Environment Conservation as a Political Issue - Research Paper Example

? Conservation of the Environment as a Political Issue number Environment Conservation- A Political Issue The management of the natural resources that we have as a world for the purpose of development and the subsequent degeneration of the environment is something that is a burning issue at the moment. The future of the world and mankind is at stake as a result of the callous use of the environment that has been practiced in the last century and this. After the Industrial Revolution took place in England during the eighteenth century, there was a rapid rise in the exploitation f natural resources that has led to a variety of problems that include pollution and the scarcity of resources as the two major problems. As a result of the industrial revolution and globalization, however, today, we are used to a lifestyle that promotes all these ills. However, they are also promoted by governments that work in collaboration with industries that tend to pollute the environment and exploit natural resources in an unsustainable manner. The initiative and the drive to clean up the mess, therefore, need to come from governments across the world. This has been slow in coming but slowly, across the globe, there has been recognition of the political nature of the problem and the need for a political solution for this problem. This paper shall focus on the initiatives that the Brazil government has taken so as to decrease pollution that occurs as a result of the gases that are emitted by vehicles that run on fossil fuels. An energy crisis that occurred in Brazil during the 1970s made the government of this region sit up and take notice of the problem and made it recognize the need for finding a solution that would be long-lasting, to this problem (Hofstrand). This crisis was the result of the scarcity of fossil fuels during the 70s that led a lot of countries to look for means to reduce their dependence on imports for fuel. While most countries switched back to fossil fuels as soon as the crisis was over, Brazil opted for a more lasting and environment-friendly option. In this move, we see how the political will of the government was important in the setting up of the policy that has today reaped rich rewards. The Brazilian government is far ahead of other governments in the sophistication of its machinery and the availability of ethanol- based fuel. The ethanol fuel industry would not have reached the heights that it has reached today if not for the will of successive Brazilian governments that have maintained the production of this form of fuel as a priority and initially offered heavy subsidies to this industry as a result of which many car- manufacturers started producing automobiles that ran on ethanol. By the middle of the 1980s, most of the cars that were being produced in Brazil were ones that ran on ethanol. The response that the private automobile firms made to the scenario that developed was one that was encouraging but was based on the market forces of supply and demand. This scenario came about because of the commercial viability of ethanol- based fuels for the consumers; a situation that evolved out of the government’s policy of providing subsidies to the ethanol fuel industry (Thompson). This made the option of ethanol a profitable one for the consumer classes which in turn influenced the automobile industry to switch to the production of vehicles that ran partially or completely on ethanol. The government’s policy that subsidized the production of these fuels is what was instrumental in the present situation where private players have stepped into the fray, thereby allowing the government to spend more on welfare projects that further enhance the standard of living of the Brazilians. The policies that were followed by the Brazilian government, thus, have enabled the protection of the environment, without compromising upon the goals of development that are important for a developing country like Brazil. This again goes to prove that the protection of the environment is dependent on the decisions of a government in the today’s age where the protection of the environment has turned into an issue that is as much of a political one as it is an ecological one. The government also fought off several detractors who argued against the use of the ethanol as a fuel citing damage to cars as a reason for it. Apart from this, fluctuations in the agricultural output of sugarcane, the main crop that is used for the production of this form of fuel was put forth as the reason by these detractors who increased in number once the harvests of sugarcane started declining and the ethanol industry faced a temporary decline in the 1990s (Seraphim). This was however, solved because of the support that the ethanol industry was given by successive Brazilian governments that eventually helped the ethanol industry to tide over the crisis. The establishment of gas stations that cater to the needs of the ethanol driven vehicles and other forms of infrastructure that aid the use of such vehicles by the government enabled the industry to maintain an income. The fact that sugarcane always had a steady market was also a factor that helped the ethanol industry to maintain its profits (Seraphim). The fact that the protection of the environment is a political issue that requires political solutions is also demonstrated by the fact that the production of ethanol increased in the United States of America only when the government took the initiative. It is clear that it is the governments that have to take the initiative with the private sector following suit, once the industry becomes economically viable enough for them to take over. In America, the production has seen a steady rise since politicians like George W. Bush and Barack Obama have started aggressively campaigning for the increase in the use of ethanol as a viable alternative to the other fossil fuels that emit a lot of gases and are also not a renewable source of energy (Sandalow). Apart from protecting the environment in the above-mentioned ways, the production of ethanol also means an increase in the money that is allocated for agriculture, thereby enabling a sustainable use of the environment. The governments that have been in power in Brazil have also managed to provide a subsidy for the production of sugarcane, thereby incentivizing its production that leads to no scarcity of raw material for the ethanol fuel industry and thus ensures low prices that again benefit the industry and the consumers. At every level, one can see that governmental intervention has managed to help the ethanol industry; an example that strengthens the notion that environmental conservation has moved from being a concern of only ecologists and environmental organizations to politicians and governments. One of the most important needs that the ethanol-based fuel industry had in the 1970s was that of sufficient infrastructure for its survival. The absence of proper distilleries would have meant the end of the industry even before it started. The subsidies and other incentives that the government gave investors who wanted to set up distilleries too would not have been of much use if the consumers of the product faced practical difficulties in procuring it. The incentives that the government gave to automakers for the production of cars for which ethanol was a suitable fuel enabled the people of Brazil to switch to them as a substitute for vehicles which used fossil fuels. Apart from this, the government of Brazil built gas stations that sold ethanol based fuel that would enable a smooth transition for the consumers. In the absence of these forms of infrastructure, the consumers of ethanol based fuels would have been forced to reconsider their decisions to switch to an environment-friendly fuel. The government of Brazil’s steps to ensure the smooth transition from fossil fuels is thus a shining example of the political nature of the solution to the environmental crisis. The intervention of political leaders was able to change the consumption patterns of fuel in Brazil to the benefit of the environment. The future of the ethanol industry is one that is uncertain as of now. Much of the sustainability of the commercial viability that the industry possesses t this point of time, is due to the mixtures of ethanol and gasoline and other fossil fuels that are available in the market (Rothman). There is hope to increase the percentage of ethanol in these mixtures, a measure that is supported by the policy-makers of Brazil and shall boost the growth of this industry that is now expanding to other countries as well. In the recent past, there has been an increase in the coverage that the media provides to summits that are a part of the debate surrounding the protection of the environment. This is an indicator of how important, politically, the issue has turned out to become. The environment is an issue that has occupied the limelight in most political circles as a result of the obvious political implications of the changes that governmental decisions can have in these matters. In most countries, there is a clash between the goals of development and the goals of environmental conservation that are usually a consequence of a nexus between politicians and wealthy firms that are able to coerce governments into allowing them to carry on illegal mining and thus deplete the natural resources that lead also to the extinction of many species owing to the destruction of their habitats. Another instance of governmental reluctance and the lack of political willpower that has led to the irreversible destruction of the environment is the reluctance of certain countries to sign the Kyoto Protocol that stipulates certain norms that are to be followed by certain countries. In summits that are held for solving these issues, allegations are usually hurled by one country against the other and decisions are not reached. The constant clash between countries that are developed and those that are developing and the different goals that they have, hogs the limelight in these summits, with neither party willing to compromise. The suffering that has to be faced if the environment is not saved, however, is a collective one. As a result, it is the need of the hour that elected representatives make the conservation of the environment a priority and roll out reforms that shall enable the creation of new ways of living like the one that the Brazilian government did. That instance should serve as an example to governments across the globe that proves that the aims of development can co-exist with the needs of the environment. In fact, that is the only way forward for us as it is the only way of ensuring sustainable development; however, the recognition of environmental conservation as a political problem needs to happen for this to be done. Works Cited Hofstrand, Don. “Brazil's ethanol industry -- part two”. AgDM Newsletter, February, 2009. Accessed on 6th July, 2011. Seraphim, Pedro G. “Brazil’s Ethanol- Enhanced History”. Ethanol Producer Magazine, August 2009. Read More