On the other hand, consumers and environmentalists seem to be blissfully
unaware of business realities (profit, loss, jobs creation for local people and host
governments) preferring animal welfare to human development, and not considering
the corporations’ environmental policies when they are proper and sound.
4.4.2 Urgent Environmental Issues
In 1972, the Club of Rome commissioned a study with a self-explanatory title:
Limits to Growth (Meadows et al. 1972). At that time, one concern was, of course,
economic growth, while pollution and environmental problems had just begun to be
discussed with Carson (2000) who started the alert and the debate against the heavy
use of pesticides, etc.
The environmental problems have not stopped increasing, unfortunately. Diamond (2011) elaborates on some 12 problems which have been summarised in
Table 4.6.
Problems 1–4 relate to natural resources being lost or destroyed, followed by
three concerning the upper limits of available natural resources. As people produce
or transport dangerous products, these lead to problems 8–10, while the remaining
two are in connection with population issues.
4.4.3 Possible Approaches to Solutions
“If the boat sinks, then we will sink together”, is one approach adopted by many
people (nations) when faced with a crisis which requires sacrifices, yet nobody
wishes to show the way. The completely opposite approach is demonstrated by the
Dutch citizens who acknowledge the benefit of co-operation for the common good.
As one fifth of the land area (polders) is below sea level (as much as 7 m), continuous
pumping needs to be carried out to keep the sea out, and the expression has become:
“I need to prevent my enemy from drowning, otherwise I will drown with him.”
With his background information, there is not a single most important problem in
Table 4.6, but rather 12 most important issues, all to be addressed.
There is no planet B to escape to or where our problems can be exported.
Although many of the problems mentioned involve uncertainties, there are optimistic opinions expressed about new solutions (suddenly) being found. This is also
termed as the ostrich’s approach: “Bury your head underground, and you will not see
the danger.” Some of these opinions are summarised in Table 4.7.
Rich people or those in power, can influence, one way or another, the environmental agendas in their countries. People with more modest means might try other
things such as:
122
4 Infrastructure Vision for Sustainable Development
unaware of business realities (profit, loss, jobs creation for local people and host
governments) preferring animal welfare to human development, and not considering
the corporations’ environmental policies when they are proper and sound.
4.4.2 Urgent Environmental Issues
In 1972, the Club of Rome commissioned a study with a self-explanatory title:
Limits to Growth (Meadows et al. 1972). At that time, one concern was, of course,
economic growth, while pollution and environmental problems had just begun to be
discussed with Carson (2000) who started the alert and the debate against the heavy
use of pesticides, etc.
The environmental problems have not stopped increasing, unfortunately. Diamond (2011) elaborates on some 12 problems which have been summarised in
Table 4.6.
Problems 1–4 relate to natural resources being lost or destroyed, followed by
three concerning the upper limits of available natural resources. As people produce
or transport dangerous products, these lead to problems 8–10, while the remaining
two are in connection with population issues.
4.4.3 Possible Approaches to Solutions
“If the boat sinks, then we will sink together”, is one approach adopted by many
people (nations) when faced with a crisis which requires sacrifices, yet nobody
wishes to show the way. The completely opposite approach is demonstrated by the
Dutch citizens who acknowledge the benefit of co-operation for the common good.
As one fifth of the land area (polders) is below sea level (as much as 7 m), continuous
pumping needs to be carried out to keep the sea out, and the expression has become:
“I need to prevent my enemy from drowning, otherwise I will drown with him.”
With his background information, there is not a single most important problem in
Table 4.6, but rather 12 most important issues, all to be addressed.
There is no planet B to escape to or where our problems can be exported.
Although many of the problems mentioned involve uncertainties, there are optimistic opinions expressed about new solutions (suddenly) being found. This is also
termed as the ostrich’s approach: “Bury your head underground, and you will not see
the danger.” Some of these opinions are summarised in Table 4.7.
Rich people or those in power, can influence, one way or another, the environmental agendas in their countries. People with more modest means might try other
things such as:
122
4 Infrastructure Vision for Sustainable Development