Notes of the ailing planet:green movement's revolution
Answers
The author begins by commenting on the great attention received by the
Green Movement that began some 25 years ago. The world’s first
nationwide Green party was founded in New Zealand in the year 1972 and
the movement has been a great success since then.
A change in the human perception
A revolutionary change has come in the perception of the human beings
bringing in a “holistic and ecological” view of the world. There has
been a shift from the understanding developed by Copernicus to the
people’s belief that the earth is a living organism whose needs must be
respected and preserved by us. According to the writer, our earth is
like a “patient in declining health”. Thus, we have to realise our
ethical responsibility of guarding the planet.
Sustainable Development
TheWorld Commission on Environment and Development propagated the
concept of “sustainable development” in 1987. Sustainable development
calls for a well-balanced development so as to meet the demands of the
present and not to deprive our future generations from the natural world
of resources.
Man and the other living-species
Man has been considered as the most dangerous being on the planet.
However, due to the efforts of a number of agencies all over the world,
man is learning to live in harmony with the other living species on the
planet. Man’s existence is shifting from the system of domination to
that of partnership.
The depletion of the principal biological systems
There are still many millions of living species that have not been
catalogued. The author mentions the ecological concern pointed out by
Mr. Lester R. Brown in his book “The Golden Economic Prospect”. Mr.
Brown points out four principal biological systems- fisheries, forests,
grasslands and croplands. These form the foundation of the global
economic system as they supply food and provide raw materials for
industries except minerals and petroleum-derived synthetics.
The demand of the human beings on these systems is increasing to such an
‘unsustainable’ extent that the productivity of these systems is being
hampered. The excessive demand result in deterioration and depletion of
resources leading to the breakdown of fisheries, disappearance of
forests, deterioration of croplands and turning of grasslands into
barren lands.
Deforestation
The forests are being destroyed in large proportions to obtain firewood
in poor countries. Depletion of tropical forests has lead to the
extinction of several species. In fact, the tropical forests or “the
powerhouse of evolution” are eroding at the rate of forty to fifty
million acres per year. Besides, the increasing use of dung for burning
deprives the soil of important natural fertilisers.
According to our Parliament’s Estimates Committee, a near “catastrophic
depletion” has been marked in the number of the forests of India over
the last four decades. Ironically, article 48A of the Indian
Constitution states that the state shall “protect and improve the
environment and safeguard the forests and wildlife of the country”.
However, India is losing its forests at the rate of 3.7 million acres a
year.
The condition of the environment is ‘critical’ as per a study conducted by the United Nations.
The problem of over-population
One of the major factors adding to the deforming future of the human
society is the fast-growing world population. The present world
population is estimated at 5.7 billion. With this ever-increasing
population, development seems a far-fetched dream.
As per the author, the best contraceptive to control the population is
development. Voluntary family planning with an element of coercion is
the only alternative. Rise in income, spread of education and improved
health would lead to fall in fertility. Population and poverty are
directly proportional to each other. Thus, control of the population
should be our top-most priority.
“Era of Responsibility”
The author now re-mentions the “holistic view” of the basis of our
existence. He points that it is an “Era of Responsibility” that calls
for “seeing the world as an integrated whole rather than a dissociated
collection of parts”. Industry plays an important role in this
responsibility. Excellence in environmental performance is required for
the manufacturers to continue their existence. Our earth belongs as much
to the future generation as much to us. We should soon realise our duty
towards our planet and should not treat it solely as our property.
The chapter concludes with the beautiful lines of Mr. Lester Brown, “We
have not inherited this earth from our forefathers; we have borrowed it
from our children.”