More so, as our world’s nations grow evermore interconnected we not only feel pressure from our own societies, but from others too. This seems reasonable when discussing the environment, as it effects us all. Politicians are already underway in setting environmental targets together, in which all nations aim and work towards. This induces a greater amount of pressure put on each nation to contribute, which in turn will put more pressure on the economies and societies throughout the world to participate in the global ‘clean up’.
Lastly, as developing nations continue to develop, they can examine our history and avoid many obstacles we were faced with. These newly industrialized nations will not have to leave the same impact on the environment as we did. In twenty-five years to come as they continue to grow, they will have access to our most ‘environmentally friendly’ technologies, without having to experiment and wait to conclude the aftermath of it’s effect on the environment.
However, in concern with serving the immediate needs of our own species, politicians make decisions based on economic, social and political imperatives that have vast repercussions on the environment, and on us. Many decisions are made by examining the short-term benefits, while over-looking the long-term effects it may have on the environment and society. Throughout history to present, humanity has often ‘jumped the gun’. Countless times have we implemented new technologies into our world without studying the possible effects it would have on our environment for the future. Our lifestyles have already menacingly impacted the environment, and will continue to do so in the next twenty-five years.
As world population increases so will technological power, causing unaffordable ecological destruction to our Earth. Furthermore, more of our population will live in cities, which have the most enormous ecological impact. More people means more waste, emissions, resource-use and demand and over all more pollution. In twenty-five years the population is expected to have increased and become more industrialized as developing countries advance in their transitions. Not only will our environment have to support higher population numbers, it will also face much more pollution. The environment will be worse off in twenty-five years as a result of our growth.
More so, global warming may progress which could cause forest die-off, loss of agricultural land and a raise in sea levels. All these could occur even after CFC’s are totally eliminated, as ozone thinning will continue for years. It will be too long before CFC’s are totally eliminated, and too late for the environment. Future generations will doubtlessly have more polluted air and less ozone to live with.
Twenty-four billion tons of agricultural topsoil is swept away annually and every minute twenty to forty hectares of tropical rainforest is destroyed (Suzuki). There is an astounding loss of ecosystems every day, which we need to function so Earth can ‘balance’ and sustain our population.
As economy grows with the population, so will it’s negative impact on the environment. Most economies are focused and concerned with short term goals for success not the long term effects.
“ While technological innovation has created unprecedented levels of health,
consumer goods, physical comfort, and affluence for a privileged minority on the planet, life has not improved for most humankind. Indeed, global degradation through atmospheric change, toxic pollution, overpopulation, agricultural land loss, deforestation and species extinction now threatens all life and is often caused and exacerbated by our use of more science and technology. Yet we remain oblivious to the costs and negative consequences of new technologies (Suzuki, 88)”.
This is a colossal reaction to the way we live, one which we cannot afford. This trend of lifestyle will continue throughout the next twenty-five years, leaving our environment even more damaged then it already is.
In order to ensure quality life in the future, we must relax our demands and effect on the Earth. Humanity has already stretched the environment’s limits far enough in order to fill their needs and wants. As science, technology and population increase so must our awareness of the environment. The Earth must be healthy in order to provide us with the essential needs we require. In twenty-five years from now the environment’ s damage may be matched to today’s, however if we don’t begin to clean up now, the damage may be colossal.
