Damage to the Environment Is an Inevitable Consequence of Worldwide Improvements - Term Paper Example

Damage to the environment is an inevitable consequence of worldwide improvements in the standards of living Name: Tutor: Course: Date: Introduction This essay examines whether improvements in the standards of living globally have led to environmental damage. The world has witnessed rising temperatures, increased pollution, deforestation, and reduced rainfall. Over the past few years, there is heightened debate on the rapidly changing environment (Heede, 2014). In the recent past, human way of life has also changed and is now characterized by a wide range of improved facilities which affects the environment. The resulting environmental changes have been wide and diverse. The environment has in the recent past witnessed various damages as a result of human activities that emanate from communities (Wright, 2014). Natural resources such as oil, gasses, forests and water are utilized with an aim of improving the social activities of life. I agree that the damage to the environment is an inevitable consequence of global improvements in the standard of living. Improved standards of living lead to environmental damage Population explosion without a corresponding increase in incomes and employment opportunities lead to greater damage to the environment. Miller and Spoolman (2012) argue that most industrial magnates ignore the need to invest in social responsibility and waste management. For example, textile and footwear companies in Thailand have been accused of exploiting workers through poor salaries with little concern for their living conditions. Also, these firms release a lot of raw wastes to rivers and landfills (Waters, 2013). This implies that the standards of living and quest to improve the quality of human life remains an illusion in situations where there is a claim to industrial development. Many firms are profit-driven to an extent that their actions neither support average employees nor give attention to local communities and their environment (Wetherly & Otter, 2011). Communities suffer even more from actions of clothing and footwear industries have their river water unusable and their air polluted. This situation is aggravated by illegal dumping of solid wastes from such factories and households. When industries and families increase their levels of production and spending, it leads to a corresponding increase in effluence and wastes respectively. On the contrary, humans have insatiable desire to fulfill their needs and derive maximum benefits from their activities. These needs include quality food, better healthcare and good lifestyles are major contributors to economic development. In the quest to cloth the consumer population, clothing and footwear manufacturers engage factors of production such as land, labor, and capital to maximize profit. According to Dodds (2012) firms can employ thousands of workers who contribute to government taxes and financial support to their families. Moreover, these industries are the basis for industrial development and human development progress within a society and nation. Although environmentalists have always criticized industrial development, they fail to note the progress that the firms have adopted to curb air, land and water pollution (Beckerman, 1992). For example, clothing and footwear companies treat effluence and other wastes in lagoons before being released to the water bodies. Moreover, new machinery and processes are being adopted to reduce usage of water, energy and lighting in these industries (Kannan, 2013). This also applies to the noise pollution to employees and other residents near these industries. As companies pursue and increase their profit levels, they devote more of their earnings to environmental conservation by planting trees and research and development (R&D) into viable methods to treat solid and liquid wastes. Industrial growth and the environment can also co-exist, and be seen as the result of environmental balance (Miller & Spoolman, 2012). However, clothing and footwear industries agitate for faster industrial processes and methods at the expense of improved standards of living for their workers and local communities. Waters (2013) argues that environmental sustainability discourse cannot be ignored as firms take greater responsibility to use renewable sources of energy and create awareness amongst employees on the need to save water and energy. On the same note, rise in incomes and ability to purchase has not increased the levels of awareness and responsibility concerning dumping and recycling of wastes (Agius & Busuttil, 2013). For instance, huge chunks of land next to clothing and footwear factories have been rendered agriculturally unsuitable due to solid waste proliferation. Despite the claims by these firms to devise ways to treat industrial emissions, there is little progress to save water, land and air from pollution (Petts, 2009). This shows that firms are just interested in profits, and do not take social responsibility to environmental management and community concerns. Human negligence and ignorance, to a greater extent, contribute to this environmental damage. Moreover, a majority of the people across the world believe that the damage to the environment result from changing styles of living among people (Wetherly & Otter, 2011). Although others have a diverging opinion, rapid global improvements in the standards of living have led to uncontrolled human activities that falsely seek to improve their standards of living (Nath, 2009). Demand for coal and charcoal to heat homes during winter and cold seasons is on the rise. This is because people can afford to buy the commodities and use them in their homes. With increased demand for these items, it means that a lot of pressure is applied to the source. For example, increased demand for charcoal leads to an irregular destruction of forests and air pollution due to smoke from burning charcoal. This shows that as people increase their incomes, they desire better lifestyles that will, in turn, create pressure and destabilize the environment. Fortunately, there is a reprieve in technology that exploits recycling and use of alternatives to raw sources of energy. People are less ignorant and negligent on their human needs. Massive and fast developments are evident in the fields of science and technology by global societies (Dodds, 2012). Their aim is to improve their standards of living and become cautions on the negative effects human activities have on the environment. For example, use of briquettes made of recycled paper, peat and other combustible biomass materials are now being used instead of charcoal or coal. These improvements in the field of conservation can partially solve problems that include pollution of air and rising temperatures lead to environmental damage (Petts, 2009). Similarly, heating of homes has also adopted ‘green’ energy from renewable sources such as the wind and solar. People no longer have to rely on coal and charcoal in home heating as other alternatives are already in place (Wilde, 2002). This shows that increase in standards of living leads to increase innovation and adoption of techniques that safeguards the environment. Nonetheless, these human activities on the field of science and technology cannot be regulated to conserve the environment. The statement can only be true to the people who are conscious about the need to take good care of the environment since regulatory measures (Beckerman, 1992). For instance, burning charcoal and extraction of coal has served to increase the demand for homes and industries. It seems when the appetite to consume increases, the caution on how to exploit the resource is thrown on the wind. For example, coal and charcoal are cheap compared to electricity and gas for home heating and cooking which raises their demand. Emerging economies are exploiting these resources more despite their knowledge of renewable sources of energy (Heede, 2014). Societies also have not been making an effort to make everything green and cleaner in today’s world (Dodds, 2012). Furthermore, environmental activists are citing more destruction of environment due to the population explosion that is not concomitant environmental conservation initiatives (Agius & Busuttil, 2013). This is evident in the quest by a non-profit organization to contribute to greater to saving the environment from greed and recklessness. While some countries are paying greater attention to the environment, it shows that majority of people are concerned about their economic improvements and are not interested in hatching plans to widen their green energy in urban cities. Conclusion The essay found that continuous damage in the environment is large as a result of the improving standards of living. Technology, quality food, better healthcare and good lifestyles are seen as an aspect of people’s standards of living that have improved in the recent past. The desire for new clothing and footwear has seen wanton pollution of air, land and water sources that further create emissions and dumping in habitable areas. Although trappings of life are sweet, ignorance and illiteracy have led to the continued destruction of the environment. However, people, especially with a college education, are becoming aware of the need to conserve water sources, land and the air using renewable sources of energy for heating and cooking. Non-profit organizations are also coming out strongly to defend the environment. I agree that matters environment takes to the rear when people have strong quest to have better living conditions and lifestyles. This means that with continued rise in the standard of living, there is increased damage on the environment. References Agius, E. & Busuttil, S. (2013). Future generations and international law. Routledge. Beckerman, W. (1992). Economic Development and the Environment. World Bank Publications. Dodds, W.K. (2012). Humanity's Footprint: Momentum, Impact, and Our Global Environment. Columbia University Press. Heede, R. (2014). Tracing anthropogenic carbon dioxide and methane emissions to fossil fuel and cement producers, 1854–2010, in Climatic Change, Vol. 122, No. 1-2, p.229-24. Kannan, A. (2013, October 24). How is the damage to the environment an inevitable consequence of worldwide improvements in the standard of living? enotes. http://www.enotes.com/homework-help/how-damage-environment-an-inevitable-consequence-460993. Miller, G.T. & Spoolman, S. (2012). Living in the Environment. Cengage Learning. Nath, B. (2009). Environmental Regulations and Standard Setting. EOLSS Publications. Petts, J. (2009). Handbook of Environmental Impact Assessment: Volume 2: Impact and Limitations. John Wiley and Sons. Waters, B. (2013). Introduction to Environmental Management: For the NEBOSH Certificate in Environmental Management. Routledge. Wetherly, P. & Otter, D. (2011). The Business environment: Themes and Issues, Oxford University Press. Wilde, M. (2002). Civil Liability for Environmental Damage: A Comparative Analysis of Law and Policy in Europe and the United States. Kluwer Law International. Wright, C. (2014). What Does Direct Action on Climate Change Really Look Like? University of Sydney. 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