Problems of German Society - Essay Example

Environment, Crime, and Disease in Germany Academia-Research April 23, 2008. Environment, Crime, and Disease in Germany The fall of Berlin Wall, in November 1989, which led to the re-unification of East and West Germany had its own ramifications. A unified Germany, with people from two different backgrounds and political orientations posed a great challenge to the development of the nation as a whole. Internally, the German nation became an amalgamation of varied cultures, and lifestyles. In the external arena, Germany was caught up with other nations in the process of globalization. Though globalization set the pace for the already rolling German economy, the nation faced many hurdles in developing a strong economy. The rapid changes that were taking place both internally and outside Germany costed Germany dearly. Criminal activities in the German society increased by leaps and bounds. Health care was greatly neglected by the government as it got involved in other political and international issues outside Germany. Many deadly diseases like AIDS and Cancer started taking a heavy toll of German lives. The nation also had to face difficulties in protecting its environment. Rapid industrialization in Germany led to serious environmental hazards like Acid rain and air pollution. There were neither proper infrastructures nor procedures to dump the piling industrial waste. All these factors started making a deep impact on the German economy. The mismatch between the two Germanys - with a little less developed ex-communist East Germany and a relatively prosperous West Germany - led to a lot of mayhem in the united German economic scene. In a speech at the Friedrich Naumann Foundation Alumni Group meeting, Makati City, Mr. Jepsen-Föge commented that, “In terms of economic growth, Germany has been the tail-light for the past three to four years. In 2003, we even had a recession.” (2004) Environment in Germany According to a report by UNESCO in 1985, Germany recorded the worst ground, water and air pollution in Europe, due to emissions from agriculture, industry, and forestry operations. Water pollution, in particular posed a greater threat to the environment as the rivers like Rhine, from which around 10 million Dutch and Germans get their drinking water, are getting heavily polluted by raw sewage and industrial wastes coming from East Germany. In a single year (1986-1987) alone, approximately 10 tons of benzene compound, 900 lb of pesticides, 30 tons of mercury and 540 tons of nitrogen fertilizers were discharged into the rivers. Though 107 cu km of renewable water resources are available, Germany utilizes more than 86% solely for industrial purposes. Water pollution due to industrial pollutants is clearly evident in virtually all major rivers of the country (Encyclopedia of the Nations, 2007). Air pollution is another area of concern to German environmentalists today. Emissions coming from vehicles and coal-burning utility plants are heavily polluting the environment. In the year 1996, carbon dioxide alone recorded a total of 861 million metric tons of industrial emissions. To tackle this problem Petrol Lead Concentration Act (1976) passed by the government, limited gasoline’s lead content in all auto motors. The German government got involved in developing technically advanced motor vehicles with improved engine designs. In addition, the government also adopted stringent laws to control other automotive pollutants (Encyclopedia of the Nations, 2007). Dumping of industrial waste in environmentally safe ways is another issue with German environmentalists. Encyclopedia of the Nations (2007) states that Germany releases around 21.5 million tons of solid industrial waste and approximately 15,659 tons of hazardous waste materials every year. Moreover, acid rains coming from the heavy industries cause significant damage to the lush green forests of Germany. In spite of the fact that waste disposal law (1972) established 5,000 regulated sites and closed down about 50,000 unauthorized dump sites in the country, the land is still facing grave environmental hazards (Encyclopedia of the Nations, 2007). Crime in Germany According to official statistics, 6.39 million criminal cases were reported in the year 2005 alone. The increasing tide of criminal activities in the country is causing serious concerns to the government. Though capital crimes such as murder and manslaughter showed a decline in the recent past, credit card and Internet-related fraud escalated significantly. Cases of physical assault and severe bodily harm also rose by about 5 percent (Schäuble, 16 May, 2006). In the recent years, the country also saw a significant rise in politically motivated crimes and organized crime, in particular. There was a significant and conspicuous shift from loosely structured domestic criminal groups to alleged Chinese, Italian, Eastern European and Yugoslavian Mafia networks (Lampe, 1995) in the country. Other criminal activities in Germany including corruption, trafficking in illegal arms and narcotics, illegal casino gambling, prostitution, street crime, extortion, property crimes, human trafficking and smuggling changed the healthy social complexion of German society. Disease in Germany Though modern medicine eradicated some of the gruesome diseases including diphtheria, tuberculosis, and pneumonia, the country is still suffering from various other deadly diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), which account for more than half of all reported deaths in the country. Though marked improvements were evident in maternal and infant mortality rates, “Maternal deaths fell from 140 per 100,000 live births in the mid-1950s to fewer than ten per 100,000 by 1989 in the former West Germany. A similar improvement was measured in the former East Germany” (Library of Congress Country Studies, 1995), disease management programs still fell short of curbing vital diseases. Diseases such as cholera, tick borne encephalitis, travelers’ diarrhea, Escherichia coli diarrhea, toxoplasmosis, typhoid, hepatitis A/B, plague, Lyme disease, parasitic diseases and insect born diseases are causing major health concerns to Germany. In the present health scenario, the nation is gradually shifting its focus from curative medicine to much neglected preventive and health promotion. Implications for continued globalization All the above mentioned issues of crime, disease and environment are showing a marked impact on the growth of the country. In spite of strong economic potential, the country is not able to grow to its maximum potential as the country is not able to discover efficient and workable ways of handling environment, disease and crime issues. Once that fete is achieved, Germany would be better equipped to cope with globalization and would occupy an envious position in the global economic scene. References Encyclopedia of the Nations (2007). Encyclopedia of the Nations : Europe : Germany. Retrieved April 23, 2008, from http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Europe/Germany-ENVIRONMENT.html Jepsen-Föge Dieter. Mr. (29 January 2004). Liberal Library Archive: Reforming a Welfare State: How Germany is Coping with Globalisation. Retrieved April 23, 2008, from http://www.fnf.org.ph/liberallibrary/reforming-welfare-estate.htm Lampe Klaus von (1995). Organized Crime in Germany: Understanding Organized Crime in Germany. Retrieved April 23, 2008, from http://www.organized-crime.de/IALEtnr1.htm Library of Congress Country Studies (1995, para. 3). Germany: Current Health Care Issues and Outlook for the Future. Retrieved April 23, 2008, from http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?frd/cstdy:@field(DOCID+de0083) Schäuble (2006, May 16). DW-WORLD Article: Crime fighting in Germany very efficient, says minister. Retrieved April 23, 2008, from DW-WORLD: Minister, Unions Disagree on Germanys Crime Level Read More