Ecological Issues

There are no passengers on Spaceship Earth. We are all crew.’

MARSHALL MCLUHAN, Understanding Media (1964)
INTRODUCTION:
“Man is a social animal, who live without society may be God or Beast” this is the framework
analysis Aristotle. This viewed the relationship between man and social or environment inseparable
and interrelated. Environment- the things around us affecting and influencing as and motivating us for
our smooth functioning. Man is a part of this great, beautiful, wonderful world along with other living
and non-living beings. God created all equal important and interconnected with each other.
Over the years, it is the man's greed that has abused and polluted the environment. In the name of
development, the environmental resources have been damaged and polluted beyond comprehension.
The world is confronting three major types of pollution: air pollution, water pollution and noise
pollution. It is also on the verge of 'terminal environmental and ecological crisis' in the 21st century
as perceived by Frank Judd¹ (former member, British Parliament). The threat from fast depleting
resources under escalating population's rising demand, and the urgent need for environmental controls
by mobilising formal and informal institutions and local-global communities to achieve stability and
ecological balance are the greatest challenges confronting the world in the 21st century.

THE RISE OF GREEN POLITICS :

Environment politics or green politics can be traced back to the, industrialisation of the nineteenth
century. This environment crisis makes the world a spaceship earth- where the resources are very
limited and there is no outside supply. This resource is very limited for a period and when the period
is over all died. Further, Scientist are predicted that up to 2050 all resources of the earth will be over
because the present concept of development based on exploitation of non-renewable resource the cost
of renewable resources.

Further it is the 20 to 25 percent world population of west who exploited 80% of world resources.
This is known as ‘Tragedy of commons’ –as resources are all, the rich countries exploited as much as
possible because of 400 years of exploitation environment crisis occurred.
After the 1960s and 1970s, environmental movement emerged as important issues in global politics,
particularly in western developed nations. This movement are very much influenced by some works
of Green politics included Rachel Carson’s silent spring (1962) a critique of the damage done to
wildlife human world by the increased use of pesticides and other agricultural chemical.
This period of the 1960s and 1970s also show the birth of a new generation of activist and so-called
‘economic groups campaigning on issues such as the dangers or pollution dwindling reserves of fossil
fuels, deforestation etc. these environmental problems generally address on three problems:
1. Resource problem: Attempts to conserve natural materials reduction of the use of non-renewable
resources (coal, natural gas etc), increasing the use of renewable resources and reducing population
growth.
2. Sink problem: Attempts to reduce the damage done by the products of economic activity through
reducing pollution level increasing recycling and developing less polluting technologies.
3. Ethical problem: attempts to restore the balance between mankind and nature through wildlife and
wilderness conservation, respect of other species changed agricultural practices.
RELATION BETWEEN MAN AND NATURE :
This relationship based on exploitation of nature for the development of human being a zero sum
game where one win out of loss of another. But this environment crisis makes a revolution between
man and nature. There are two broad approaches on this:
1. Unity approach: this unity approach based upon the idea that nature and human being are same
they are both complementary to each other and inseparable the development of human being is only
possible with the development of nature and within nature
2. Opposition approach: This approach is opposite to unity approach and gives a position of human
being against nature. It based upon the idea that nature is nothing but matter and human being used
environment for its better way of life.
ENVIRONMENT AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS :
Environment issues have also affected the course of actual international relations for the past few
decades. Their major impacts on international relations are:
1. Sustainable Development: With growing concern for environmental degradation among people
and nations of the world, the term ‘sustainable development’ is becoming very popular. Solution to
the problems caused by ecological imbalances is found in sustainable development. Thus this term is
in vogue in recent years at both national and international levels. Brundtland report says, “Sustainable
development seeks to meet the needs and aspirations of the present without compromising the ability
to meet of the future.
2. The North –South Divide: Environment debates in different international forums and conferences
witnessed the North – South divide and hierarchy. Disagreement between North and South out-
weighed their agreement on the nature of global environment problems. Wide-ranging differences
between them on a number of issues such as causes of global environmental degradation, mechanisms
of arresting ecological crises etc, remain. While some perceive underdevelopment of third world
countries argue that the very process of development along the lines of industrial progress has been
instrumental in environment negotiations.
3. Politicisation of Environment Issues: The environment negotiations gradually became
politicised in the 1990s and the countries, which pledged for action to mitigate for example the
impact of climate change, were willing no more to stick to their words. During this period the issues
of climate change got entangled in the controversy surrounding widening differences in perception
over the issue between developing countries especially regarding the measures to mitigate the impact.
The developed states led by the US were of the view that “climate change is a common technological
and economic problem and it is caused by Green house gas emission. It could be tackled by providing
aid and encouragement of new technologies in developing states.
 4. Divergent Views of Developed Countries: Even the developed countries have divergent views on
many environmental issues. For example the tough stand against the carbon dioxide emission by
European states was mainly due to awakening among the people regarding the likely impact of
climate change.
5. Environment Management standards: In early 1990s the International Organisation for
Standardisation (ISO) established a technical committee ISO/TC 207 environment management
system to bring out standing relating to environmental practices in organisations.
6. Earth Day and World Environment Day: April 22 is a day dedicated not just to recognise the
beauty and riches of the earth but also to make the earth a healthier and safer place to live. Speeches,
workshops, parades and demonstrations on the occasion of the Earth Day have brought awareness
about the dangers of overpopulation, energy waste and other issues of vital concern. Earth day was
first observed on April 22, 1970 with the message “Give Earth a Chance” and intention to reclaiming
the purity of the air, water and living environment.
7. Global Initiations, Conference and Summits: The United Nations has been seized of the
seriousness of the environment problems and hard taken a series of initiatives. Several international
conferences and summits were also convened to discuss and find solution to problems like global
warming, climate change, water and air pollution, sustainable developments etc. Major ones are
discuss below:
 The Stockholm conference: it was in this background that the United Nations Environmental
Agency organised the international conference on Human Environment, at Stockholm from 5 to 14
June 1972. It was attended by representative of 114 nations. The conference adopted the motto “only
one earth” for the entire humanity. The conference declared June 5 as the world environment day.
 The first world climate conference 1979: It was a scientific gathering that recognised climate
change as a serious problem; issued declaration calling the government to prevent potential man-
made changes in climate established a World Climate Programme under the joint responsibility of
the world Meteorological organisation, UN environment programme and the International Council of
Scientific Unions.
 An Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC): It was established in 1988. A number
of intergovernmental conferences focusing on climate change were held in the late 1980s and early
1990s. IPCC released its First Assessment Report in 1990 which, after an exhaustive peer review
process confirmed the scientific evidence for climate change and suggested possible response
strategies.
 Nairobi Conference 1982: in 1982, UN Conference on Environment was held at Nairobi. The
conference adopted a report entitled “The World Environment 1972-82”. It was a stock-taking
exercise.
 The Rio summit 1992: The UN convened “Earth Summit” at Rio de Janeiro to foster “our
common future” from June o3 to 14th, 1992. The conference was attended by 175 heads of states,
10,000 govt mission and 20,000 NGOs. The 6 basic conspicuous issues were:
1. Green house Gas Emission
2. Forests
3. Population
4. Technology
5. Transfer
6. Finance
The earth Summit ended with the adoption of the Rio Declaration and Agenda 21-a blue print for
sustainable development.
 Kyoto Summit (Japan) 1997: The conference was meant to set a framework for international
action to mitigate global warming for at least next 10 years.
 World Summit on Sustainable Development,2002: The World Summit on Sustainable
Development held from August 26 to September 4, 2002 in Johannesburg, South Africa was
described by the advanced countries as a “resounding success”. But the developing countries, non-
governmental organisation and environment rejected the Johannesburg Declaration as “the worst
political sell out in decades”. The ten day event that drew more than 60,000 participants from 185
countries was follow-up to the first Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1992, which put
forward 2,500 recommendations the majority so which have not been implemented.
 Bail Conference: The 13th conference of Parties (COP-13) to the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) held in Bail (Indonesia) from 2nd to 14th December 2007
was primarily meant to be a precursor to the port Kyoto framework for climate change. Under the
Kyoto Protocol, countries actual emissions have to be monitored and peruse records of trades carried
out have to be kept.
SUMMARY :
Many environment issues now have a crucial transnational dimension. No doubt several measures
with regard to environment protection have been initiated at the international level yet there is much
scope by inequality of bargaining power between the north and the south. With the diminution of
national sovereignty in the developing countries due to globalisation, this inequality has further
accentuated. Both developed and developing countries must involve themselves in serious
negotiations for achieving good and pollution free life for the future generations. Sustainable
development need not wait for furthers technological breakthrough, green technologies, renewable
resources of energy and other alternative solutions available in the present can be utilised for a good
start.