ENVIRONMENT VS ECONOMY- A LAYMAN’S TAKE ON THE SUBJECT

ENVIRONMENT VS ECONOMY- A LAYMAN’S TAKE ON THE SUBJECT

If we are not healthy enough to enjoy the benefits of a booming economy then what is the use of such an economy!

By Dr Anindita Roy, 9818541252

A year back, when the deadly virus attacked and rampaged our lives, the world had to go on a sudden lockdown. With the lockdown came many changes in our lives and ways we worked & looked at the world. We the citizens of Delhi, were blessed with clear blue skies with white cottony clouds during the early months of lockdown. With bluer skies, more flowers bloomed, more birds and squirrels came and the trees looked greener. The air was filled with a mild perfume of the blooming blossoms. The night sky was filled with stars and flowery perfume after many many years!!We had a long lasting spring. It was as if the summer had forgotten to come!

It is the same time of the year again, April 2021. No more is the sky beautifully blue with white clouds!! The sky is dull grey and no clouds are visible! A few birds came and were gone. The naughty bulbul however, is there, trying to build a nest and lay its eggs. But the many small birds that came last year are not to be seen. The flowers did come, but not as much as last year and the trees are not so green any more. The ‘patjahd’ has set in early leaving trees bare and the grounds full of dry leaves! The mild floral perfume hanging in the air is gone! The view from my window is not so magical any more! How I miss the beautiful window side view from my home! The lockdown had been good for the environment! Mother Earth blossomed and thrived!

However, the lockdown had started affecting the economy and also the livelihood of many individuals. Also, we cannot be on a total lockdown forever and the wheels of economy have to move on. But the lockdown had more of us thinking about the effect of economic growth on environment.

The "economy vs. the environment" debate is not that much old. The onset of the Industrial revolution which started in the later part of the 18^th century, brought in large scale pollution and huge waste filled lands. The Industrial Revolution transformed economies that had been based on agriculture and handicrafts into economies based on large-scale industry.

Economic historians are in agreement that the onset of the Industrial Revolution is the most important event in the history of humanity since the domestication of animals and plants. However, I feel that it is a catch 22 situation. With a polluted environment comes many health hazards! If we are not healthy enough to enjoy the benefits of a booming economy then what is the use of such an economy!

Now there is an inter-relation between the economy and the environment… the environment provides resources to the economy. Natural resources are essential for production in many sectors. On the other hand, production and consumption also lead to pollution and other pressures on the environment. Poor environmental quality in turn affects economic growth and wellbeing by lowering the quantity and quality of resources or due to health impacts.

Environmentalists are trying to find out workable solutions to curb the impact of economization on the environment. Our younger generations need to be taught early, the impact of industrialization and unethical economization, so that they can formulate policies and actions to balance out the ill effects of rapid economization. We citizens, also have to educate ourselves and our workforce to work towards a pollution free environment so that we can enjoy the beautiful sights and smells that Mother Earth has to offer us. I sincerely hope that living under a dull gray, cloudless and starless sky and breathing hazardous pollutants is not the destiny of humankind.