Environmental crisis - Root of the global economic downturn
Ashoka ABAYAGUNAWARDANE
According to these tired systems the chief indicate of development is
the growth of the GDP. Engaging in unchanging industrial jobs, shifting
away from labour intensive jobs, pending large amounts of time in
physically non-taxing activities, constructing homes and establishments
that far exceed actual requirements, building and using larger and
larger vehicles, constructing wider and wider roads to run them on,
reducing quality time with family members, reduction in relaxation,
encouraging enterprises and businesses that cause degeneration in
quality and morality and implementing massive projects that cause
equally massive environment damage are components of these
ill-formulated and destructive economic fundamentals.
Better system of existence
This system of measuring growth via the GDP is not one that indicates
a higher quality of human existence. Instead, it is one of the speed
with which mankind brings itself to destruction. Blinded and tricked by
this measurement the entire populated world is on a mad race to
extinction and, in a dark age where a human being dies of hunger every
20 minutes, it is crucial that the world finds a better system of
existence if it is to continue to exist at all. Measurements that are
indicative of these systems are currently being formulated by experts.
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Cutting trees for development projects should be minimized |
The principles for these new mechanisms are not based on uncontrolled
exploitation of natural resources but rather, are based on increasing
the space available for individuals to lead satisfied lives. To put it
simply, these methods encourage people to eschew excess and deprivation
and instead, advocates a balanced, thoughtful and regenerative
existence.
Recently a new measure knows as the universal happiness index has
been proposed by express. Those nations that are considered to be the
most development in terms of the GDP find themselves at the other end of
the spectrum when measured against this index and its implications for
citizens' welfare.
Nations hitherto vilified as undeveloped suddenly find themselves in
the forefront when views in terms of the new index. Topping the list
according to this measure is little known island of Vanuatu Northeast of
Australia. A number of Brazilian countries nations are in the top
bracket. Sri Lanka flogged and insulted as a 'poor country' stands at
number 16. Only Bhutan and Vietnam score higher than Sri Lanka in Asia
and they come in at 12 and 13 respectively. In comparison, China is at
number 31 and India at 62. Way down the list lie Japan at 95, Britain at
108 and America at 150. The lowest in the list are a few countries in
Africa.
America and Europe have now recognized the inescapable, brutally
harsh truth that well-being doesn't automatically result from being
well-off. They are attempting to wean themselves from their socially,
environmentally and economically damaging addictions. The 'Dreams
Project' of American President Barak Obama is a case in point. According
to this, it is envisioned that America will double the use of renewable
energy sources within three years. The challenge issued by former
Vice-President of the USA, AL Gore to the people of America to
exclusively use renewable energy by the year 2018 is another.
Now, knowing that we are way ahead in terms of the new indicators of
growth and development, it is crucial that we maintain or increase that
position, stop being tricked into bad development plans, act with
clarity and responsibility and plan for a rejuvenated and renewed Sri
Lanka.
Financial debt vs Environmental debt
The chief deterrent to the development of Sri Lanka is its debt
burden. However, looking at the future direction of what will become the
ideal of global development, countries currently known as development
countries will in fact be designated as undeveloped or under-developed.
Moreover, given the massive environment damage perpetrated by those
developed countries indicates that their environmental debt to countries
such as ours by far exceeds our financial debt to them.
It is common knowledge that an individual living in a 'developed'
country emits about 20 times more carbon into the atmosphere than a
counterpart living in a 3rd world country. The bottom line observation
of uncontrolled pollution that resulted from this excess is that people
from developed countries have also, in the process taken away the right
of those in poorer countries to emit Co2.
Environment sustaining growth
The two main political parties in Sri Lanka have each proposed a
different system for developing the country.
The first is the 'Re-awakening Sri Lanka' plan of the UNP. It starts
with a 'vision for development' that is introduced (not verbatim) in
this manner: "There is only one path. That is sustaining a high rate of
economic development. We are not talking of a 4-5 percent growth but
rather an 8-10 percent growth. Not in the short term but in the long
term. It is only through such sustainable development that we can ease
our debt burden." It is clear that the UNP is still trapped in
tradition, outdated economic paradigms. That it is clueless about the
developments in current thinking. it is simply a blind aping of
destructive paths taken by America and Europe.
The second is the 'Mahinda Chinthana' of the UPFA. It starts by
stating that the plan envisages a movement towards a disciplined
society. Its opening topic is 'Quality Citizen'. The first paragraph is
as follows (not verbatim): "In order for individuals to grow not only
materially but spiritually as well, they need to be imparted with
knowledge of both devotion and insight. In order to achieve this, it is
my goal to eradicate hatred and instill quality and productivity in
relationships between parents and children, wives and husbands, teachers
and students, those providing services and those using those services,
those that rule and those that are rules.
This is the fundamental requirement for a framework for future
philosophical outlook, lifestyles and life systems. This is not a system
that landed within the 'Mahinda Chinthana' by chance but rather a system
born out of the foundations of insight based on the Buddha's Dharma that
has thrived and sustained human beings in high quality living for
thousands of years. It is our responsibility to work towards building a
strong nation based on these principles.
Just as much as Sri Lanka found a way to completely eradicate
terrorism, we can formulate a new system for the benefit of the world
through the 'Mahinda Chinthana'.
We must, every single one of us, commit ourselves to zeal and focus
towards finding such a solution. Just as much as the Armed Forced took
the lead in defeating terrorism, academics and experts to take the lead
in development. If this is not done soon, then Forces bent on diluting
and distorting the 'Mahinda Chinthana' with outdated economic systems
will drive us into a morass of social and economics putrefaction from
which we will not be able to recover.
If we are to ensure that these efforts of destruction come to naught,
we have to deeply analyze and educate ourselves on the economic and
environmental challenges that the world faces and bring our formidable
cultural and religious heritage to the fore to find lasting and, most
importantly, 'universally satisfying' solutions to this intrinsically
bound plethora of problems. Concluded
(The writer is Executive Director - The Energy Forum)
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