Thursday 27 August 2015

Is capitalism the answer to ENV problems?

Why are people so alienated from nature today? We attain food from food kiosks instead of plucking berries from bushes; we attain potable water from taps instead of rivers; our roads are tarred instead of grassy greens or mud. Today, nature and the society we live in seems to be mutually exclusive.
Majority of us city dwellers forget the fact that everything we have in our lives today is a result of a forced sacrifice by nature. For instance, printing an article. Where did the paper come from? How much electricity is consumed to print it? How is electricity generated? What are the components of the printer? What materials were used to make them? How were the materials obtained? My point is, people are not unaware that we are stripping earth’s natural resources to support our daily activities.
In the past, when humans were still one with the nature, mankind depended on nature for basic survival. Today we depend on nature not for basic survival, but for greater comforts which un-coincidentally shares a positive relationship with economic development. We overconsume finite resources like fossil fuels and metals which had no economic value in the prehistoric age, in turn resulting in adverse effects on the environment which never was an issue before the age of humans.
We know the problems, yet we still continue with our lives the way it is as we have a more pressing need for profits than saving the earth. Due to capitalism, people (hence the government) are more obsessed with making money and profits gained precedence over other aspects of life, including the environment. “The point is that environmental pollution is driven by economic necessity under capitalism. Within the existing political-economic context, drastically decreasing pollution can only be brought about by economic recession.”[1]
Is capitalism really such a horrendous system?
Are capitalistic methods such as carbon credits be a solution from a problem that stems from capitalism? 
Being capitalistic involves being self-interested, hence we tend to prioritise, even our values and principles against societal ones. Even though I am not pro-capitalist, I have to admit this system is rather effective. The competitive nature of this system is what brought about the Anthropocene, where many innovative technological advancements surfaced and mankind have achieved many milestones. The environment may have been neglected, or even alienated as a result of our greed. Nevertheless, firms down the supply chain will still have to address environmental issues eventually as we are never really alienated from the nature as resources for human activity stems from nature. Or simply because as people get richer they demand for a clean (and probably green) environment. Since capitalism manipulates the idea of self-interest, there will always be a place for the environment in capitalism as a person’s environment is always part of their self-interest. It may seem otherwise today as the environmental problems are either not close to us, or are still tolerable. In time to come, these problems would be impossible to ignore and capitalism would work its magic. However, will it be too late? And, will the poor be saved from the pending catastrophe?




[1] Adapted from Global Political Ecology by Richard Peet, Paul Robbins and Michael Watts

Wednesday 19 August 2015

Private sector and community working hand in hand?

I have to make it known that some of my posts, including this post are adopted from my free response writing essays for another module, Green Capitalism.

This post is a response to this article: Renewing the Penobscot

Summary of the Article:
There are many damns built along the river in Penobscot, which resulted in a series of social and environmental problems, upsetting different parties including the locals and environmentalists. Then come along this guy named Scott who managed to bridge the gap between the hydroelectric company and the community.

Scott's story in Penobscot was a beautiful one. It shows that people with different interests can actually come together to help resolve socio-environmental issues proving positive changes possible - as long as the people are determined to make it work. In this case, asking a hydroelectric company to shut down her dam seems like an impossible idea. Yet the team managed to come to a consensus that the dam is to be removed, and the firm was agreeable as there were series of modest energy enhancements to sustain the firm’s generating capacity. It was a beautiful story with a great outcome in which all stakeholders benefitted eventually.
Yet the undeniable truth is that these are anomalies.
As technology advances, mankind are less and less dependent on the natural environment for sustenance. For instance, fossil fuels are finite and decreasing at an appalling rate. Governments are looking for alternatives to provide for energy but are spoilt for choices as there are so many different means of energy generation today. The worry that our future generations will not have sufficient resources can be easily resolved with technological innovation. The bigger issue is, will everyone be able to get access to the technology, or will some be left behind?
The problem lies in the fact that these producers choose to turn a blind eye to the environmental and social consequences and risks associated with these economic activities, which stems from outsourcing. Most developed countries have stringent environmental laws in place, policies to protect the well-being of the people hence it is very troublesome and expensive for production of certain goods in their home countries. This resulted in a shift of pollutive industries to cheaper alternatives with lesser red tape, generating more pollution than before.
The simple underlying problem is that the pollutants are not directly affecting the people running these firms. If the stakeholders of a chemical plant were to live in the vicinity of the plant, the plant is sure to produce minimal polluted air, process its waste properly and ensure that the plant would not blow up. The truth is, these stakeholders are probably across the globe in the comforts of their home, wondering how to further reduce cost of production, especially if outsourced to places with lenient rules and regulations in place. Firms generally are purposefully oblivious to these issues.

Hence I was greatly moved by Penobscot’s success in making things work. Not many firms would be willing to take this step, knowing that there could be economic losses but still invested time and money to hear the community out, and even benefitted from it eventually. Even though it was a small step towards saving the environment, it is a significant one which marks the start of Penobscot’s journey to saving their environment. 

Sunday 16 August 2015

Why Environmental Studies.

Hello!
This is a blog which is an assignment for a freshman girl studying Environmental Studies. Although it is just an assignment I hope to be able to continue updating this blog even after semester ends.

Since I was a little girl, I hardly left the comforts of the city hence I am intrigued by the idea of nature.
I watched National Geographic and Animal Planet instead of Cartoon Network or Nickelodeon. 
Yet I went on to Secondary School and Junior College burying this little interest of mine, and invested time and energy on what seems to be of utmost importance then. Netball and national exams were a huge part of my teenage life. Like almost every teen out there, I had no direction and was just enjoying my life having fun. Parts of me regretted but parts of me did not. 

It was only after A levels then I started to contemplate on what to major in, which career path am I to embark on. That is when I realised I want to stop following the crowd, I want to do something more meaningful and something that I actually am passionate about. I spent a few months looking through courses others recommended. Accountancy for good money, business for a general certificate with many jobs available, law and medicine for good money and prestige, arts and social sciences for a more relaxed uni life, engineering, architecture - the list goes on and on. Yet, I took interest in nothing of the above.  

I was lost and unsure of what to do, until I came across the Environmental Studies brochure online as I was skimming through the list of courses NUS offered. I remembered on the brochure there is a picture of a frog. That is beside the point. The point is, the moment I saw the brochure, I know that is what I want to study and advocate my life to - the environment. Many people were skeptical of my choice. They thought it was impractical and unsuitable for me. Yet I went on with it because, I know this is what I want to do. I may not have much knowledge in me right now, but it will be a different story in the near future. 

It sounds rather childish, the way I picked my choice of study. But I think sometimes you have to listen to your inner voice to lead you on the path you truly are meant to walk.
This blog post marks the start to a very amazing journey ahead. & this blog would be a record of this very amazing journey that I am about to embark on. It will be filled with views, opinions, experiences and whatever seems appropriate. Cheers to accomplishing great work!