“Will the environment lose out to the economy?” By: Brian Walsh

Alvin Cesar Reyes Jr.

ECON111 T/Th 2:35-4:05 PM

“Will the environment lose out to the economy?”

By: Brian Walsh

This article mainly tackled the issue whether which priority should we first select, our economy or our environment. I chose this particular article because I firmly believe that it is a question that concerns each and everyone of us. As we all know, both these things hold great significance in our lives; as specie, a society, a nation even as individuals. Economy determines our livelihood as humans, this is what determines what our wants is and needs to live. It is one of the very backbones of modern human society, without economy our lives won’t be as convenient and progressive as it is right now. But our desire to live as convenient as we can also spawns consequences to other things. We’re already aware that everything has a cost, from the very food we eat to the shelter we comfortably resides in. Every time we desire to make something for ourselves we consume resources. We cut down trees in order to build homes, butcher live stocks in order to relieve our hunger. As technology progress and as our population rises, demands for goods and other commodities increase. We take in more and more of what our planet is capable of providing, forgetting that we are not the only specie residing on this planet. Earth is a planet consisting of countless life forms, from simple living organisms to gigantic oceanic mammals. Like us humans, these said species also needs something to keep them alive in their everyday struggle to survive. The only difference is, they only take what they needed in order to live whereas we take more of what we need. The human society requires tremendous amounts of natural resources such as oil and land in order to sustain an evolving community. Our demands skyrocketed over the course of our time resulting to the dwindling resources we are now beginning to feel. Example of which is the rising price of petroleum in the market; the tremendous demand due to the growing population paved way for sellers to raise prices in order to maintain equilibrium on the supply and demand of oil. Soon other basic wants and needs could suffer the same fate if our demands rise even further.

Unknown to many, the environment plays a significant role in the progress of every economy in the world. The environment provides almost everything to keep an economy running. The environment also provides several benefits in developing an economy. Take the bees for example, bees are well known for their beneficial pollinating ability. Their ability helps in the blooming of many species of plant, which we need for countless reasons. Nowadays there are cases of bees disappearing due to many human interventions such as pollution. Pollutions are or mostly caused by factory emissions due to the manufacturing of various products we use. As I always mention, demands are constantly rising thus the emissions along with it. Just imagine if the bees were all gone because of the pollution caused by our greed. Think of the strain it may cause to economies worldwide. Artificial pollination will cost unimaginable amounts of funds in order for it to meet our demands. On the other hand bees provide us with free pollination.

Yes, we all want to experience a fruitful life to say living is worth it all. But if losing our environment, our very home will be the cost of such desire then how can we face the discriminating questions future generations might ask? Just think that if we all take everything now, what would become of tomorrow? Can we tolerate seeing our children or grandchildren suffering under the harsh scarcity of resources? Can we explain to them why there is only a few forests left and why there are several extinct animals? It is still not too late to save our environment without doing much harm to our economy. A little sacrifice and conservation is all it requires for us to do so. We can also greatly contribute by just being aware about this issue. Now I leave it up to you whether which side to take.