Environmental security - Essay Example

World Health Organization (WHO) in its report about world’s population projects it to be over 9 billion by 2075. That makes it imperative to start pondering what good or surprises it may bring? In the essay we shall focus on growing human population that consumes decreasing natural resources and causing a higher level of environmental pollution. The article “The Tragedy of the Commons” written by Garrett Hardin, underlines an issue that has gotten relatively less attention. Pollution due to over growth is causing ecological imbalance, endangering not only humans but also other living beings.

The absence of a demographic cycle, deteriorating environmental damage and scarcity of natural resources negates the classical theory i.e. “the greatest good for the greatest number.” In contrast to neo-classical theory which outlines that population growth is dependant on the resource availability. Instead of that, as Malthus said, it exponentially increased in comparatively less privileged people. The biggest challenge in the 21st century perhaps is the natural resource maximization. Fresh water reservoirs’ Contamination, drastic decrease in oil and other energy fuels, soil exhaustion, deforestation, air pollution, and global warming are few of the many problems that we face in the near future.

Despite the increasing demand of goods and services through sea, oceans are in continuous stressed and marine resources are overly used. The growing coastal population, garbage dumping and untreated sewage water putting the marine life in grave danger. Toxic materials and chemicals are found in oceans due to which many fish species are next to extinction. The rate of extinction is 1000 to 10000 times faster than the normal rate. Due to excessive use of land for cultivation, chemicals are used to get a quick crop several times in a year.

Samples of such chemicals also have been found in the oceans, disturbing the echo system. The agriculture sector is unable to meet the growing food demand. Currently, food prices are already all-time high. Major grain producers are experiencing depleting underground water levels. Due to air pollution, farmers are also confronting with unusual climatic conditions. In order to feed the growing population avoiding toxic based technology, it is needed to use alternatives to the fossil oil generating heat that in turn destabilize the equilibrium and causes global warming.

Global warming has raised the sea water levels. Recent tsunami devastations is an wakening call. There were around 130 glaciers in the USA at the start of 19th century. Today there are only 30 left. To avert the air pollution and subsidize the grain for fuel is perhaps not the right policy. We need to focus on finding better alternatives. The most dangerous pollution is due to technology enhancement. The availability of cheap electronic gadgets specially mobile phones, once used, obsolete and depose.

The imbalance of sustainable assets hidden under the earth crust, once used by human beings, become destabilized and permanently loose its natural atomic structure. The strong advocacy for human liberalization and freedom, discussed by Garrett, keeps the social scientists barring people from using potentially harmful technology. Instead of designing new laws that refrain or giving up people from the way of life acceptable for them, is impossible. Education is the best answer for the problem and a continuous effort to make people realize that individual benefits in working for the whole society is better than working for the self only.

Henceforth, social scientists will have to work for a society that believes in cumulative actions rather than the individual interests. The society has followed a trend in adopting a law against or for a matter. Generally, we make laws after a calamity occurs. We also know that annihilation from an action does not mean its that it will abate the cause. Therefore, it is needed that both laws and affirmative actions should be implemented at the same time. We would not call it a ‘socialist’ model, but governments need to adopt policies for limiting the number of children at different levels of the society.

There are examples of such modules and policies adopted by China and certain area of India. However, it is impossible to control population growth through strict administrative laws or executive orders. Exposing people to the future, its problems and possible solution is certainly the best policy to let people decide based upon their conscious. In conclusion, it should be realized that, unfortunately, there are not unlimited resources, land or water. It is understandable to share a same pie in two people rather between four.

Despite of the realization, there is over consumption of resources, unethical industrial practices, and non serious attitude towards the issue. It is always debatable whether to have more children, use more resources or cause less pollution. The question of who is using more resources developed or underdeveloped countries. To maximize the resource usage between the developed and underdeveloped countries, we need to regulate economy, introduce taxations to make people utilize fewer resources. It is the need of the time to design new social theories to produce an orchestrated society that believes on the mutual existence and benefits.. Work Cited Hardin , Garrett.

“The Tragedy of the Commons”. Science. 16 December, 1968. Web. http://www.garretthardinsociety.org/articles “Marine pollution due to growing of coastal population – Must be checked”. 6 June, 2008. np. nd. Web. http://environmentengineering.blogspot.com/2008/06/marine-pollution-due-to-growing-of.html Gupta, Dr. Birendra. “Pollution and Population” Twocircles.net. 19 February, 2009. Web http://twocircles.net/legal_circle/pollution_and_population_dr_birendra_gupta.html Brown, Lester.

“Food and Water Bubbles: World One Poor Harvest Away From Chaos”. Earth Policy Institute. 15 February, 2011. Web