Environment vs economy?

It is often believed that there exists a trade-off between the two larger goals of a developing nation. The goals being environmental protection and economic growth. Most economists as well as environmentalists believe that one has to be achieved at the cost of the other. Well, as a matter of fact, this belief is wrong. The reality is that it is impossible to sustain high growth without environmental care.

As a nation, today we are facing a dual crisis; economic and environmental. The spike in food prices, the second in three years says it all. Inflation in recent times is because of the very fact that we are not internally prepared to become the superpower. Economic growth without environment taken into account always leads to such situations of crisis.

Sustained growth has, in-fact, been the most powerful mean to reduce poverty. China’s growth averaged 10 per cent for the past 25 years, lifting 400 million people out of poverty. India can achieve the same in lesser time, but not by ignoring environmental issues. Climate change is the greatest threat to sustaining high growth. In the past 100 years, the world economy has expanded sevenfold, the global population has increased from 1.6 billion to 6.5 billion but the world has lost half of its tropical forests. Natural disasters have increased. Industrial disasters have shown us the dark side of growth.

It is high time we start to think about the environment. Better late than never. Economists and environmentalists instead of fighting each other can come together and chalk out a better long term plan for our nation. We can afford to delay our super power dream for the cause of nature. Can’t we?