Environment and Economic Geography - Essay Example

Environment and Economic Geography College The environmental influence on the economic activities is remarkable in agriculture, pisciculture, animal husbandry and other allied sectors. The effects of global worming due to exploitative nature of the human beings have far reaching impacts like reduced crop yield, denudation of the low lying areas, changes in cropping pattern, reduced water use efficiency and altered pest and disease menace, etc. There should be sustainability in agriculture, energy sources, natural resources and population for steady economic achievements over years. Introduction: The most fascinating feature of the world's environmental scenario can be revealed from its burgeoning problems and fatal consequences. In the twenty first-century most of the national and international issues are governed by environmental challenges which require thorough understanding of the economics of environment. This century will be an era of many losses, remarkable changes and cosmologic differences, but it is conceivable that societies will successfully make the transition from goals of economic growth, as already experienced in the twentieth century, to the goals of maintaining and increasing suitable well being. The influence of the environment on economic geography was found neglected and remained untouched until Paul Krugman re-established the field by publishing his short monograph " Geography and Trade" in 1991. He showed how mathematical tools known from modern models of international trade theory can be used to explain the distribution of economic activity in geographical space. Environmental Influence: Aspects of environment on which we depend (most often soil, water and atmosphere) become damaged, polluted (poisoned) and depleted. Modern intensive agriculture changes the composition and ecology of soil and water systems, as well as affecting nitrogen and carbon cycle in the environment. The changing environmental phenomenon creates new vistas for developmental and constructive mechanisms on one side and restricts the human economic activity on another. Thereby the environmental carrying capacity is being influenced. The changes in the environmental parameters may be either beneficial or detrimental to the present and future ecological world and economic scenario, which can very well be categorized in two distinct forms. The planet earth which is unique for presence of life in our solar system is directly and indirectly getting influenced by the supremacy of the most evolutionary-creature called "Man" i.e. Homo sapiens and the equlibria that had existed since inception, are now getting imbalanced due to exploitative activities of human beings. Unrestricted use of fossil fuels, injudicious application of pesticides and chemical fertilizers, rampant deforestation, rapid industrialization, ever growing global population and radioactive warfare have many reasons for changing the wave length of this living earth from green to red in the visual spectrum. a) Carbon Dioxide Concentration and Global worming: The concentration of carbon dioxide is increasing at geometric progression primarily because of the dependency on the non-renewable form of bio-fuels as more than 80 percent of the global energy demand is met from this source and secondarily due to the exhalation of the animal kingdom. The effect of which is remarkable from the increase in the mean global temperature, which we designated as global worming. The increase in carbon dioxide concentration in one hand will definitely help in better photosynthesis resulting in increased assimilation but in other hand, increased concentration leads to acid rains, which restrict crop growth and severely affect the final yield. Instances of total extinction of established forests have also been observed due to acid rain. The emission of sulphur dioxide has also increased alarmingly in industrialized nations and particularly in North America and Europe. The result of which also leads to severe acid rains. Increase in global temperature melts polar ice cap which ultimately increases the total evaporation leading to increased precipitation. Because of this, more land area are subjected to seasonal or perennial submergence and which directly or indirectly compels the farmers and policy makers to plan for a revised cropping pattern like medium to low land paddy. Interestingly, the increase in area under paddy and marshy condition ultimately results in methane gas emission due to microbial decomposition which also add to the green house effect and ultimately to the global worming. Increase in atmospheric temperature has break through effect on the climate change. For example, in Thar desert of Rajasthan of Indian subcontinent, there is increase in total average annual precipitation and because of which the people are now successful in taking up dry land farming and silvi-pastoral system of cultivation. In the contrast, Cherapunjee of Assam on the same subcontinent which was receiving world's highest annual rainfall is now recording receipt of significantly lower average annual rainfall. Now there is an inward migration to Rajasthan where as there is outward migration from Assam. There is also change in economy due to change in cropping pattern in those regions. b) Stratospheric Ozone Depletion: Depletion of stratospheric ozone layer due to urbanization, industrialization and use of chlorofluorocarbon ultimately leads to thinner ozone concentration which creates holes in severe cases making the planet naked for the invasion of the deadly ultraviolet rays. Ultraviolet rays adversely affect the agricultural and forest economy. c) Use of Chemical Fertilizers and Pesticides: The chemical fertilizers and pesticides applied injudiciously to the agricultural crops and forest covers usually flow directly to the sea through rivers and canals. Many a times it also percolates deep in the soil thereby increases the nitrate concentration in the ground water which makes it unsuitable for human and animal consumption. The animal husbandry is indirectly influenced by such activities. Moreover, the excess chemicals moving through run off get accumulated in the sea water and because of this the pisciculture in the oceanic belt is adversely affected. Excess use of ground water and injudicious use of chemical fertilizers have resulted in sodic soil which is usually unsuitable for cultivation. In many developing countries people after continuous practice of such type of agriculture have now left their agricultural land barren and they are in search of new areas and new occupations. They migrate in search of other professions and agricultural land for cultivation. d) Catastrophic effect of Radioactivity: Use of radioactive materials in warfare and strategic experimentation also lead to catastrophic effects. The horrifying impact of which can very well be seen in the Chernobyl of the then USSR where the land after mishap have become completely unsuitable for any sort of agricultural activities. Even if some yields are achieved but the produce is not suitable for human consumption because of alarming level of residual radioactivity. In other hand, the environment is able to influence the spatial distribution of population. People prefer staying in areas away from pollution which ultimately leads to urbanization and further industrialization. Industrialization after reaching the culminating point further creates pollution and thus the people migrate in search of newer and safer places and the cycle continues. Growth Models: In the economic history of the twentieth century, environmental issues gradually became more prominent. During the great depression of the 1930s soil erosion drew attention, and in the 1950s and 1960s concerns about pesticide use and air pollution emerged. In the last decade of the twentieth century only the environmental degradation recognized as fundamental challenge to word economic geography. a) Exponential Growth Pattern: Keeping in view the present scenario, the expectations for the future have been extrapolated by the scientists and researchers. As per the estimate there will be steady rise in global population for two to three more decades due to imbalanced and uncontrolled population growth in most of the developing countries. After 2035, there will be steady fall in the world population. Similarly, the level of pollution which at present is at steady rise is likely to decline after 2040. After 2050there will be equilibrium in global depleting recourses. The increase in food production will also decrease after 2020 as our planet has already reached the level of demographic saturation at sometime in the last century. Exponential growth in population, industrial output, and food demand generate declines in resources and increasing pollution, which force a catastrophic reversal of growth by the mid-twenty-first century. b) Sustainable Growth Model: Whereas a sustainable world model denotes a steady state population, food production and industrial out put after 2040.There will also steady decline in the resources and pollution level after 2040 as postulated in this model. i) Sustainability in Population: The effort to balance economic and environmental goals is addressed in the theory of sustainable development which means economic development that provides for human needs without undermining global ecosystems and depleting essential resources. In Europe and Japan the population has stabilized. In Germany and Russia, there is reduced population growth. In United States the population increase continues to put pressure on both national and global ecosystems. Hence, population policy must be an essential element of sustainable development. ii) Sustainability in Agriculture: Modern food production is based on input-intensive agriculture which requires heavy fertilizer, pesticide application and mechanization. There should be a mixed approach of traditional and modern technologies for sustainability. iii) Sustainability in Energy: The renewable energy sources like solar and wind energy have the ability to reduce the fossil fuels required in developing nations. It is high time to reduce the consumption of the energy of developed nations by 30 percent without demeaning the social status. iv) Sustainability in Natural Resources. At last there should be combination of economic and ecological perspectives for harnessing the natural resources. References: Jonathan M. Harris. (2006). Environmental and Natural Resource Economics A Contemporary Approach: Chapter 1 and 2. Second Edition: Tufts University Press. Read More