Introduction
Today
there is a need for a new paradigm for global development in
the wake of the multiple crises facing us, namely global
warming, climate change and global financial meltdown. The
signs had been there for decades, but the spirit of greed
underlying the concept of unbridled accelerated economic
growth based on maximization of profits, and ignoring the
fundamental animal instinct in human beings have withheld a
change in the direction of this development. These days
there is the desire to embark on a sustainable development
so that we improve the standard and quality of life of the
people, while ensuring that we do not destroy the
environment and thus pass on worthwhile livelihoods to the
future generations.
The
Nexus of Population, Development and Environment
Three
main parameters dictate our future orientation as a species
on this planet. These are the growing population, the type
of development we envisage, and the type of environment we
want to live in and leave as legacy to future generations.
The
population of this planet, presently over six billion, is
growing to seven to eight billion in the next 30 years, that
is within the lifetime of most of us here. Out of this, we
have nearly 80% living in developing and underdeveloped
countries that will, on their own, experience over two to
three billion growth in this period. Already we have a
situation in which 1.6 billion people have no access to
electricity, and 1.2 billion live below the poverty line
with less than $ 2 a day, unable to meet their basic needs.
Out of
this population, more than 60% will live in cities and mega
cities, with the pressure on infrastructure and basic
amenities that this will bring about. Global resources are
limited, but the desire of people to improve their living
conditions, and simply to seek a basic better livelihood by
trying to obtain a fairer share of these limited resources
is but natural.
That is
why it is imperative for the present generation to reflect
on the type of development it wants to have, and the type of
environment it wants to leave for future generations. few
should not behave in such a way that future generations
blame us for what we have done as selfish human beings.
Role
of Science and Technology (S&T)
Our
development has been marked by our mastery of science and
technology that have been the primary tools for changing our
lives and ensuring basic needs. As tools, S&T are
neutral. It is up to us to decide on what type of tools we
develop, and what use we make of them.
Science
and Technology on their own are ineffective. It is the
economic, social and political visions that dictate their
development and use. Unless we have sound economic, social
and political orientations, we are likely to fall into a
trap of inappropriate development, and soon destroy
ourselves, and our planet. We need changes in our economic
and social policies and a new vision for political
development at the global level.
Benefits
of S&T led development
There
is no doubt that science and technology have changed our
lives, with the multiple benefits that have accrued over the
ages. First and foremost, our life expectancy has increased
with better education, health care facilities, adequate food
through better agricultural output, and overall higher
standard of living. Most of all, science and technology have
helped to reduce the drudgery of hard physical labour, and
machines have changed our lives. Life has become easier on
the whole.
Developments
in the communications sector have brought human beings
closer together with faster travel, better
telecommunications, and the world has shrunk into a global
village. The advent of satellite communication, mobile
phones, internet, video and teleconferences, has been a boon
to mankind. Like any other technology it is up to us to make
rational use of them for the preservation of human
civilization. These have strengthened and enlarged man’s
horizons, and we are now envisaging, through space travel,
migrations to other planets where new developments are
possible. We have acquired greater mastery over the forces
of nature, and are able to meet the needs of an ever-growing
population.
Negative
aspects of Science and Technology
While
enhancing man’s capacity to enjoy and live higher life
styles, Science and Technology have also contributed to
making lives more difficult by the wrong and inappropriate
choices made by the users. When man started conquering new
countries and peoples, developments of new forms of
communication and warfare were crucial. Innovations,
research and development, have led to new weapons of
destruction, even to weapons of mass destruction using
nuclear technology. Day by day more and more sophisticated
weapons are being developed and used in warfare, and
billions of dollars are being spent to satisfy man’s greed
for power and control over the destinies of others. If
only a small fraction of the amount spent on the development
of new weapons and the pursuit of numerous wars were spent
on the alleviation of poverty and the provision of basic
needs globally, the world would have been a better place.
Asia and Africa are witnessing continued war, and the spill
over is felt in the other continents. Daily thousands of
lives are being destroyed.
With the
advent of the Industrial Revolution two and a half centuries
ago, a new culture of consumerism has developed, with
ruthless exploitation of the limited resources of the world.
Respect for nature has diminished, with the belief that all
that exists on this globe is for human consumption! Existentialism
as a philosophy has become rampant in the developed world.
People believe in one life that has to be lived to the full,
with no regard for what happens to others, to other forms of
life and to subsequent generations. There is little respect,
if any, for other forms of life on the planet.
People
are not content with simple lifestyles, and the spirit of greed
has caught up. Accumulation of material properties and
enjoyment of the same is the order of the day. Forget about
plain living and high thinking!
Besides
wars, global physical and natural environment are
being destroyed. The environment appears to be the main
victim of the type of science and technology we have
pursued. With the unbridled consumption patterns being
promoted, global warming has resulted and unheard of
catastrophes are becoming more and more common. It is
estimated that by 2050, fifteen major cities across the
globe will be under water. London, New York, Bangkok,
Shanghai, Mumbai and many others will not be spared. Can we
imagine the havoc this will create, the lives that will be
lost, and the trillions of dollars that will have to be
spent to displace tens of millions of people to higher
places and provide them with basic amenities?
Thousands
of islands will be lost forever in different parts of the
world! People living in those islands will either disappear
or have to be moved to safer places. Fifteen to twenty
percent of Bangladesh now lies within one metre of sea
level, and will be under water. 13 to 30 million people will
be affected. Pacific islands like Tuvalu are already being
evacuated. Maldives’ 1,200 islands will disappear from the
map! In Indonesia 17,500 islands are presently threatened.
Large
rain forests in Brazil and other places can turn into
savannas. Rising temperature and shifting rainfall patterns
can affect major staple crops like maize and sorghum. Biodiversity,
both on land and in the sea, is being fast decimated. Over
the last ten years over 30% of this biodiversity has
disappeared. Future generations will never see and admire
certain plants, animals, butterflies, birds, fish, tortoise,
and so many other species.
We
are releasing millions of tons of toxic gases into
the atmosphere, gases like CO2, SO2, CH4, N2O, ozone
depleting chloroflurocarbons, and these, besides polluting
the environment, are adding to the greenhouse effect and
accelerating the global warming. Here the major culprit is
the consumption of fossil fuels, and an ever-growing need
for them. Bigger cars, bigger highways, bigger airplanes,
bigger factories, bigger houses, and the craze for greater
material gains have become part of our symbol of
civilization. The lifestyles we are emulating will be the
poison that will destroy us.
Albert
Gore who shared the Nobel Peace Prize for 2007 with the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, while addressing
the Nobel function, said: ‘Today, we dumped another 70
million tons of global-warming pollution into the thin shell
of atmosphere surrounding our planet, as if it were an open
sewer. And tomorrow, we will dump a slightly larger amount,
with the cumulative concentrations now trapping more and
more heat from the sun. As a result, the earth has a fever.
And the fever is rising.’
Globally
cyclones, hurricanes, floods, landslides, droughts,
desertification are increasing in intensity. More and more
lives are being lost, but we still wish to mimic the same
consumerist development path. This is leading to heavy
discontent in some parts of the world struggling to survive,
and violence in its multiple forms is increasing. Human
conflict and growing disharmony are prevalent, leading to
the rise of guerilla warfare, terrorist group activity, and
open warfare. Just to preserve our acquired privileges, we
engage in the production of more and more terrible weapons
of mass destruction!
This
global warming has also led to the birth of new strains of diseases,
bacteria and viruses. More money is going into research and
development to find new cures for these diseases, and our
health budgets are always strained. The rich have ailments
different from the poor. Obesity and diabetes with cancer in
one region strike at the face of starvation caused anemia
and death in other parts of the world.
And
the culprit is global warming due to man’s consumerism and
greed! If we continue along the beaten track, we will need five
more planets like our blue-green globe to enable us to
survive.
What
solutions? The Way Ahead
The
grim picture of the world as described above can be changed.
Man’s capacity to adapt to new situations is enormous! And
there is no room for despair! There is need for a new
global development paradigm based on the wisdom of seers
through the ages, supported with government and private
sector policies and strategies that can enable us to take a
new turn on the road to sustainable development.
One
thing is certain now. Old economic theories based on
Adam Smith’s credo of the rule of the market dictated by
demand and supply has failed miserably! The world is
witnessing not only global climate spurred devastating
catastrophes and ever-increasing social strife, but also a
financial crisis, unforeseen by most, that has led to a
global recession with increase in suffering of the billions
in poor countries. While the rich will have to tighten their
belts, others will simply disappear from the scene.
Visionaries
of a new type of development
After
the industrial revolution with its stress on production
based on economies of scale and profit maximization, a new
breed of economists spurred by humanism came up. John
Galbraith in the 1950s and Ernst Frederic Schumacher in the
1970’s were both influenced by Gandhian concept of new
patterns of decentralized production with possibilities of
increased job creation and minimal energy consumption.
Galbraith
realized that human nature is such that greed is inherent
when maximization of profits becomes the objective. The
vision of a trickle down effect has failed. The hope that
individuals and companies will share the profits for the
benefit of the poor in the developing world is remote, for
over the years some have enriched themselves beyond measure
at the detriment of the needy. In order to maintain their
supremacy, they are able to influence policy makers and
ensure that power stays in the hands of the chosen few.
The
concept of profit maximization has to be reviewed. Just as
there are limits to economic growth within a context of
sustainability, there is need to develop a new concept of limits
to profits. Through legislation, profits should be
allowed only up to certain levels to be decided by mutual
consultation, and any excess generated should be shared with
the less fortunate ones in the same or other countries. The
spirit of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has
to be promoted within enterprises. It has been observed in
some countries that where the firms take this seriously,
there is much more commitment by workers who feel that their
employers are considerate to the family and social needs.
Harmony prevails and the company’s output increases. It is
necessary to undertake studies on the CSR practice of
companies, and to publish the results so that improvements
can occur. Otherwise only lip-service will be the norm.
Workers
should be empowered to become shareholders of
companies so that they feel as part of a big family
enterprise. This is the case at the BMW factory in Germany
where workers are prepared to work overtime at no extra pay
in order to meet company supply commitments and time
schedules. When other companies have been forced to lay off
workers because of financial crisis, there workers accepted
to take home a reduced pay-packet and maintain their jobs,
as they feel, as shareholders, a part of the company.
It
is revolting to note that during this period of global
financial crisis, car-companies in USA have been laying off
workers by the hundreds of thousands. At the same time the
top executives of these companies have been enjoying fat
salaries, and have been asking the government to bail their
company out by providing billions of dollars. Very recently,
in their bid to influence senators in US Congress adopt a
bail package for them, many of them traveled by their
private jet airplanes to get to Washington! Is there any
sign of sustainable development in such context? Or the
spirit of corporate social responsibility?
Schumacher,
on the other hand, realized the harm that economies of scale
were inflicting over the environment, and was in fact, one
of the earliest to draw the attention of the world towards
the need for sustainable development. Besides polluting the
environment, carbon, natural gasses, and mineral oils are
limited in quantity, and not renewable.
In
his book, ‘Small is Beautiful; Economics as if People
Mattered’, he questioned prevalent economic theories, and
wrote:
‘Can
such a system conceivably deal with the problems we are now
having to face? The answer is self-evident: greed and envy
demand continuous and limitless economic growth of a
material kind, without proper regard for conservation, and
this type of growth cannot possibly fit into a finite
environment
. We must therefore study the essential nature of the
private enterprise system and the possibilities of evolving
an alternative system which might fit the new situation….
Ever
bigger machines, entailing ever bigger concentrations of
economic power and exerting ever greater violence against
the environment
, do not represent progress; they are a denial of wisdom.
Wisdom demands a new orientation of science and technology
towards the organic, the gentle, the non-violent, and the
elegant and beautiful.’
The Pope
Benedict XVI, addressing a congregation of thinkers in 1985,
while reflecting on the supremacy of the market as
proclaimed by Adam Smith who said that the rule of supply
and demand is primordial, said: ‘The market is
incompatible with ethics because voluntary ‘moral’
actions contradict market rules and drive the moralizing
entrepreneur out of the game.’
The most
important factor affecting human development is the amount
of energy we consume per capita, and its origin. We need to
reduce this amount, and start with improving energy
efficiency in all systems. In parallel, we need to move fast
to the development and use of new and renewable sources of
energy, while eliminating as fast as possible, the use of
fossil fuels.
Copyright © 2005 by Mauritius Times