To: President, Mr. Barak Obama
From: Helena Baillio
Date: 2/3/2010
Re: Environment/Development Debate
Comments: First, Mr. President, let me congratulate you on your positive diplomatic approach to dialogue between nations.
Negotiations have evolved in the international community into a process of considerations between enhancing the economic growth and development of states and the preservation of environmental resources. Though development does not necessarily rely on the conservation of resources, it has contributed to the degradation of those resources. Conservation has thus emerged as a world recognized matter of importance that has begun to influence the behavior, thoughts, and actions of states in their development attempts. These developments further evolved into committees aimed at sustainable development which incorporated environmental concerns into the process of development.
Still, advances in the conservation of environmental resources have been vastly forsaken in the pursuit of economic development. While economic growth advances into an era of modernization, the concept of sustainable development has faced many challenges. Global poverty has become a central issue that has impeded environmental conservation as the poor have attempted to exploit resources in the wake of capitalism. The relationship of a free market system to the exploitation of the environment is a viable concern.
The maturation of development also depends on good governance, state-building, conflict-prevention and resolution. Sustainable development through ecological modernization allows people the opportunity to achieve their own individual pursuits and retain the ecological preservation for the collective good. The successful implementation of programs aimed at reaching a state of development while having concern for the environment is rather difficult without utilizing the support of the global community.
The state plays the role of the primary advocate in the environment and development debate. The state, being the central access point for resources serves as the link between the domestic culture and international community. However, as states are primarily self-serving and seek economic growth and stability as a solution to their social strife they often negate the importance of ecological preservation to meet their long-term goals of sustainability.
The relationship between the environment and development can be a positive one if approached properly. The theory of ecological modernization stems from the objective of sustainable development, in that it places the problems of environmental conservation in the hands of existing political, economic, and social institutions and assumes their ability to manage resources to meet both short and long-term needs. To build a positive relationship and move towards a future of ecological modernization, the Western regions would find more benefit through embracing the developing countries and aiding them in technological growth and education. Establishing multilateral initiatives and institutions aimed at relationship building might foster a commitment to shared purposes and cooperative behavior as opposed to a struggle for development and power.
3 comments:
An anonymous reader raised some very important questions which need to be addressed. I am posting the response here, and mine as a separate discussion.
Hello Helena,
congratulations to your site. I am not the recipient of the letter you posted there, (and I'm not sure how he might reply, if he wanted to -- there's no comment facility?) I was going to ask about your suggestion to "Establishing multilateral initiatives and institutions aimed at relationship building might foster a commitment to shared purposes and cooperative behavior as opposed to a struggle for development and power." -- this is very general, and I suspect there are quite a few entities already claiming to deal with these issues . Do you have more specific proposals -- or discussion topics up your sleeve? For example, I see some main problems in the emergence of cross-national power structures that begin to even ignore national governments (that some see as using governemnts only to wage wars in their interests...). What are the rules of the game between these entities? Or: recognizing that power struggles between several bullies can be kept from erupting into violence only through agreements 'enforced' by an even bigger, stronger bully: how can that bully be kept from falling victim to the inevitable temptations of power -- to abuse it? We need some new tools for dealing with and controlling power. Are these among issues you plan to address?
I read your article carefully. By "Western Regions" I think you mean America in particular. In fact we already give, both thru government & private giving, many, many billions of dollars to the developing countries you refer to. This is what the climate treaty meeting was all about...the re-distribution of wealth (ours).
Economic Injustice is a response to this comment.
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