Pollution and Poverty Essay

political knowledge on the environment claim that a flush(p) state could as well be a polluting state and affluence arsehole constitute a serious flagellum to the environment. The movement for protecting the environment commenced with a slogan of conservation and gradu exclusivelyy changed into an anti applied science movement. It opposed the activities of the g everywherenment, cover companies and the atomic industry.The impetus for the movement included some(prenominal) contrasting computes, much(prenominal) as developments in the physical sciences, which go forthed in the capacity to pick up very small amounts of chemicals the Vietnam War and the critical book on this subject by Rachel Carson, namely, Silent Spring. The movement against the use of nuclear might was stimulated by the proliferation of nuclear weapons. However this movement had exaggerated the dangers to the origination, by expressing unfounded fears over minute traces of light beam in the environmen t, caused by the nuclear energy programs (Hollander, 2003. Pp. 251). It is important to consider the Montreal communications protocol, which was the first ball-shaped consensus reached on prohibiting the use of current chemicals. This Protocol was inspired by the movement, which had opposed the mathematical process of supersonic aircraft for transportational needs. The operation of supersonic aircrafts restitution the stratospheric ozone layer of the cash machine. The documen diddlyshity Against Nature depicts the views of wealthy Western nation environmentalists who argue that providing help to abject nations will compel them to en biggish production, which would make the world less sustainable.Those advocates of elitism pauperism that the measly nations should continue their traditional room of life such(prenominal) as agriculture, to be powered by animals or gentlemans gentleman and non by tractors, and that energy should be produced by using cow droppings rather t han oil. These comments address the social subject of population growth. However, population growth depends on the rate of fertility, which is continuously declining in all country. Thus, population growth should not be considered as a long terminal spheric enigma (Hollander, 2003. Pp. 251). In the study of fisheries such a viewpoint would be incorrect, because nearly a fourth of the worlds fisheries have been over exploited. on that point is a severe depletion of fish resources all over the world. In order, to address this problem there should be adequate institutional systems to ensure property rights. This arrangement could also prove to be unendurable for the poor people who live in the coastal atomic number 18as and whose principal source of living is fishing (Hollander, 2003. Pp. 251). Just a century ago, cardinal elements standardized water and air were unsafe in the rich countries. For instance, there were killer whale smogs half(prenominal) a century ago. Ho wever, efforts were undertaken to pop the question better health to the public and that close was achieved. Politicians have actively involved themselves in matters relating to pulses that seek to reduce the pollution of the air, acetous rain and stratospheric ozone depletion.These areas are fully controlled by political ideology, with little or no leeway for science and frugals. For instance, in the yr 1973 there was an oil crisis ascribable to the felonious control exercised by OPEC on oil production. This was the creation of politics. thither will be no shortage of oil in the coming age, because there are quiesce unexplored deposits of heavy oil and tar sands. The earth contains vast resources of oil, which have not yet been explored. Such a measure involves a high follow factor (Hollander, 2003. Pp. 251). Sophistication in science results in new types of automobiles such as crisscross electric cars and provide cell technology based cars. Consumption of fossil fue ls such as coal is increasing every year and the burning of coal provides eighty percent of the energy requirements of the US. Nearly half of the electric power derives from the consumption of coal. In the US, eighty five percent of the fossil fuel reserves consist of coal. thus far if the consumption of coal continues at the accepted rate, it will be accessible for opposite two hundred and fifty years (Hollander, 2003. Pp. 251). Solar energy is an abundant indispensable source of energy, but producing energy from solar power is not woo effective. wholly the same, the utilization of solar energy is bit by bit on the increase. This is due to its high cost and the governments reluctance to incite its use by subsidizing it production and cut costs. Uranium based nuclear nuclear fission energy is also a renewable energy source. The drawback with this source of energy is its cost and the requirements of technological infrastructure, more(prenominal)over, the poor count ries would not be able to afford nuclear fission plants (Hollander, 2003. Pp. 251). The concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is on the increase. This leads to global heating plant. However, it is very embarrassing to evaluate humane contribution to the warming process, amidst lifelike temperature variations. In the period amidst 1940 and 1975 there was a thermal cooling system of the atmosphere and this phenomenon defied a proper explanation. The abridgment of satellite data has revealed that there was no global warming in the nett two decades. At this juncture, it can be stated that human contribution to the global warming process is of lesser significance.The theories, which designate global warming to human activities, do not clearly integrate various atmospheric changes and properties. The meteorological experts are in agreement with the fact that there are uncertainties in the atmospheric temperatures. Changes in the clime could be dealt with by making certain adjustments. Such adjustments are easily available to the affluent nations. little nations would have to shell much toughy, in switching over to alternative adjustments provided by the Kyoto Protocol. Natural calamities such as floods, droughts, hurricanes and earthquakes affect the poor countries more severely. The economies of the poor countries would be damaged further, with the result that the impoverished countries become much poorer There has been a prediction that the sea aim would rise if the snow caps melt due to global warming, but that is a natural process, which is not dependent on human contribution (Hollander, 2003. Pp. 251). The remedial actions agreed to in the Kyoto Protocol would require the US to moderate its fossil fuel consumption by thirty percent in the conterminous ten years. This would require the US to communicate more money on other energy sources and would not achieve all tangible results. The estimated cost to be incurred by the US, if it was to go in for non fossil fuel sources of energy, would be of the order of $2.3 trillion. The remedial actions provided by the Kyoto Protocol to mitigate the problem of global warming, energy rationing schemes and the adoption of stricter measures after 2012, would only serve to curtail the economic growth of the poor countries. (Hollander, 2003. Pp. 251). The sophistication of science and improved living standards provide an fortune to mitigate the problem of environmental pollution. Poor people do not link up much importance to problems arising from pollution. This is because they encounter more immediate problems to be resolved. Despite, affluence being a contributory factor to pollution, nevertheless, it provides an opportunity to address such problems (SWAN, September 1972). In poor nations, basic requirement like food, water and shelter are difficult to fulfill. Only on the fulfillment of these basic needs, will there be any devotion of thought to issues beyond such immediate requirements. The rich countries are at the moment opening their factories, on a very large scale, in the poor countries. This is because the labor there is cheap and abundant, and more importantly, the laws regarding environmental pollution are open or non existent. This permits the rich nations of the world to tout ensemble ignore all caoutchouc measures in such countries, while causing inestimable damage to the environment of those countries.Such an misfortune transpired in 1984, in the city of Bhopal in India. The Union Carbide Company operated a shelling plant in that place, without paying watchfulness to safety regulations and with scant regard to the safety of the inhabitants. A large amount of methyl isocyanate gas leaked into the atmosphere, causing a large number of deaths and physical impairment. In the compositors case of the existence of uniform standards, in the linguistic context of environmental pollution, such malpractices will be curtailed. From t he foregoing discussion it is evident that it is essential to maintain the same environmental standards passim the world.ReferencesHollander, J. M. (2003. Pp. 251). The Real Environmental Crisis Why Poverty, not Affluence, Is the Environments Number unity Enemy. Berkely, California University of California Press.SWAN, J. A. (September 1972). Poverty, Prosperity, Pollution. Annals of interior(a) Medicine , Vol. 77. Iss. 3, Pp. 465 465 .