This week, I'd like you to think about the historical link between the environmental movement and non-Western countries. It may actually be helpful to incorporate some of the things you read during the week we studied technology in the developing world, and use them to round out your post.
How has environmentalism affected the development, either economic or political, of non-Western countries? How does the progression of the environmental movement link to other themes we've discussed (technology, the Cold War, the end of communism, etc)? Can environmentalism be considered a type of imperialism or is it more universal than that? How has it been reconciled with non-Western traditional practices? Did this change over time?
Please use SPECIFIC EVIDENCE.
Environmentalism is a relatively new phenomenon that became popular in the late 20th and 21st centuries. For much of human history, we did not know much about preserving the environment and were very focused on industrialization. As a result, we ended up doing a lot of damage to our planet and much of this damage came at the hands of the technologically advanced and "industrialized" countries, like the US, USSR and Western European countries. The problem with environmentalism finally becoming a priority is that there is a great hypocrisy behind it. Countries like the US and UK today are major advocates in environmental stability, yet it was those countries that did much of the damage seen today. A major part of our nation's development had to do with the build up of resources, which was a process that unfortunately caused much harm to the Earth. Today, when other non-Western countries aim industrialize, we often halt there efforts, as it isn't in the best interest of the environment, although there was nothing stopping us from doing the same. I wouldn't consider environmentalism to be a type of imperialism, but rather a form of geopolitical duplicity; however, it's arrival had to do with the global advances in technology and science. A lot of what we learned about the environment came after much damage was already done. The environmental cleanup seen today goes hand in hand with new prevention methods we are hoping to implement around the World. Luckily, many non-Western countries already have traditional practices in environmental protection and appreciation, which has been rooted over hundreds of years, yet the education process must continue, as many countries still lack the knowledge and means to protect our planet.
ReplyDeleteMatthew Ishkh..
Environmentalism is rooted in valuing the beauty of nature and that mankind has a responsibility to protect it. While this may sounds similar to the British belief in the “white man’s burden,” the planet must be protected, so that future generations of mankind may continue to thrive. Unfortunately, this sounds hypocritical coming from the West after centuries of imperialism and after disregarding the environment during their own industrial revolutions. The fact is, caring for the environment requires money and resources as well as slows down the rate of progress in an industrial sense. This remains a difficult policy to sell to countries who are struggling to catch up with, and in many cases succeeding in catching up with, the rest of the world. This relates to technology in that environmental protection requires expensive and modern forms of technology to create industry that is as environmentally conscious as those in the west. Many developing industrial economies may not have the finances to afford such technologies and measures while still making a profit, and this would put them at a steep disadvantage to the west. However, research on the rising levels of CO2, pollution of the environments, over farming of resources, and mankind’s impact to ecosystems around the world cannot be ignored. China, for example, is the largest producer of goods in the world and is responsible for the largest share of CO2 emissions. China also has only recently risen to a position of prominence in the world and continues to grow rapidly. While the nation was less efficient at reducing emissions and using energy efficiently than the west, China is also spending the most money on improving environmental conditions and is rapidly increasing its efficiency. However, China is a unique situation compared to other developing countries, and can only implement such measures due to the size of its economy.
ReplyDelete-Lucas Downing