Assess the View That Economic Development Is Not Possible Without Causing Environmental Degradation – 15 Marks.

Air pollution by definition, is the presence in or introduction into the air of a substance which has harmful or poisonous effects. Beijing is a major Chinese city that endures air pollution significantly. A study on the global burden of disease found that outdoor air pollution contributed to 1.2 million premature deaths in China each year (Chemical & Engineering News,2017). As China is the world's second largest economy behind the United States, it is most definitely under the influence of globalization. Globalization causes industrialization, a process that will inevitably create pollution.70% of air pollution in China is from the tailpipes of automobiles (Conserve Energy Future, 2017). Thus, the introduction of advanced transportation brought by globalization has adversely affected China's atmosphere.

China remains the driver of the iron ore and steel industry. With China recently switching

Collier asserts that the poorest states are in need of rapid economic growth which creates tension between poverty reduction and the perversion of nature. This is most evident in China where their desire to grow economically has come at the price of pollution. While China has grown exponentially economically and have reduced poverty, this growth is not sustainable due to their negligence of the environment. The level of pollution in major cities has hurt the Chinese economy because individuals are refusing to do business there due to health concerns. This effects Chinese businesses and their tourism industry. More times than not, states will choose economic growth, however, in the long run this choice will negatively impact their economy.

Beijing, the capital of China, since the development of industrialization and economy, the environmental problems emerge gradually. Especially air pollution is becoming a huge problem today. Air pollution is the harmful matters including particulates and biological molecules introduced into Earth’s atmosphere which is harmful to both human health and natural environment. This essay will firstly illustrate the main causes of air pollution in Beijing, including natural causes and man-made causes, and then outline some effects of this problem.

This is important because there are many negative consequences that should be taken into consideration in regards to the environment. Some of the consequences that should be considered are the side effects of economic expansion such as pollution, lack of natural resources and it also does not account for the way that we gain and benefit from the environment. Some examples of economic benefits that we receive from the environment are lands we can sell, trees and plants that are put up for sale, use of environmental factors to build and produce other products among many other things that can also be included economically beneficial from environmental factors. Not only do the side effects have an impact on the environment such as pollution, they also have an impact on the economy because money that was used to destroy the environment such as building and factories is also being used in an attempt to repair the economy such as rebuilding reefs and investing in national parks. The overall quality of the environment is very important to the society’s well-being because without it there could be a large variety of possibly very severe

Economic –“an economically sustainable system must be able to produce goods and services on a continuing basis, to maintain manageable levels of government and external debt, and to avoid extreme sectoral imbalances which damage agricultural or industrial production.” (Harris, 2000: 7)

All countries want go have growth and often aim to be a Westernized such as the United States or more specifically like New York and London. A city like Beijing is pretty developed and has a “similar” lifestyle as New Yorkers, however there are still significant differences such as the value in taking care of the environment. Pollution has always been a big issue in big cities, but the Western world has noticed that pollution has a bigger impact than just the weather, but it also affects the economy as well. Asian megacities like Beijing have not yet noticed how much of an impact that pollution can cause. The city of Beijing has been haunted by natural hazards such as droughts, floods, and earthquakes (Beckel,

Our dilemma is that we in the developing economies cannot afford to forego economic growth although the present economic growth causes environment damage. And irreparable environmental losses limit the prospect of future economic growth. What would be the solution to our dilemma? How can we achieve higher economic growth with environmental degradation? The answer to this could be found in the notion of sustainable development that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of the future generation to meet their own needs. Today the closest we have come to sustainability orthodoxy is the "cradle to cradle" solution pioneered by Michael braungart and William McDonough .According to their philosophy, we have to remaking the ways we make things. So our products need to be made fully recyclable so that, once they are discarded, each part can be turned back into itself again. All based on three simple principles:-waste equals food is a basic concept of organic waste materials becoming food for bugs, insects and other small forms of life who can feed on it, decompose it and return it to the natural environment which we then indirectly use for food ourselves .also we have to

· Each year, an estimated 178,000 Chinese in major cities suffer premature deaths because of atmospheric pollution in excess of standards. Also, acid rain from high sulfur regions heavily damages the environment each year to crops and forests

China’s 1970 economic reforms boosted the economic output by 11.4% on a yearly basis. The reforms gave authority to the provinces and enabled the market-oriented public enterprises. The economic gains were so great that they accounted for about 33% of the national GDP. Prosperity seemed imminent since the 1970s, but little did the people know that they were on the path that would place them as the world’s most polluted countries and the worlds largest greenhouse gas emitter.

Economic growth and the use of environmental resources go hand in hand. No country or economy will be able to sustain economic growth without using the natural resources available in the environment. The constant need for resources is the fuel for economic growth and any country going through a heightened level of economic activity tends to use more resources from the environment.

With the deterioration of numerous environments around the globe, and the increased phenomena of anthropogenic climate change, it is evident that changes must take course and the protection of the environment become a crucial aspect embedded in social, political, and economic change. With this understanding, many nations across the globe have adopted a green economic plan that aims to reduce the impact upon the natural environment, whilst also ensuring economic benefit; however, establishing a strong green economic plan that targets the reduction of impact upon the environment can be a financially difficult process, particularly for nations that do not possess the adequate funding. Considering this, many nations in this position partner up with other nations so that the necessary funding can be fulfilled. Guyana is a sovereign state situated in South America that is known to have exceptionally high rates of deforestation for the past several years. Considering this, Norway has taken on the initiative to provide monetary incentives that will fuel Guyana 's green economy on the basis that deforestation rates are reduced. Exploring the GRIF project will provide a unique outlook on specifically how economic investments can promote a green economy, and, subsequently, propose a model that presents a scenario in which the reduction of the global impact upon the natural environment can be achieved.

Presently, changes are being experienced in areas where development projects aimed at improving the economic and social status of a region are being carried. These changes happen to affect the environment within which the projects are being carried and they often call for strategies to be developed by the developing body to make sure that these impacts are reduced significantly (Beer, Au and Hall n.d.). Despite different development projects aiming at bringing about some positive changes in the society or in a given setting, studies show that the same projects may lead to conflicts between the environment and the human activities being carried out in that particular region. Initially, the campaign for economic growth was viewed as the key for increasing the standards of living in a given region but very little attention was given to the social and environmental sensitivity and impacts that accompanied these projects (Chen, Liu and Liaw 2011). As a result, there has been a growing need to reduce the impacts of the projects as well as making sure that the long term benefits of the projects are maximized in leading to sustainability of the projects.

Economic Development vs. the Environment Summary: Is the economic development of developing countries more important than protecting the environment? Author: The Debatabase Book (United

Oftentimes, human nature dictates us to spur the most from what we have, thus, it is natural for greed and tunnel vision for growth to be in the minds of many businessmen, policymakers, or any citizen in the population. However, in many cases, these men fail to recognise that more than monetary costs, many of human actions entail environmental repercussions.