The Cost of Economic Growth on the Environment
Economic growth is important for our economy to prosper but what is the cost on the environment if certain activities connected with economic growth are in place. Our environment is something with which we need to be concerned but we should not sacrifice economic growth if certain environmental impacts can be addressed. Both sides of this issue need to work together to find ways to have economic growth and protect the environment at the same time. It can be done. We are a country who prides ourselves in having the innovative technology and talent to make anything work. We have proven we can achieve anything we set our minds out to do. One example is the goal set to have a man on the moon at the end of a decade. We put the resources together and we made it happen.
Our environment rather than being a deterrent to growth in our economy can also be a friend. The industrialization of the world and the United States has taken a toll on the environment in some cases but this can change for our future. Our talents have proven to be our greatest asset in the past and they will be in our future. We must be a friend to our environment but this can only be achieved if true facts are presented to the general public. We have all heard about global warming but the true facts seem to have been lost with regards to records of the past compared to the present.
There are many efforts in place today in place which are being developed or have been developed that contribute to our growth and protect the environment at the same time. These however, do not appear to get much attention, if at all. Our current economic situation is calling desperately for growth. New technologies exist today that were non-existent in the past and they have added to the growth we desperately need.
Environmentalists must understand that we need growth in our economy to help us recover. The efforts of environmentalists for the most part have been expressions of honest concerns for environmental impact in relation to growth. One thing in particular needs to happen which appears to be lacking is cooperation between those concerned about the environment and individuals who want to provide growth for our economy. As part of the environment the Environmental Protection Agency is tagged with the responsibility to monitor and address any potential impact on the environment. This involves not only evaluating impact with proposed economic growth but also addressing events which have impacted the environment such as the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
I believe we can have both only if we have true cooperation between these two entities. One comment which I remember from a movie refers to a downsizing action for a company. It basically said making a decision to downsize is easy but making the situation work is the hard part. I truly believe there are good individuals on both sides that want to make things work to provide growth for our economy while protecting our environment. Granted there have been bad decisions in the past where environmental concerns were not taken seriously. This cannot or should not happen as we move forward as a country.
The main focus of this article was the cost of economic growth on the environment. Working together to protect the environment and have economic growth should result in no cost to the environment. This needs to happen not only for today but for our future. We have great treasures and resources that Americans enjoy every day. We must not sacrifice such things as the scenic beauty we enjoy in such places as our national parks. They must be preserved so that what we enjoy today will be there for our children, grandchildren and their children. There are cases where some individuals and/or company plans will impact the environment. In these cases they should be rightly fought. The EPA is an agency that is tasked with that responsibility and we need good individuals in those positions to make the right decisions not only for the environment but for the economic growth we need. Let us hope they always make the right decisions.
