Economic growth is always the attention focal point to every country especially developing ones. On the other hand, economic growth has a huge impact on protecting environment whilst protecting the environment also impacts the economic growth. Although, economic developments will cause huge impact to the environment, it will also enhance the economic structure of a country but also improve the quality of people’s life.
A concern for rapid population growth needed a rapid rate of economic development but they will have to face natural crisis, especially climate change pollution. As the trend of population in developing countries is on the dramatic rise, more tension was created for the government to solve. As a result, the government must find solution to fasten the growth rates of economy. Those solutions include extracting natural resources such as coal, natural gases and oil. A case in point, China is one of the largest producers of coal because coal is the main source of its electricity production. According to World Coal Association (World coal association, 2013), China is the largest coal producers which accounted for more than 50% (3549 Million tons) of the world’s total coal production in 2012 (7831 Million tons). This factor has assisted in the increasing trends of employment and reduction in poverty. On the contrary, there were many disasters recorded in the region. As stated by Greenpeace “Coal is the main source of climate change pollution” (Greenpeace, n.d). Climate change pollution included air and water pollution. Air pollution resulted from the emission of carbon dioxide (CO2) and Nitrogen (NO2) from burning coal for electricity production and industries, which caused fresh air problem in most of the biggest cities in this country, meanwhile China has already accounted 7 cities of the top 10 cities that currently has air issue(Morrison, 2013). At the same time, clean water crisis for the Chinese are on the rise due to safe water has polluted by the mining wastes and other industrial wastes. As stated by Nina Brooks from Arlington Institute (n.d), 70% of China’s rivers and lakes are polluted and 90% of ground water in the cities is too polluted to drink, as a result several hundred of million Chinese are confronting with clean water crisis. Economic development is, indeed, helping the country to respond with its basic need of the growing population but it also creates other problems particularly air and water pollution.
Environmental protection is only holding back the country’s economic though, the nation itself will also have to confront with environmental issue. The industrialized world’s emphasis on green issues holds back developing countries from making use of naturally available resources that can profits them economically. It is often hypocritical or rational that developed countries tries to put a halt to any progression by developing countries. Therefore, they can still be the world dominant and secure their power stability. For instance, United States, Japan and the EU, which are strong at economic, has all agreed to ban all China’s export of rare earth elements due to green issues (Andrews-Speed, 2012). Nonetheless, China’s plan on exporting these bizarre elements have succeed for 2 years since 2010 and in 5 years more, this plan can help to reduce their poverty rate and increase the employment rate (Andrews-Speed, 2012). As stated by Andrews-Speed (2012), China has failed this case against the other three nations, which then forced China has to stop the exportation in 2012 and only use the elements in their country. However, local Chinese have confronted with several problems themselves such as “…poisonous gases, acidic and radioactive water, and mine tailings which damage waterways, land and health” and “Poor health and safety standards at mines, especially lung diseases and cancer” (Andrews-Speed, 2012). Environmental issue is sometime can be a reason put a country’s development to a halt.
In conclusion, to fulfill a country’s demand the government have to make a trade-off decision which can be painful as both having the huge impact on the nation’s situation. Nonetheless, to be able to catch up with other countries development, economic should be a factor to consider as a first choice as many developed countries have practiced this. Especially, developing countries that needed natural resources to speed up the nation’s development to compete with other on the international stage, though they have to face with green issues.
References:
· Coal Statistics. (2013, August).Retrieved from: http://www.worldcoal.org/resources/coal-statistics/. [Accessed: 07/December/2013]
· The Impacts of Climate Change in China. (n.d.).Retrieved from: http://www.greenpeace.org/eastasia/campaigns/climate-energy/problems/impacts/. [Accessed: 07/December/2014]
· Morrison, W. M. (2013, September 05). China’s economic rise: History, trends, challenges, and implications for the United States. Retrieved from: http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/RL33534.pdf. [Accessed: 07/December/2014]
· Brooks, N. (n.d.). Impending water crisis in China. Retrieved from: http://www.arlingtoninstitute.org/wbp/global-water-crisis/457. [Accessed: 07/December/2013]
· Andrews-Speed, P. (2012, March 30). The rare earth case against china at the wto: Who wins?. Retrieved from: http://www.transatlanticacademy.org/blogs/philip-andrews-speed/rare-earth-case-against-china-wto-who-wins. [Accessed: 08/December/2013]
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