3.

Concept/Issue: Environment and Economy

Question: Will economic development always be carried out at the expense of
the environment?
Answer: Since the 1980s, there has been a growing body of evidence to suggest
that industrialisation is having an effect on the climate of the planet. Till today,
industrialisation with its countless new machines and technologies continue to
exacerbate the exploitation of the environment. If this were to go on, economic
development would always eclipse protection of the environment. However the
picture is not as bleak as it seems. Increasingly today there is a growing
awareness and effort on the part of governments to develop sustainably. As long
as governments are moving away from traditional methods of development and
are developing sustainably, economic development would not always be carried
out at the expense of the environment.
Arguments

Alternative views

Developed countries are unwilling to

slow down economic growth for the
environment. Rich countries led by
Russia, Australia and the EU have
been accused of trying to cheat their
way out of reducing their greenhouse
gas emissions by creating "dishonest"
forestry accounting loopholes.

However, while economic

development has brought about
environmental degradation, it need
not always be at the detriment of the
environment. Many business
corporations have succeeded and yet
have committed to the environmental
cause.

Developed and in particular

developing countries are still
dependent on polluting energy
sources like fossil fuels for its
economic growth.
Although ecotourism is intended for
small groups, even a modest increase
in population, however temporary,
puts extra pressure on the local
environment and necessitates the
development of additional
infrastructure and amenities. The
construction of water treatment
plants, sanitation facilities, and lodges
come with the exploitation of nonrenewable energy sources and the
utilization of already limited local
resources. The conversion of natural
land to such tourist infrastructure is
implicated in deforestation and
habitat deterioration of butterflies in
Mexico and squirrel monkeys in Costa
Rica.

Eco-tourism channels resources away

from other projects that could
contribute more sustainable and
realistic solutions to pressing
environmental problems. Pacuare Eco
Lodge, located near Turrialba, in the
heart of Costa Rica's rainforest claims
that they have attempted to stick to
the highest standards of sustainable
construction. No trees were cut during
the building of the property and the
local Indian community was involved
during the construction. The staff has
also been drawn from the local
community. Electricity is not used and
all fuel requirements are fulfilled using
solar panels and a water-run
generator.

Some countries adopt a wrong

attitude, believing that the earth is
resilient it has always and will
always be able to cope with our
callous actions. Therefore, there is no
urgency and effort to change and
develop sustainably.

With the awareness that

environmental problems are global
problems, more countries and
international organizations like UNEP
would see the need help people in
developing countries to find
alternative work without having to rely
on traditional activities that endanger
the earth.

Preserving the environment is more important than economic

development. Do you agree?
Question Analysis
Topic: the environment
Issue: Whether conservation of the environment is more important than
economic progress
Key Words: Preserving the environment, more important than (comparison
required), economic development.
Context: Unspecified
Possible stands:
1
Students have to show how
the approach they support is
more beneficial than the
other.
Agree: Preserving the environment is more important

2 Disagree: Economic development is more important

3 Disagree: Both are equally important students have to show that mankind
cant do without either, and valuing any one over the other will bring equally
disadvantageous results
Point

Reason

Example

Preserving the environment is more important

Environment:
Disregarding
environmental
preservation
affects economic
growth

How much society can sustain

economic growth actually bears a
co-relation to environmental
preservation and prudence in the
use of resources. Environmental
degradation can result in high
costs to economic growth.

China - According to Chinas

deputy environmental minister,
due to air and water pollution,
China is losing 8-15% of GDP. 7080% of cancer cases are
environmentally-related loss of
productivity of the workforce.

Environment:
Levels of pollution

If the current levels of pollution are

left unchecked, the planet may not

According to Nick Brooks (Tyndall

Center for Climate Change

are high; resources

will be
irreplaceable if
depletion rates are
not lowered

be able to sustain life in a few

generations time. Economic
development and affluence would
be valueless then. The loss of
clean air and water and the
depletion of resources such as fuel
and food, together with drastic
climate changes will make survival
very difficult, if not impossible.

Research, East Anglia): "By the

end of this century it is likely that
greenhouse gases will have
doubled and the average global
temperature will have risen by at
least 2C... In the worst case
scenario it could completely alter
the climate in many regions of
the world. This could lead to
global food insecurity and the
widespread collapse of existing
social systems, causing mass
migration and conflict over
resources as some parts of the
world become much less
habitable.

Preservation of
historical sites:
Loss of culture and
history

If sites and buildings of historical

significance are sacrificed for the
sake of new developments, part of
the history and heritage of the
place will be lost, and such loss is
irreversible. The people will
gradually lose their sense of
history, identity and belonging as
their city looks more and more like
any other city which is bent on
development and modernizing.

Singapore: the nations first and

oldest condominium, Beverly Mai,
will be demolished as the land
which it stands on is worth much
more than the building itself.

Demolishing old
buildings may
eventually cost
society more than
embarking on a
new development

Preserving old buildings can create

more employment and increase
local household income more than
the building of new developments.
The employment created can be of
longer term benefits as related
industries such as heritage tourism
can flourish.

In Norway, historical
rehabilitation of old buildings
creates 16.5% more jobs new
construction; every direct job in
the cultural heritage sector
creates 26.7 indirect jobs,
compared to the auto industrys
ratio of 6.3:1.
In Virginia, USA: heritage tourists
spend 2.5 times more and stay
longer than other visitors.
(Info from European Cultural
Heritage Forum 2005)

Economic development is more important

Economic
development is
essential to ensure
the survival of the
millions living in
poverty in

The huge numbers of people living

below the poverty line is in itself a
social disaster and action should
be taken to enable them to get out
of poverty as soon as possible.
Solutions to poverty such as

According to the UN Human

Development Report 2005: In
the midst of an increasingly
prosperous global economy, 10.7
million children every year do not
live to see their fifth birthday,

developing
countries

education, fair trade and social

stability depends on economic
development.

and more than 1 billion people

survive in abject poverty on less
than $1 a day. These people
should be helped and allowing
them to have a share of the
worlds economic development
pie is the most evident way.

The cost of
compliance with
environmental
preservation
regulations is high
for developing
countries

It costs more for developing

countries, than it does for
developed countries to comply
with the regulations, placing them
at a competitive disadvantage.

Reluctance of developing
countries to ratify the Kyoto
Protocol and they perceive it as
unfair that obstacles are being
put in their way towards
economic development through
industrialization.

1. Extreme consumerism is the main cause of environmental

degradation. Do you agree?
Assumption(s):
Consumerism contributes to environmental degradation.
There are other contributors to environmental degradation.
Clarification of Terms:
Extreme: degree of extremity is important (not only consumerism, but
unnecessary consumerism to a very large extent)
Consumerism: consumption and buying of goods
Main: primary, contributes the most, cause of the most severe impact also
suggests that there are other factors that contribute to it (e.g. tourism, industrial,
agriculture, overfishing, oil spills, unforeseen human actions, DDT, GM foods,
genetic pollution, greenhouse gases, alternative fuels, dumping in poor countries
as a cheaper alternative
Environmental degradation: destruction and reduction in the quality of the
environment
Possible interpretations / Approaches
Yes, extreme consumerism is the main cause of environmental degradation.
No, extreme consumerism is not the main cause of environmental degradation.
Possible Points:
Yes, extreme consumerism is the main

No, extreme consumerism is not the main

cause of environmental degradation.

cause of environment degradation.

Any human activity will compromise the

environment. Extreme consumerism is an
intensification of human activity as people
consume more with higher standards of
living and greater economic development.
The worlds resources can keep up with
our needs but not such extreme and
excessive consumerism.

Instead of extreme consumerism, it is the

inability of the earths resources to keep
up with the basic needs of the growing
population of the world (such as intense
industrialization and economic activity)
that has contributed to the deterioration
of the environment.

Extreme consumerism leads to a throwaway culture, or a neglected cause for

thrift. Goods are discarded with changing
trends, there are higher demands for
consumer goods, and even increased
demands for limited resources.

Even if the consumption of people has

gone up, there is also a growing
awareness of the deteriorating state of
the environment, which has led to many
green movements such as reusing,
recycling and reducing. However, there
are other unforeseen human actions that
have led to environment degradation.
Examples of such unforeseen human
actions are genetic pollution, industrial
chemical leaks, oil spills, etc.
It can be said that excessive
consumerism (i.e. taking from the
environment more than it can offer) leads
to environmental degradation. However,
the impact of extreme consumerism is
insignificant compared to worse cases of
environmental degradation such as bad
disposal methods of chemicals and
wastes and persistent production of
poisonous products such as DDT and toxic
pesticides by corporations.
Extreme consumerism does not
necessarily lead to environmental
degradation such as the depletion of
natural resources. Many products are now
made by environmentally-friendly
methods (e.g. using recycled materials,
organic foodstuff).

INTRODUCTION
It is believed that both economic growth and environment cannot coexist
peacefully i.e. in order to improve either of the two quantities, one has to be
comprised upon. For example, if the environment has to be improved, then the
economic growth of a nation will have to be compromised on and similarly, if
economic growth of a nation has to be improved, then the environment will have
to be compromised on.
ECONOMIC GROWTH

ENVIRONMENT

It is actually possible to keep the

economy growing without damaging
the environment. Rather than
implementing short term measures
such as spending certain amounts of
money in short periods of time,
working towards sustainable
development and moving ahead with
a diligent approach can lead to a
better and economically prosperous
world.

People need to change their

ways and voluntarily
change their mindset in
order to utilize our natural
resources judicially as
simply establishing new
laws and guidelines wont
last long if the environment
has to be saved.

People need to start considering

the natural resources as their own
property so that they refrain from
carelessly wasting them and
consequently, end up harming the
environment. Following such
beliefs and ideals will definitely
bring about a drastic and
favorable change as only then
could people truly understand
and care about mother nature.

The earth provides us with

enough resources to survive
peacefully while managing a
thriving economy in the long
run but, the human greed for
possession and fulfilling
endless desires has led to this
upset in the balance between
the environment and
economic growth.

The ongoing energy crisis is a major

consequence of the upset in the
balance and the solution to restoring
this balance to some extent by solving
the energy crisis is to make use of
green technology and alternate sources
of energy which will alleviate most of
the strain on our current natural
resources. This way, the economy of the
nation will also not face any
considerable repercussions.

People are often hesitant to do

their part to help improve/save
the environment because they
are misled in believing that
saving the environment requires
a sizable investment whereas in
actuality, all thats required is
widespread awareness and
earnest effort from our side which
will greatly help in preserving our
fauna, flora, aqua and terra. For
example, even planting and
raising a sapling can contribute to
a large extent in the conservation

of the environment.

The official economic policies and laws cannot be amended overnight but,
it is quite possible to change and reform our opinions about our outlook
towards economic growth. One change that can be proposed is that those

economic policies should incorporate all aspects rather than just humanbased policies focusing solely on human welfare which will not be a great
asset in the future.

It is repeatedly said that humans are the most intellectual species on this
planet and are therefore placed above all other species in terms of
intellect. However, this intelligence can very well be a double-edged sword
as while it can be applied in the right areas humans can live in a thriving

economy along with and safe and clean environment, it can also cause
major unmanageable economic fluctuations leading to a decline in the
economic growth of a nation at the expense of invaluable natural
resources.

CONCLUSION
If we change our mindset and consider ourselves as a part of the very ecosystem
that we damage rather than masters of it, then we can expect a brighter future
ahead. Through this approach, one can be more concerned about the
environment and can be inspired to take the initiative and do his/her part to save
the environment. Only then can the balance between economic growth and the
environment in terms of utilizing and replenishing be maintained.

Some people believe that both economic growth and environment concerns
cannot coexist peacefully. In order to improve either of the two aspects, one has
to be compromised upon. Despite so, I believe that economic growth and the
environment can coexist as with economic growth, technology can be improved
and alternate sources of energy can be harness, thus reducing carbon emission
from burning of fossil fuel and I feel hopeful that environment concern and
economic growth will coexist as time progress.

First of all, the relationship between economic growth and environmental

concern. With economic growth, it would cause advancement in technology and
as such, clean energy can be developed into a more reliable and better source of
energy and hence, the environment would be enriched once more. Germany, a
developed country is the 4th largest in the world that has an EPI (Environmental
Performance Index) ranked 6th in the world, where it ranks how well countries
perform on high priority environmental issues in two broad policy areas:
protection of human health from environmental harm and protection of eco
systems. This is due to them using alternate source of energy such as wind
energy. This shows that even with economic growth, environmental issues would
not be overlook and can coexist with each other. Hence, I disagree that economic
growth and environmental concern cannot coexist.

Next, job opportunities. Job opportunities have been created due to

environmental issues and it is a new industry. This can be in the form of wildlife
ranger or even health, safety, security and environmental officer. As such, there
would be higher employment, which would lead to a more productive workforce
and resources are more fully utilized due to lower unemployment, this would
then lead to economic growth. As such, it can be seen that environmental
concern and economic growth can actually work hand in hand, complementing
each other. Thus I disagree that economic growth and environmental concern
cannot coexist.

However, it is a point to note that if alternative source of energy is not properly

managed, it would lead to detrimental effect to the environment, which is far
from its initial intended purpose, helping the environment. The Japan nuclear
meltdown in 2011 has showed us the extent of the effects, where mutation and
cancer have affected the citizens near it. Not only that, plants and fishes were
also affected. Not only that, large economies are unwilling to slow economic
growth, and some even were accused of trying to cheat their way out of reducing
their greenhouse gas emissions by creating dishonest forestry accounting
loopholes. China for example has attained high level of economic growth. In spite
of this, air pollution in China is 20 times the safe limit. This lead to health
problems such as lung cancer and even high rate of infant mortality. Skin
diseases will also be caused by acid rain. This shows that environmental concern
and economic growth cannot coexist.

To conclude, I would still be firm with my stand that environmental concern as

well as economic growth can coexist. However this would not be possible as of
now, since countries are unwilling to slow growth and is reaping growth at the
expense of the environment. Despite so, with economic growth, it can bring
about technological advancement, which can help the environment with
alternative source of energy. Not only that, the environment brought about
industries, which can help growth Hence I believe that if the government are
willing to help, with good and effective policies, economic growth and
environmental concern can coexist in the near future

Materialistic

Published earlier this year, the study by Singapore Management University (SMU)
psychology professor Norman Li surveyed about 400 psychology students aged

between 19 and 21 The local females polled an average of 3.98, compared to the
American women's score of 3.74. The closer the score is to five, the more
materialistic one is deemed to be.

For example, credit card advertisements are notorious for normalising a

materialistic superficial lifestyle because they feature their target segment
young working adults living it up with exotic travel, high fashion and fine dining
all with just a wave of their card.

FLASHY cars, designer clothes and expensive bling.

Singapore is a consumer driven society where shopping is jokingly referred to as

a national pastime.

Everywhere we turn, we are assailed by a barrage of advertisements and

shopping malls, encouraging us to spend money on items we may or may not
need.