Green Political Theory
Various theories of post-development are based on the belief that industrialization and continuous
advancement of technology are the main conditions of development. Nevertheless, the nature of
development and its impact on the environment have been a matter of public concern and discussion
for the last few years—especially since two startling facts emerged—First, the ozone layer in the
atmosphere is depleting And second, global warming is about to become a reality. As a result,
environmental movement and green thinking are also becoming an integral part of contemporary
political theory.
Meaning of Green Political Theory - The main problem of developing countries is to choose the path of
development, but the impact of development falls on the environment of the whole world. It has
become necessary to exploit natural resources for the industrialization of developing and
underdeveloped countries and to meet the needs of their immense population. Industrialized on the
other hand | The level of consumption in developed countries is so high that even for the consumption
of their relatively small population, natural resources are being exploited to the fullest. In both cases
heavy on the natural resources of the world. The pressure is on.When the population was less in the
beginning of human civilization, people lived a simple life and nature Lived in close contact with. At that
time there was a need for minor production. for your consumption Whatever elements man used to
extract from nature, such as oxygen, nitrogen, carbon etc., they used to reach back to nature through
natural cycles. Therefore, no harm was caused to nature due to human consumption. At that time the
stock of natural resources was so high and their consumption was so low that no one could have
imagined that natural resources would ever fall short for human consumption. But as time passed, the
population started increasing. With the development of civilization and technology, the level of human
consumption also increased, as a result of which the exploitation of natural resources increased so much
that there was a problem of shortage in their reserves, along with this, the use of artificial means in
normal life increased so much that man Not only did he go away from nature, but he also started
polluting nature. The response to this situation in the political sphere came in the form of conscious
environmentalism.
Swadhan is not a political theory. It is an ideology movement, which emerged in western politics in the
1970s and gradually spread all over the world.| spread in 79. Because of their deep connection with the
science of the environment, environmentalists are also called ecologists. Since the emphasis is on
maintaining greenery in the environment under this movement, the politics inspired by it is named
Green Politics or Green Political Theory. In countries like New Zealand, Germany and Britain, political
parties were formed to achieve the goals of 'Green Politics' and elections were also contested, but they
could not get any special success.
Although the nature of the environmental movement varies greatly, the following two trends can be
clearly identified on a political basis.
1. Human-centered branch- Its supporters say that human is the only criterion to find out how valuable
nature is. If nature is valuable, it is only because man recognizes and values it. For the individual it is the
world and in the society the individual is not only the source of all values but also the yardstick. Nature
is very valuable and it nourishes the physical life of a person. Environmental groups, environmental
protection groups and recreational groups come under this branch. Their efforts to maintain the
environment are for the benefit and protection of mankind. Proponents of this branch want to use the
current political process and institutional framework to protect the environment. It does not demand
any special change in it.
2. Life-centered branch - The supporters of this branch give priority to the whole nature in place of the
individual, of which the individual is a part. In other words, this branch is nature-centred rather than
person-centred. Since it values the whole of nature, it cannot be used as a means to personal ends. This
branch believes in the inherent importance of nature, that is, the importance that is not given to it by
man, but is its own. Proponents of this branch want to bring about a radical change in social values and
want to create such a system in which the whole attitude towards this world and nature will change. The
thinkers of this branch want to build an alternative community in place of the current social, economic
and political institutions, which will be based on alternative technology and bio-regions.
In addition to these two branches, there is also an extremist form of environmental theory, which
considers nature as supreme. For them retirement is the best aim of life. These thinkers consider
industrialization as corrupting process of this planet. They think that calamities like flood, famine,
epidemic are a symbol, through which nature tries to correct its natural balance. Critics have given it the
name of Eco-fascism, but the number and importance of those who believe so are negligible.
Chief Concerns: The ideological basis of environmentalism is 'social justice'. Its proponents argue that
the land is not the personal property of anyone. We did not inherit it from our forefathers, rather we
have it as a heritage for future generations. So we are bound to keep the existing natural resources. The
present generation does not have the right to put the future generations in danger by squeezing all the
resources of the earth or the environment for their own consumption. so the environment It is our main
duty to be alert for its protection. Ecology has proved that in the blind race for economic development,
extensive damage has been done to our environment. Due to indiscriminate mining in search of
minerals, so much acid has been shed that it has poisoned the pure water sources. Due to chemical
waste generated from industries and radioactive leakage generated from the use of nuclear power, the
earth is no longer habitable. Drawing attention to all these facts, environmentalism gives a higher place
to 'Quality of Life' than 'Economic Growth' and takes care of natural resources, natural beauty,
cleanliness of the environment and the nature of cities and suburbs. Emphasizes retention.
Environmentalism makes all these objectives political program issues and puts pressure on the
government to make appropriate policies and laws for them.
Environmental problems -
Environmentalists challenge the current economic values and argue that while calculating the Gross
National Product of a nation, the cost of natural resources that the industrial system continuously
destroys should also be taken into account. Is going When we limit nature and environment, we
experience many problems. These problems are: population explosion, complex modern weapons, air,
water and noise pollution, destruction of natural resources etc. These problems pose a threat to human
existence. We must realize that protection of the environment is essential for the survival and health of
humanity. We should use the natural resources related to air, water and land very wisely, so that we can
ensure a healthy environment for the present and future generations.
The description of some of the main problems of the environment is as follows- 1. Population explosion
- The centers of population explosion are the continents of Asia, Africa and South America, so the
standard of living of common citizens living here is continuously falling. Food, fuel, housing and other
facilities are required for the huge population. We get timber, cement, iron, raw material, electrical
energy etc. from nature only. The increasing population is a serious threat to the environment.
Countries whose population is increasing rapidly, their customs, methods of living, religious ideas and
religious leaders population control environment, but also for other aspects of the environment, such as
social, economic, political.
2. Air pollution- Air pollution is very dangerous for human beings. The air that the residents of huge
industrial cities breathe is full of toxic chemicals. Factories, mining projects, thermal power projects,
nuclear power projects and means of transport are mainly responsible for air pollution. As long as the
population continues to grow, different types of things will remain a problem for living comfortably. The
minerals that come out of mining are important for us, but mining affects the development of trees and
plants and the general land structure. It also leads to soil erosion, due to which water bodies dry up.
Toxic gases released from thermal power projects are equally fatal for plants and humans. Nuclear
power projects cause degradation of forests and adversely affect the health of flora and fauna.
3. Land and water pollution - In this subject, N. Seshagiri writes, “We think that the shortage of water
supply will not end. Along with rivers and streams, there is also an infinite expanse of ocean. But we
often do not remember that the population of the world is increasing rapidly. The main problem is not
that the supply of water will run out, but that the population will increase so much that people will not
have access to water." There is a fixed amount of water that can be used, while the demand for water
supply is unlimited. Water is needed not only by humans, but also by animals and birds. It is also used in
agriculture and factories, so there is a need for proper consumption of water.
Even more serious thing is that rivers and seas are getting polluted by toxic chemicals coming out from
factories, petroleum producers, pesticides like D.D.T. The effects of land and water pollution can be seen
on plants, animals and humans. Soil quality is deteriorating, resulting in loss of arable land. About five to
seven crore hectares of agricultural land is getting damaged every year. Land degradation is taking place
due to water and air, for which the world has to pay a huge price. Due to frequent floods, there is a lot
of damage to the society - such as destruction of forests, increase in water flow in rivers, improper
drainage system, loss of life and property. The whole environment gets polluted due to the physical
tests in the sea. When molecular testing takes place in low-lying soil, it spreads a lot of diseases. Toxic
chemicals, fumes, harmful acids and other dangerous substances, such as carbon monoxide,
hydrocarbons, nitrogen, etc. pose a threat to the existence of the earth and the living beings on it.
4. Urbanization- Urbanization is also a source of pollution and a threat to the environment. Urbanization
means migration of people from villages to cities. Due to the increase of urbanization, environmental
problems, such as the problem of cleanliness, poor health, problems of housing, water, electricity, fuel,
etc. increase. On the other hand, environmental pollution due to day-to-day gathering, grazing of
animals, and exhaustion of natural resources spread to rural life.
5. Industrialization - Industrialization is the main cause of environmental pollution. The more factories
there are, the more energy is needed to operate them, which has to burn more oil to produce them.
effects of the use of coal, oil, electricity or nuclear power on the surrounding environment. We can
imagine the effect it has. Carbon monoxide gas is produced by burning oil or coal, which reduces the
ability of our blood to absorb oxygen. Due to this there is difficulty in breathing and there is a danger of
fainting of the person.
6. Islands of the rich in the sea of poverty - Another factor polluting the environment is the existence of
richness and poverty at some places. Developed countries have ruled backward developing countries to
fulfill their imperialist ambition; They have increased their spheres of influence and have polluted their
environment by excessive use of their natural resources. During the 18th and 19th centuries, the
countries of Europe ruled the countries of Asia and Africa. Similarly, the western countries polluted the
environment of the middle-eastern countries. In the 20th century, these rich countries fought two world
wars and used everything they could to pollute the environment in their struggle to distribute colonies.
When poor countries try to overcome their backwardness, rich countries develop nuclear weapons to
prove how advanced they are. Rich countries are very concerned about their economic interests, so they
do not pay attention to environmental protection.
7. Transport Projects- Transport projects mainly include laying of rail lines, construction of roads and
bridges, development of air routes and airports, establishment of ports and expansion of shipping.
Motor vehicles are the main means of spreading toxic gases like carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides.
The development of transport and communication means has not only polluted the environment, but
has also started the process of depletion of natural resources. Both these processes cause a lot of
damage to the environment. The release of large amount of heat, carbon dioxide and other such things
make the atmosphere dangerous. On the other hand, the use of conventional sources of energy leads to
depletion of natural resources. In this way man is creating a painfully polluted world for future
generations. By not giving them a home, he is giving them an empty monument, which will have neither
a cage nor a nest.
Environmental Protection Environmental protection is a natural concern of ours. We have to stop the
actions that are being taken to destroy nature for hundreds of years. In 1992, the United Nations called
a conference in Rio de Janeiro to discuss the environment, in which all countries agreed on a program
called Agenda-21. Environmental issues are very important, because without their solutions, the world
would be a terrible place. If environmental problems are not addressed or resolved, it will become
impossible for future generations to live on this earth. A report on environmental problems was
presented to US President Jimmy Carter (1977–81). The report stated that, "If current trends continue,
the world we live in now will be more polluted, ecologically less stable, more congested than the world
we lived in in 2000." The one will be more disruptive." Population explosion is showing a serious
pressure on the environment. Despite greater material prosperity, people will be poorer in many ways
than they are today. That's why the world's attention has gone to environmental protection, rationing of
resources, population control. The world moved away from Garrett Hardin's theory of economic
rationality, according to which human beings try to get maximum profit, Robert Hebroner's give
attention to Crisis of survival.
