Economic Growth Without Environmental Damage (Essay Sample)

“Discuss whether it is possible to have economic growth without environmental damage”
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Economic growth is the long-term increase in a country’s productive potential. The growth in a country’s national income in terms of its productive capacity and per capita income are some of the measures of economic growth. Economic ranking of countries across the world is based on economic growth indicators such as industrial growth rate and GDP (Gross Domestic Product) growth (Rajeswar, 2001). For an economy to grow, it must rely on the growth of its industries, which rely on the environment for raw materials. The primary objective of such industries is the growth and improvement of human life and not necessarily the betterment of the environment. In fact, the rapid growth of industries across the world has resulted in the rapid depletion of the environment because these industries require natural resources from the environment to run their operations. This has raised the question of whether it is probable to achieve long-term economic growth without damaging the environment.
The global economy is facing significant challenges attributed to environmental damage. Economic growth and environment protection are inextricably connected though not necessarily opposed. Arguments have been raised that the environment has become the greatest hindrance to economic growth and that the economy and the environment are often in constant disagreement with each other. Society has been inducted to think that economic growth is directly linked to resource depletion and pollutant emission. While this is evidently true, economies continue to grow at the expense of the environment (Alker & McDonald, 2003). Human beings have transformed from hunters and gatherers to farmers and recently industrialists. These progressions have been necessitated by natural resources. Economic growth is an obligation in the modern-day global economy to which environmental resources are tapped. To think of bringing economic growth to a grinding halt in order to prevent further environmental damage is practically impossible. The environment is already facing serious challenges because it has been damaged to the point that trying to salvage what is left will bring to an end some fundamental economic activities. It is despairing to note that man’s activities have damaged the environment and rendered it unsustainable for living. Natural resources have been depleted, and water polluted by industrial effluence. This has resulted in decreased agricultural produce, prolonged droughts and increasing natural calamities that are a direct effect of environmental degradation (Rajeswar, 2001).
The natural environment plays an essential role in supporting global economic activities. It directly provides raw materials and other resources such as water, minerals and timber, which are needed as inputs for the production of goods and services. Indirectly, the environment supports economic activities through natural processes such as photosynthesis, carbon sequestration, purification of water, nutrient cycling and managing flood risks. This is an indication that the environment is arguably the single most important aspect supporting economic activities and no growth can be achieved without its damage (Alker & McDonald, 2003). Many natural resources and ecosystems are already under intense pressure from economic activities such that attaining long-term economic growth will require an absolute decoupling of production of goods and services from their environmental impacts. Unfortunately, this is not possible because human beings and their activities geared towards economic growth are consuming natural resources at a faster rate than what the environment can replenish. For example, China has logged close to 75 million hectares of forests over the last 10 years, and the resultant effects have been devastating (Jackson, 2011). The country has experienced severe drought; rivers have dried up, and millions of people affected all in the name of economic growth because such trees are used as ra...