Efficiency of Eco-Capitalism - Essay Example

ECO-CAPITALISM By Eco-capitalism refers to the idea of employing market levers to rectify the degraded environment, and eventually avoid further degradation. This approach argues that over reliance on resources as such fossil fuels has seen a corresponding reduction in their quantity, which eventually will lead to their complete exhaustion, for which the economy will greatly suffer. To curb this impending shortage, most researchers observe that there is need for businesses to establish alternative ways of production that will allow them to achieve more by using lesser resources. Backing this argument is the fact that efficient utilization of resources such as fuel, water and other raw materials is not only good for the planet, but boosts profit margins for businesses as well. To this effect, the overall observation is that the less input a company has on production, the larger the profit margin. However, the catch is that this ‘small’ amount of input must be put into efficient use, contrary to which no positive results will be realized. Of importance to this paper is the rationality behind some of the green production methods that eco-capitalists advance for, and their tenability in the current world system. To begin with, development of cities across the world has resulted in replacement of greenery with roads and buildings. Notwithstanding the necessity of these modern infrastructure, demand for greenery within the population has also been increasing in an exponential manner, especially in the wake of emerging environmental changes and changes in weather patterns. Wong et al (2010) observe that upon realization of the same needs for greenery among the population of Singapore, the country adopted a greenery project that aims at making the country green, i.e. increasing plant coverage within the country, especially in major towns. Famous to this project is the vertical greenery endeavor. The vertical greenery system has been hailed as efficient in saving energy, making it a suitable project for a country that heavily relies on air conditioning parameters due to its extreme climatic conditions. Claims advancing that the project reduce air and noise pollution that is characteristic of the country as well as that it brings humans much closer to nature, especially in urban setups support the vitality of the project. True as these may be, the project is not devoid of challenges that not only hamper its development but also makes it less feasible. For instance, the need for constant clearing of overgrown plant as well as dead plant parts has made some people stay away from the project. Secondly, lack of sufficient knowledge on the project especially regarding the type of plants suitable for use, maintenance instructions as well as technical information still remain out of reach of a vast majority of the nationals, slowing the project’s development and adoption. Another project worth evaluating is the Garden Bridge of London, a project that aims to making London the greenest city in Europe. Designed to accommodate up to 22 000 plants, the project will give the town an improved look as it entails a transition from the South Bank of the Thames river marled by wild marshlands to the ornamental garden in the northern end, with the center covered with a woodland vegetation. Upon completion, the planting will provide green foliage, flowering bulbs, beautiful summer flowers as well as perennially green winter flowers, ensuring that the city is green all throughout the year. While the idea behind this project remains noble, whether it will live to its expectation or suitability for that matter, remains debatable. For instance, Smith (2014) observes that the cost of the project as of 2014 was already far beyond the expected allocation, making it less popular among the nationals. He therefore posits that what the city needs is a different transport infrastructure, although one that makes use of the available system, merely making changes where necessary. According to Smith, such project is the SkyCycle- a project aimed at constructing cycle highways along the suburban railway corridor. Feasible as this may sound, its major objective is improving commuter efficiency. Regardless of the mode, which however will be majorly motorized, SkyCycle does not promise to make the city greener, but instead seems to sponsor the continued use of gasoline-powered engine, hence in my personal opinion, less attractive compared to the Garden Bridge project. Apart from the mentioned environmental improvement projects and their potential physical benefits to humanity, other benefits that come with engaging with the natural world exist. One such benefit is in the psychological aspect, with which Richardson and Hallam (2013) while citing McDonal et al. (2009) comes such feelings as “restoration, inspiration, personal growth and creativity,” (36). Exploration the connectivity of humans and nature leads us into three major evaluation criteria, personal, cultural and innate. However, majority of theories that attempt to explain these connectivity do so on the basis of the importance of nature to human well-being, an example being the Attention Restoration Theory. Whilst the former gives the importance of nature to the well-being of humans, of greater interest this section is the connectedness and relatedness of humans and nature. One such description is biophilia, which according to Richardson and Hallam, refers to the subconscious connection that humans seek with the other forms of life. As innate as this need may be, it is integral to conservation of the environment, a practice key to eco-capitalism. Romaine (2014) observes that the rate at which animal and plant species disappear from the planet is fast and alarming, yet equally disappearing and given almost no attention are the world’s languages. He observes that while there appears to be virtually no connection between plant and animal species to human languages, an extensive analysis reveals a certain level of interconnectedness. To this effect, he gives an example of typical aborigines of Australia living in remote areas closer to natural plant and animal habitat as presenting a healthier well-being in addition to showing signs of greater preservation of their local language. Based on this argument, the probable conclusion is that indigenous people play a critical role in determining the strategies useful to sustainable management of the ecosystem. Given the prevailing circumstance, there is need for measures capable of curbing the situation where species and languages are disappearing at a fast rate, especially in areas where the two are facing similar threats. True as this may be, it is imperative that humans develop an understanding that even though the two are related as per Romaine’s argument, the world is dealing with two different extinction crises. Additionally, the argument that the need to preserve species and the need for development in regions categorized as poverty-ridden are complementary is rather injudicious. The bare fact is that these two objectives are quite opposing, and the achievement of one will eventually translate to deterioration of the other. Education is another sector that has not been spared the prospects of eco-capitalism. For instance, Leiringer and Cardellino (2011) observe that the physical environment of the learning institution plays an integral role in enhancing learning and performance. While citing Dudek (2000), Leiringer and Cardellino observe that increased use of natural ventilation and lighting tend to support concentration among learners. Additionally, incorporating students and teachers in the design process also plays an integral role in shaping the behavior of students, and hence their academic performance. Nevertheless, concluding that the observed results are solely due to the present physical environmental factors would be a little premature. While these instruments may present a good learning environment, other factors such as the entire behavior across the community may be more significant. For instance, while it is evident that the school environment affects the perception of students, different cultures, schools, and children will present a complex set of conditions that vary from one community to the other, and which avails different conditions for learning. Broached in this paper so far are elements that are either characteristic of greening measures or that attempt to provide a critical evaluation of the existing relation between humans and the environment. In addition to these exists also the innovation aspect and its influence on environmental sustainability. For instance, Kelsy-Fry (2014) notes that the emergence of creative designs is prompted by the need to find solutions to manmade problems, or to those that are driven by economic ambitions that concentrate more on profit making than the potential harmful environmental impacts that the employed means may have. Kelsy-Fry’s argument may be true when analyzed from certain aspects, but not universally true. Not all innovative ideas are aimed at providing solutions to human mistakes. For instance, the invention of computers has proven to be a critical milestone for humanity, even though it is made from harmful elements that upon being rendered obsolete, presents a disposal challenge. However, the advantages of the computers far much outweigh the demerits; there invention was not driven by a need to rectify a human mistake, but rather to satisfy a human need. Eco-capitalism is a noble initiative that ought to receive maximum support from the entire human race. Even though most of the green endeavors aim at correcting human mistakes, their necessity is integral to the survival of not only the world species, but of the entire planet as well. To this, effect, understanding human relation with other forms of life, as well as innovation of ways through which humans can conserve the dwindling natural resources by creating better means of production is important. Although it is true that the tussle pitting environmental conservation against development of poor regions of these world are literally opposing forces, it is possible to establish a common ground through which the two can survive mutually. One such way is through development of eco-friendly production methods that utilizes the available resources to acceptable limits, with the least ecosystem interruption to the ecosystem. Further, given the already existing admission that there is a relation between diminishing plant and animal species and diminishing human languages is an important course of alarm. Works cited Kelsy-Fry, J. (2014). Can innovation alone create a sustainable future? New internationalist blog. Available at http://newint.org/blog/2014/09/30/sustainability-innovation-royal-college-of-art/. Accessed 9th December 2015. Leiringer, R. & Cardellino, P. 2011. Schools for the twenty-first century: school design and educational transformation. British Educational Research Journal, 37(6). Viewed 9th June 2015. Richardson, M. & Hallam, J. 2013. Exploring the psychological rewards of a familiar semi-rural landscape: connecting to local nature through a mindful approach. Humanistic Psychologist. 41(1). Romain, S. 2014. Of speech and species: saving language is good for the environment and for tackling poverty. New Internationalist. 473 p 25. Viewed 9th June 2015. Smith, E. 2014. ‘New York’s High Line was the city planner’s Holy Grail. SkyCycle could be the answer for London. Newstateman (1996). Viewed 9th June 2015. Wong, N., Tan, A., Tan, P., Sia, A., & Wong, N. (2010). Perception studies of vertical greenery systems in Singapore. Journal of Urban Planning and Development, 4. Viewed 9th June 2015. Read More