Relation between the Security of the Environment and the Politics - Essay Example

Why has environmentalism become so important in recent times Security, Politics and Environment Introduction The human civilization is dependent on the nature for its existence and well-being. However, the humans from the advent of the civilization have abused the nature and environment. The basic laws of nature have not been followed and with the advent of the civilization and economy, the environment has come under threat. Man has been unsuccessful in maintaining the basic resources of nature like water, clean air etc. Most of the abuse is attributed to the increase in the industries and economic activities all around the world. From the days of the advent of civilization, Mother Nature has fulfilled the majority of the needs of man. However, man has increasingly become involved in the growth of economic activities and has paid little heed to the protection of the nature. The natural resources have been exploited for economic gains and the world today faces a serious problem of degradation of the environment. This issue has assumed importance because of the fact that exploitation of the environment has led to the danger of destruction of the civilization. The political world has gauged the gravity of the situation and has been rallying hard to protect the environment from destruction. The political world is the authority in the modern world to introduce and alter policies regarding any changes in system. The political world consists of political parties who are influential in the implementation of laws in the social system. The political parties control the democracies in the world. Therefore, the political parties in effect have the responsibility of controlling the policies regarding the protection of environment. (Ryan, 2006) The paper deals in the relation between the security of the environment and the politics in the modern world. It is a fact that the political parties are trying relentlessly in making the issue of guarding the environment an important one. The paper will look explore the subject in detail. Environment- an important aspect of human existence It is a well-known fact that the existence of mankind is based on the surrounding environment and the nature. Human has used natural resources for its existence and development. The nature has provided us with all that is needed for existence. The destruction of the nature will therefore lead to the destruction of mankind. The earth is influenced by biodiversity- the variation of life in an ecosystem. Biodiversity is an important reason for our existence and it is also responsible for supplying us with the basic needs like food, water and air. It has been influential in making the earth a suitable place to live in and has also made it beautiful. It has an intrinsic value to mankind with all its variation of plants and species. It has an important effect in creating economic value to mankind. Research has proved that all the species of nature are equally important to mankind and thus have to be conserved. The extrinsic importance of biodiversity stems from the economic value it gives to the mankind. Biodiversity has made it possible for mankind to gain economic benefits as it provides goods which can be extracted or grown and then can be sold or valued. It has made possible for man to grow agricultural products, which is the basis for food supply all over the world. The extraction of minerals like coal and oil is also a product of biodiversity. The activity of extraction from the nature has grown to be one of the most important economic activities over the world and some of the minerals extracted are the driving force of the modern economy. The ecosystem consisting of air, water, land, climate etc. are indispensible for the existence of humans and the value provided by it cannot be quantified in monetary terms. Some economists attempted to measure the value of the ecosystems. They found out that the value of these ecosystems run to over $3 trillion. The value is greater than the total GNP of the modern world. Thus, it is clear that it is not probable to find an alternate of Mother Nature and thus, it is natural that we protect her. (Nature & Biodiversity, n.d. ; Importance of biodiversity, n.d.) The topic of protection of the environment has become important because there has been a rise in the activities relating to the abuse of nature. The man has continuously looked to extend the territory of his habitat and to increase his financial gains. In the quest of doing so, man has acquired land from the other species in the world leading to their destruction. The modern economy has seen the growth of industries and business all round the globe. This led to more infiltration of land. (Paul & Shelburne, n.d.) The growth of industries has caused the deprivation of the surroundings. The technology of the industries take a heavy charge on the environment by polluting the air and the destructing the natural ecosystems. The industrial growth has seen more use of the natural resources like fuel and coal. The industries release waste products, which pollute the environment and this has been a major factor in the degradation of the environment. The growth of transport and communication has led to the emission of hazardous materials like CO2 in the air which is detrimental to the interests of the environment. (The underlying causes of environmental degradation, n.d.). The environment is at danger of being effected in a substantial manner and thus the existence of the human being is jeopardized. Therefore, it is of utmost importance that efforts are made at protection of the surroundings. Security of the Environment The security of the environment has taken huge weight in the stir of the recent hazards that have caused a massive degradation in the environment. From the days of the advent of industries and development of economy, the environment has been threatened with the rise of pollution and destruction of the ecosystems. However, the importance of the matter has now been acknowledged and efforts are being made to protect it. It has been understood that environment is an important aspect in the maintenance of national peace, security and the development of basic human rights. The environment has responded to the attacks made on it by causing a global change in the structure of the geology and physical attributes of nature. It has been estimated that in the future most of the global land will undergo a change in its structure. Thus, it will challenge the very existence of mankind and the structure of its inhabitance. Much of the attacks on the environment are the results of struggle between different countries to avail the resources. The natural resources are scarce in the world and there have been conflicts among humans to gain access to the resources. This has led to wars, which further deteriorate the condition of the environment. (What is environmental security, n.d.). There has been a trend of environmental change in the recent years with the rise in the natural hazards like earthquakes, floods etc. The typical weather of the planet has also undergone a huge transformation. This is the result of the violation of the general principles of nature through years of evolution, which has disrupted the general functions of the ecosystems. The humans have challenged the existence of nature by various acts against it like deforestation, building dams on rivers, building large number of factories, industries etc. A survey showed that two billion people worldwide are being threatened due to the environmental change. The destruction of the ecosystems and natural resources worldwide has led to a disruption in the balance of environment. This can be termed a major cause in the increase of the natural disasters in the recent years like the Tsunami and the Hurricane Katrina. The disasters have resulted in loss in lives and economy. The abuse of the principles of the nature has resulted in the growth of diseases all over the world, which has been the reason for the loss of millions of lives. The climate change has been a major occurrence all over the world and this has increased the chances of natural hazards. In the last two decades, 1.5 million people have died due to the natural disasters. More than 200 million people suffered. Most of the effected people are from the developing countries. In these countries the protection of the inhabitants are not given importance with poor infrastructure and less expenditure in the health maintenance facilities. One may thus infer that poverty is detrimental to the environmental protection. People are vulnerable to the environmental changes when their economic condition is poor and the country is ravaged by conflicts like war. The people in the poor countries are vulnerable, as they have no access to significant health facilities and primary needs like land, water and food. The above reasons point out that it has become utmost important in the modern day to protect the environment for the well being of the humans and it is the responsibility of the countries worldwide to protect its citizens. For this reason, the countries must promote policies that would help in the conservation of the environment. (Varshney, 2nd December, 2005; Jager & Kok, n.d. pp. 1-12). Therefore, it is well understood from the above paragraphs that the environmental security is one of the important issues in the modern world and policies should be made in accordance with the subject. The policies and laws regarding different matters of the society are formulated by the political parties of the world. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the political countries of the world to formulate policies and laws, which will help in the safety of the environment. Politics in accordance with the environment As seen from the previous paragraphs that the political parties have a big role to play in the protection of the environment. The general economy of the modern world is based on the individualistic needs rather than looking at the broader picture of global needs. The companies are the primary source of economic development in any country and they are dedicated to earning profits. (Campbell, n.d.). The political parties over the world are looking to change the general practices followed in different countries and are making adjustments to protect the environment. The Government parties seem to be placing more emphasis on environmental protection. In the year 1972 is when some of the earliest initiatives in the protection of the environment occurred in the UN Conference in Stockholm. The developed countries of the world put forward the importance of protection of the environment but the initiatives were viewed with suspicion from the developing countries. They thought that the Western countries are trying to halt the progress of the developing nations. In the present day scenario, the developing countries are the most effected regions of the world in terms of environmental degradation. This is due to the growth of economic activities in the developing countries. The developing countries of the world face the problem of misuse of the natural resources. The developing nations are increasingly used for the supply of food to the western world. There are numerous examples among the developing and underdeveloped states of Asia and Africa where enormous destruction of the environment took place due to the pressure created by the developed countries in farming. The natural resources of the developing countries have also been used by the developed countries to increase their economic benefits. A recent survey showed that high interest rates on the developing countries have led to the maximum utilization of resources. (Agarwal, n.d.). Thus, it can be said that in general the developing countries are the most affected as they have the necessity for economic development. One of the major developments in the political world regarding the environmental matters is the development of the Green parties. The Green party can be found in many areas in the entire globe and there are four governing bodies managing the functions of the Green party in the continents of Africa, America, Europe and the Asia-Pacific. The Green Party is concerned in applying changes in the environmental policies of the respective countries. Since its inception in the 1980s, it has worked relentlessly campaigning for the causes of development of environmental policies. In some countries like Germany, the party is very strong and has gained acceptance in the Parliament. The party has developed tremendously and the number of members has also increased drastically. The importance gained by the party in Germany has led the other major parties in the country to accept the issues of the Green party. The impact of the Green Party on the national policies has led to the development of environmental norms in the country. (Lamb, n.d; Green party celebrates 30th anniversary, 13th January, 2010) The international bodies have devised policies and rules, which help in the protection of the environment. Various rules of GATT and WTO have been responsible for the protection of the environment. The body issued clear sets of rules in the field of standardization of the products, which help in decreasing the use of harmful substances. The rules and regulations have been implemented keeping in mind the individual country's rules and regulations in the matter. The perspective is to standardize the quality of the products, which will be helpful in maintaining the health standards of the country. The principles of GATT state the necessity of the protection of the human life and health. The GATT has been relentless in its campaign to introduce environment friendly process in the production, export and import of products. The policies of different countries of the world provide a conflict between the trading activities and the protection of the environment. This has been a problem in setting up a global standard in protecting the environment. (Jackson, 1992) Besides the International bodies, the individual countries have deployed laws, whose target is to protect the environment. All the major countries of the world have recognized the need for protecting the environment and have devised plans for tackling the situation. For example, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has passed rules like the "Clean air Act" and the "Clean Water Act" which are aimed at protecting the environment. (Laws and regulations, n.d.). Besides USA, other countries have devised laws that are aimed at protection of the flora and fauna of the country and protection of the resources. Thus, world politics have risen up to the fact of protecting the environment and are working likewise. The interests of the developing countries are also being kept in mind. Conclusions The environment supports the very existence of humans. However, mankind has not treated the environment with utmost respect and there have been widespread practices of abusing it. The environment in turn has reacted with vengeance and there has been a natural transformation in the recent years. Natural disasters have taken the lives of many people in last quarter of the century. It has become utmost important to protect the environment and the political parties all over the world are acting towards it. They have devised rules and laws for environmental protection and it is important that business organizations and the society as a whole follow them. Otherwise, instances like the Tsunami will be a regular affair and will claim thousands of lives. The world should act before it is too late and the humanity is in the brink of extinction. References: 1. Ryan. V., (2006).What is political Party Available at: http://www.technologystudent.com/pse1/polprt1.htm (Accessed on 12th March, 2010) 2. Nature & Biodiversity. (n.d.). Environment. European Commission. Available at: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/index_en.htm (Accessed on 12th March, 2010) 3. Importance of biodiversity. (n.d.). Theory of biodiversity. Quebec biodiversity website. Available at: http://redpath-museum.mcgill.ca/Qbp/2.About%20Biodiversity/importance.html (Accessed on 12th March, 2010) 4. Paul, D. and Shelburne. (n.d.). How to save the environment. Teen ink. Available at: http://www.teenink.com/hot_topics/environment/article/4533/How-To-Save-The-Environment/ (Accessed on 12th March, 2010). 5. The underlying causes of environmental degradation. (n.d.). Available at: http://indiabudget.nic.in/es98-99/chap1104.pdf (Accessed on 12th March, 2010) 6. What is environmental security(n.d.). Institute for environmental security. Available at: http://www.envirosecurity.org/activities/What_is_Environmental_Security.pdf (Accessed on 12th March, 2010) 7. Varshney, C. (2nd December, 2005). Growing threats to environmental security. International society of Environmental botanists. Available at: http://isebindia.com/icpep-3/icpep3-s-5.html (Accessed on 12th March, 2010) 8. Jager, J and Kok, M. (n.d.). Vulnerability of people and the environment: challenges and opportunities. Available at: http://www.unep.org/geo/geo4/report/07_Vulnerability_of_People.pdf (Accessed on 12th March, 2010) 9. Campbell,J. (n.d.). Global economics, politics & the environment. Available at: http://earthrenewal.org/global_economics.htm (Accessed on 12th March, 2010) 10. Agarwal, A. (n.d.) Politics of Environment-II. Available at: http://www.cseindia.org/userfiles/Politics%20of%20Environment%20-%20Anil%20Agarwal.pdf (Accessed on 12th March, 2010) 11. Lamb, R. (n.d.). How the green party works. How stuff works. Available at: http://people.howstuffworks.com/green-party2.htm (Accessed on 12th March, 2010) 12. Green party celebrates 30th anniversary. (13th January, 2010). The local. Available at: http://www.thelocal.de/politics/20100113-24557.html (Accessed on 12th March, 2010) 13. Jackson, J. (1992). WORLD TRADE RULES AND ENVIRONMENTAL POLICIES: CONGRUENCE OR CONFLICT Washington and Lee University. Available at: http://www.worldtradelaw.net/articles/jacksontradeenvironment.pdf (Accessed on 12th March, 2010) 14. Laws and regulations. (n.d.). EPA. Available at: http://www.epa.gov/lawsregs/laws/index.html#caa (Accessed on 12th March, 2010) Read More