Environmentalism, Economic Growth, and Political Development

Environmentalism, Economic Growth, and Political Development
Chapter in Brief
Introduction
The rising competition for economic supremacy
The need for sustainable development
The Relationship between Economy and the Environment
Economy and Society in terms of Population Growth and Environmental Conservation (Weber)
Economy and the Environmental Issues (Marx)
The environmental Conservation (Durkheim)
Ecological crisis and tragedy of culture (Simmel)
The Politics of Climate Change
Global warming and climate change (Weber)
The Politics of Climate Change (Marx)
The politics of global warming (Simmel)
The Climate change (Durkheim)
INTRODUCTION
In the previous chapter, I discussed the polarization of economic resources using the four classical theorists; Weber, Marx, Simmel, and Durkheim. In this chapter, I take a step further to discuss environmentalism and what the consequences of climate change hold for the future of the society. I still focus on the four classical theorists with their theories. The topic of climate change and environmental conservation and economic growth has become a hot topic in the recent past. As nations compete to become economically vibrant and independent, they are making everything within their means to exploit the available natural resources. The issues of the economic development, public policies towards environmental conservation, and population growth have become issues that every nation on the globe is taking steps to address. Sustainable development refers to the development programs that meet the needs of the current generation while at the same time taking into consideration the needs of future generations. All human activities associated with development are directly tied to the exploitation of natural resources. Land is the primary resource and has been the ultimate source of mineral resources. All human activities such as transport, agriculture, forestry, and construction take place on land. The problem with the exploitation of these resources is that they are exhaustible. This has created a concern from scientists and the society about the future of the exhaustible resources. There has been a lot of concern on the wastes that are directly released into the atmosphere and also the impact of these wastes to the environment. Technological developments have helped the society to make tremendous developments in exploiting the resources for improving human lives. These developments are however, unparalleled with the needs of the society. The demand and greed for wealth has placed pressure on the limited resources available. Scientists have come to a consensus conclusion that human activities are responsible for environmental changing taking place at the global level. Unless the economic development activities are checked, the future generations may not have a chance to enjoy the available resources.
The Relationship between Economy and the Environment
Economics has a significant role to play on what happens to the environment, whether positive or negative. I have watched and listened to debates of economic development and the main point that often arises from these debates is the economic impacts on the environment. While it is true to argue that natu...