Population and Industrial Growth: Human Surroundings - Essay Example

?Topic: The Debates over Environment, Population and Industrial Growth Affiliation: The debates over environment, population and industrial growth are highly and unavoidably political and cultural. The human surroundings are factor inputs to economic growth and development which cannot be achieved without human resource. Debates centred towards environmental protection seek to better human lives in future, each geared toward elimination of environment-related issues such as global warming, overgrazing, overpopulation, urbanization and even pollution (Pontin & Roderick, 2008, p.147). It is the environment that form proper catchment areas for water and provide means through which production is possible. Economic growth on the other side relates to a quantitative change in human lives in relation to population growth rate, education, poverty eradication, social systems and sanitation. Debates have been developed in the past which have centred in eradication of poverty, reduction of human population and others geared towards economic growth in the past especially in the less developed states of the world. However, the change and effects out of the discussions therein is yet to be seen and even so to be acknowledged. Industrial growth is an economic issue in most states affected by high rates of population growth, deficits in the balance of payments, poverty, education, research and development among other issues. Politics in any state and the cultural intake significantly impact on the ways issues in growth and development are carried out as debates on these issues rotate around them. It is the cultural content and belief that determines the need to conserve the environment, control population or even to contribute to the economic growth. The political contributions of the state also determine the extent of measures taken to eliminate stagnation and promote industrial growth. The paper seeks to show how debates on environment, industrial growth and population are politically and culturally driven. Environmental debate Politics have been used in most cases to drive desired change in certain cases. Environment preservation and the issue of global warming has been a serious problem globally and most states have come together to set parameters of control. Leaders in many countries have had debates and set standards towards such effects, which have not been realized or little effort has been done to mitigate such issues. Issues of urbanization, overgrazing, population growth and settlement in water catchment areas are related to the environment as well as pollution which still remains to be a key area. Proper control measures of pollution of the surroundings and policies set in most states are yet to be well implanted. All this is affected by the political stand and the cultural diversity which are centred in the region affected by such problems. Politicians have gained opportunities both positively and negatively to mitigate such problems and provide a way forward some for their own selfish gains. Debates held in the past years concerning environment have been captured and brought forward by contestants for considerations by the public. Such issues in relation to the environment have been used by political leaders to gain power and stand against opponents with little change been done. Some have held false promises with regard to environmental protection with several related to the road network preparation and construction, water and sanitation improvement, waste disposal, human settlement only to go back upon their words the moment their dreams are achieved. Measures and policies put and implemented on pollution of the environment are easily waiver by key political leaders and some laws made favour vital sectors believed to be led by key elements in governments. Funds for environs control even through donations have been misappropriated through campaigns especially in the lees developed states. Politics is thus a key issue on which debates held should be implemented; however, this remains to be an unrealized dream (Thompson, 2009, p.403-419). On the contrary, political meetings conveyed to address the key issue on environmental conservation to some extent have had proper bearing, and some of the issues have been realized in some regions. Campaigns on control of natural surroundings have been set up in certain regions especially to address forest protection, preservation of water catchment areas and prevention of soil erosion so as to promote sustainable agriculture. This is based on a wide cultural area such as areas that mainly deal with agricultural produce on a wide base. However, the debates held culturally promote people who are represented as opposed to those whose leaders are not prominent. Areas with prominent and able leaders are much better of even with regard to fund allocation as opposed to those whose cultures are not well represented in the government. Dry regions in most states are less developed based on transport and other facilities, as opposed to their productive counterparts. All this is being politically and cultural biased and centred. A debate held in China over the issues of the environment and how to enhance protection suggested that the developing countries had a role to play in the issue and that their rich nations were way up ahead. Various limitations were observed in relation to the environment and key reasons for the lag were assessed where the key people presented were crucial political representatives of various nations. Industrial growth debate Most debates are centred on aspects of growth with the focus basically on the developing nations of the world. Generally forums that hint at the necessity of improving economic growth are mainly ignored by those who have a sizeable stake in the status quo. This comes in areas where limited growth challenges most institutions in commerce and also at the political level where the states are faced with dwindling tax revenue for public allocation. The essence that most of the nations have for a couple of years experienced zero economic growth has been subject of debate in the past with significant elements laid down to address key issues in production, distribution and consumption in many sectors. The debates majored on international trade, industry, agriculture, education and research and innovation as key factors that contribute to development in any state. It is essentially possible to have development without growth within a society in that some branches collapse while other sprout within the framework that is provided. When it is primarily the question of growth, little serious action has been done to address and reach a sustainable form of development except in terms of technical adjustments (Humphreys, 2009, p.207-213). On the other areas such as production and consumption, political action has been in the opposite direction and in most cases has offset any benefits or progress. The general result is that the pressure on the environs is much worse, and there is no considerable effort is being done to change the trend. The work of promoting development is primarily the role of communities and the government through providing necessary funds. The communities ensure that through production, consumption is enabled and continuous. The debates held in past address the cultural components of vital production communities and resources allocated tend to favour such regions whose produce is high or whose people are high and mighty in governments. Facilities and instruments for research and development of innovations are allocated to re-known companies whose ownership can be traced to influential people in the government politically, and even education is mainly promoted in the productive regions as opposed to the unproductive regions (Humphreys, 2009, p.216-218). Industrial growth is accomplished through the allocation and utilization of available resources in the most economical way possible, and in most cases the funds allocated land in the pockets of the filthy rich and the rest are misappropriated by their counterparts and subordinates which has contributed largely to the slow economic growth process in third world states. On the cultural ground, some tribes contribute less to industrial growth due to high rates of poverty, lack of education and lack of facilities. Leaders from such cultures in attendance fail to promote the understanding of their subjects on the need to promote growth thus leading to backwardness. Population debate This is an issue that has had controversies for a long period of time and efforts to address it continue to diminish. The debates held centre on the fact that nations should focus on reducing the high rates of population growth. However, the issue has remained stagnant for a while due to political and cultural influence. The family as an institution relates to individual interest and one can choose to bear as many children as possible as long as there is the capability. Some societies even are backed by traditional practices and beliefs on the need for children with some considering them as wealth. The aspect of population control goes back to the society which may be limited by the norms, practices and beliefs. Certain measures to control populations have been delivered in the communities whose multiplication rate is viewed to be high without availing to other communities. Debates centred on population control address certain communities, tribes and races and support provided are geared towards the said proportions thus enriching the majority few which is undoubtedly those with considerable influence. Political leaders claim to take part in issues relating to education of the public on proper family planning methods and make promises that they never act upon thus leaving the issues unattended. Besides this, forums geared toward reduction of poverty among the general population are mainly politically and culturally influenced, and mainly of no gain to the overall common man (Thompson, 2009, p.421-442). They in most cases are geared towards popularity, fame and campaigns of leaders as bridges to their much desired wants without consideration of the needs of the public and the economy as a whole. References Humphreys, D, (2009), From corporate social responsibility to the democratic regulation of transnational corporations. International Journal of Environmental, Cultural, Social and Economic Sustainability, 5(4), pp.207–218. Pontin, J., & Roderick, I, (2008), Converging World: Connecting Communities in Global Change. Schumacher Briefing No. 13, London: Green Books. Thompson, G, (2009), ‘Greening Business’, in William Brown, Claudia Aradau and Jessica Budds (eds.) Environmental issues and responses, Milton Keynes: The Open University, pp.403-444. Read More