Environment Versus Development

[RAGHAVA]

The idea of progress has taken control of our minds and we believe that continuous economic growth is the only way to solve our problems including poverty and unemployment. In brief the theory says that if there is sufficient growth, prosperity will trickle down to the poorest groups and everybody will be happy.

 

when we try to conserve the environment, we will have to introduce laws for sustainable use of natural resources, to control pollution levels, to rehabilitate people displaced due to developmental projects or environmental disorders and so on. In other words, we have to pay the environmental and social costs of development.

 

The argument is that the conservation approach would push up costs, reduce growth and increase poverty making everybody unhappy. Hence, environmental concerns are poised as being against growth and prosperity.

 

It may be clear that the dominant growth oriented model of development is unsustainable, since it leads to the use of natural resources much faster that they can be regenerated.

 

CAN WE HAVE A SUSTAINABLE MODEL FOR THE ECONOMY? 

[GOPI KANTA GHOSH]

We need to balance...instead of one big we must think of cluster of smalls with CFC...good planning can solve it...but there is need for realizing need at grass root...

[Madhvendra Shukla]

Mr Raghav,

                 Development if not contiguous then continuous be. This is one of my inference from the research work that i had undertaken recently.

It means there should not be any attempt of 'Parachute' development but it must be like a continuum. Investment should be on various aspects of human well being like education, health, agriculture- irrigation, and safety. This will empower people under this niche and their backwardness(read illiteracy, poverty and unemployment) will gradually turn into  prosperity. People will gain a rhythm in their lives and so happiness quotient, which is now a factor for accounting  national growth, will also increase.

'Parachute' development entails sacrificing everything and anything for the sake of that particular purpose. For instance setting up of big industries related to mining. When environment, people and their cultural, social fabric is dismantled and pseudo livelihood dreams are being shown with that parachute industry then it is not a development but a genocide.

 Frankly speaking, sustainable development has become an overburdened clause. The interconnectedness between environment and people is missing in it and or not realised. Second, the idea of limitation and the concept of need which it contains is grossly misunderstood and the irony is that both ruling regimes and the corporates take shelter and seek legality for their attempts of unwarranted activities. This need to be imminently checked.

It is a conspicuous fact that government and more or less people are also less willing to invest in conserving environment. few exceptions still prevail with people.  

The conservation cost must also be taken as a real cost and not as burden.

 

Any economic model minus 'vulgar' Profiteering will make it sustainable in some senses.

 

 

[Venkatesh Dutta]

Mahatma Gandhi's idea towards development integrates sustainability. "Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's need, but not every man's greed." Development should be need-based, not greed-based. Beyond needs, they all make for our greed, which will grow without a stop.

[Vinodh Valluri]

You hit the nail on the head, Mr. Dutta!
Here in the USA, everyone and their grandmother is talking about sustainability, but no one wants to stop and question the premise of unchallenged growth. The lust for power, money, and depraving comforts of all sorts is driving even the most intelligent and educated people towards behaviors that are clearly unsustainable, and unjustifiable. It was a rude, blunt shock to hear MOEF Minister Ramesh draw the line and say that India is going to grow in the Western model, and will not reconsider investment in outdated technologies for coal and nuclear. As much as I can understand his concerns of the practicality of low-tech solutions, there is no other explanation for the need of nuclear energy for a country that is historically rural and agricultural. If anything, real development is when no citizen dies of hunger, or has to live in barbaric lifestyles - slums. The real model for the economy is etched in the pages of ancient Indian history - King Sri Krishna Devaraya, only a few centuries behind us, not several millenia - spoke of brinjals and diamonds heaped in the streets of the marketplaces in his kingdom. Why we can't have that opulence back, I see no reason, but the lack of selfless, service oriented leadership, and an educated, humble populace..

[Dr. Nandini Joshi]

Hi Mr. Dutta!

 

As per the Kuznet’s curve of occupational health,

• Not much weight is given to environmental concerns in the initial stages of a countries development.
• Hence with increasing industrialization, a corresponding increase in levels of pollution is observed.
• After a threshold however, when the basic physical needs of a country are met, interest in a clean environment rises and reverses this trend. At that point, society has the funds as well as the willingness to allocate these funds for the reduction of pollution.
• India could be considered on this portion of the Kuznet’s curve presently

[RAGHAVA]

Dr. S. K Dave has given his valuable suggestions:

 

 

1.Model report on Occupational Health of Each worker.
2.Presentation of data either for industry or mine.
Please inform all proponents and consultants you know.

I WILL REMAIN EVER OBLGED TO YOU FOR HELPING INTHIS MATTER WHICH IS DEDICATED TO OUR MOTHER LAND INDIA BHARAT BHUMI.

 

With regards
YS
SK DAVE

Dr. S.K. Dave,
MD (Med), DOIH, FNCCP,FIAOH, MIPHA, MAMS
EMERITUS MEDICAL SCIENTIST (ICMR)
GUJARAT CANCER & RESERCH INSTITUTE AHMEDABAD
EX HONORARY ADVISIOR
GUJARAT CANCER & RESERCH INSTITUTE AHMEDABAD
EX DIRECTOR,NIOH AHMEDABAD Gujarat, India
Ex-Director, NIMH, NAGPUR, MAHARASHTRA INDIA
EX PROF.INSTITUTE OF CLINICAL RESERCH INDIA
A/1, NANALAL PARK,NR.JAIHIND HIGH SCHOOL,
JAIHND CHAR RASTA, MANINAGAR, AHMEDABAD 380008
(91) 79-25466468,079-25462149 09375993939
[e-mail]
ALTERANATE E MAIL [e-mail]

 
 DEAR SIR, WE ARE VERY MUCH OBLIGED FOR YOUR KIND CONTRIBUTION AND WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE OUR GUIDANCE FOR EVER TO MAKE THIS WORLD SUSTAINALBLE TO THE EXTENT POSSIBLE.

 

YOURES LOVINGLY ------RAGHAVA