seemingly, the wrong person to power, then we must accept that the explanations
given in Table 4.5 are very plausible.
4.3 Extractive Industries Causing Environmental Concerns
Extractive industries, from the name, extract natural resources (both non-renewable
such as oil and metals, and renewable such as wood and fish) from the planet. All
modern societies obtain their supplies of energy from oil, gas, and coal. Most goods
which society uses, such as tools, machines, vehicles, buildings, consist of metal,
wood, or plastics (either petrochemical-derived or/and other synthetics). Writing and
printing is carried out on wood-derived paper. An important wild source of food
stems from fish and other seafoods.
Table 4.5 (continued)
Explanations
Examples
itself from the consequences of its actions, it
is likely acting for its own profit, if even this
harms other people.
“Irrational behaviour” arising when people
are torn by clashes of values: a bad status quo
is ignored because people cling to deeply held
values which favour it.
People are reluctant to abandon a policy
(or to sell a stock) in which they have already
invested heavily.
The same individual may face conflicts
between short-term and long-term motives.
Governments, too, regularly function on a
short-term focus: they feel overawed by
impending disasters and attend only to problems that are on the limit of explosion.
Poor fishermen in tropical reef areas use
dynamite and cyanide to kill coral reef fish
(and the reefs as well) in order to feed their
children today, thereby destroying their
future livelihood.
Psychological denial where some perceived
problem arouses such painful emotions, (terror, anxiety, and grief), that the person subconsciously denies this perception in order to
avoid the unbearable pain, even if the end
result might prove disastrous.
4 No guarantee of success even if there is a
solution attempt.
The problem is beyond present solving
capacities.
The solution exists, but is too expensive.
Efforts made are not sufficient, or are made
too late.
Some attempted policies or solutions miscarry and worsen the problem.
After Diamond (2011)
112
4 Infrastructure Vision for Sustainable Development
given in Table 4.5 are very plausible.
4.3 Extractive Industries Causing Environmental Concerns
Extractive industries, from the name, extract natural resources (both non-renewable
such as oil and metals, and renewable such as wood and fish) from the planet. All
modern societies obtain their supplies of energy from oil, gas, and coal. Most goods
which society uses, such as tools, machines, vehicles, buildings, consist of metal,
wood, or plastics (either petrochemical-derived or/and other synthetics). Writing and
printing is carried out on wood-derived paper. An important wild source of food
stems from fish and other seafoods.
Table 4.5 (continued)
Explanations
Examples
itself from the consequences of its actions, it
is likely acting for its own profit, if even this
harms other people.
“Irrational behaviour” arising when people
are torn by clashes of values: a bad status quo
is ignored because people cling to deeply held
values which favour it.
People are reluctant to abandon a policy
(or to sell a stock) in which they have already
invested heavily.
The same individual may face conflicts
between short-term and long-term motives.
Governments, too, regularly function on a
short-term focus: they feel overawed by
impending disasters and attend only to problems that are on the limit of explosion.
Poor fishermen in tropical reef areas use
dynamite and cyanide to kill coral reef fish
(and the reefs as well) in order to feed their
children today, thereby destroying their
future livelihood.
Psychological denial where some perceived
problem arouses such painful emotions, (terror, anxiety, and grief), that the person subconsciously denies this perception in order to
avoid the unbearable pain, even if the end
result might prove disastrous.
4 No guarantee of success even if there is a
solution attempt.
The problem is beyond present solving
capacities.
The solution exists, but is too expensive.
Efforts made are not sufficient, or are made
too late.
Some attempted policies or solutions miscarry and worsen the problem.
After Diamond (2011)
112
4 Infrastructure Vision for Sustainable Development