the ozone layer and global warming causing green-house effect. According to Gore and many other scientists these factors play a major role in the loss of biodiversity. Additionally, in his research Gore analyses the worldwide used technique of slash-and-burn agriculture which has terrific damage on rainforests and other unique landscapes and habitats of the Earth. In the second portion of his book Al Gore tries to give his explanation on how the civilization has got into this terrible environmental crisis. Here he mentions the processes of erosion, lumber extraction and slash-and-burn agriculture as well as other “useful inventions” which have contributed to the destruction of our environment. According to Gore, we are what we use. Due to the rapidly growing volume of information, our power over nature has increased extraordinarily. Admiring themselves, people extolled the inventors, and later the industrialists. They believe that every problem can be solved by scientific method - it is only necessary to divide it into components, and then experiment with these bits of information, until you reach the right technological solution. When, however, the industrial age was replaced by the age of information, the produced information has become too excessive to use it. Humanity faced a crisis it has itself created: it is drowning in a sea of ??information. We have given the world so much statistics, formulas, images, documents and declarations that we are not able to learn them now. We have created a mountain of data that, however, gave rise not to a single thought. In the second half of the 20th century people made fun over nature in an unprecedented way, and then when the problem occurred, spontaneously began to look for new ways to manipulate it hoping to eliminate the damage already done (Gore, 2007, pp. 182-185). In this chapter Al Gore is extremely honest and convincing. Whereas millions of people all over the world wonder whether they should try to save the planet on which they won’t live too long, Gore tries to tell them about the small changes they can make to improve the state of the Earth. He says that our planet must be a cherished home for the future generations but not destroyed and ruined by the current one. Here Al Gore also tells his readers how numerous governmental policies and political agendas have influenced the environmental crisis and how politicians failed to find a proper common solution to save the nature. And this is where All Gore shows himself as honest author as he turns his critical eye on himself as well, describing his own actions and decisions he has made during his political career and of which he is ashamed today. It is obvious that this Gore’s book caused a lot of negative responses from many leading politicians driving the world towards the environmental crisis. Gore underlines that now it is time for such light-fingered leaders in Washington to stop avoiding vital issues and postponing decisions which may be difficult but necessary to save the planet from destruction. In the final chapter of his book Gore suggests the measures which should be taken as soon as possible as the time presses. A “Global Marshall Plan” he suggests should be an agreement developed by political leaders all over the world aimed to specify the most burning environmental issues and ecological problems. Gore suggests a plan focusing on five key strategic goals: 1. Stabilizing the world's population; 2. Changing the current global economic rules; 3. Renegotiating standing international agreements; 4. Researching and developing more environmentally-friendly technologies; 5. Emphasizing actions and programs aimed at creating a healthy global environment. And again Al Gore stresses on individual responsibility of every man supported and encouraged by the government. Trying to be politically moderate, Gore thinks that capitalism and democratic politics can cooperate to raise the level of environmental education and awareness, so that as many people as possible can make their own “small changes” contributing to achievement of a new epoch of clean, eco-friendly technologies and renewable energy. According to Gore, this could be a great shift which would encourage the economy to create new opportunities for companies to develop, build and service solar panels, fuel cells and water turbines. Perhaps some cynics may say that these Gore’s initiatives are aimed at increasing his popularity with masses. However, I think that Gore is one of those few politicians who are honest in their burning desire to make this world better and to save our green planet for our children and future generations. Al Gore seems to be sincere in his wish to unite all the countries of the world to take common measures to prevent the impeding disaster. Being a smart and experienced politician, he knows that such a global goal can be reached only by common, massive, long-term and worldwide effort. Since its publication in 1992 both the book and its author himself have undergone a very careful scrutiny. Unfortunately, despite all Gore and other numerous scientists’ efforts and convincing evidences, statistics says that today environmental issues take the last position in the list of priorities for many people all over the world. However, the book “Earth on the balance: forging a new common purpose” takes its place of honor among other eye-opening books and remains a landmark in the movement for Environmental Awareness. Finally Gore’s book achieved its goal – it managed to unite the leaders of many countries to realize the vital importance of taking immediate measures to avoid the catastrophe. This resulted in signing Kyoto protocol, an international instrument, adopted in Kyoto (Japan) in December 1997. Later “Earth on Balance” served as the premise for new Al Gore’s book “An Inconvenient Truth” then adopted into a documentary film. Conclusion Although some critics blamed the book for the lack of literary mastery we should remember that its main goal was to attract our attention to burning environmental problems. This book became a simple exposition of very complicated facts about the world around us. And there are no doubts that Al Gore has succeeded in achieving his main goal to convince all of us that we have to work together to overcome threatening problems. References Gore, A 2007. Earth on the balance: forging a new common purpose, Earthscan, UK Read More