Sustainable Development
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Sustainable Development
SCI 207
Instructor:
September 13, 2010
Imagine a world that is rich in natural resources, no one goes hungry due to the abundant availability of food; a world full of pristine oceans, lakes, streams, rivers, and seas brimming with fish and plant life. A world full of beautiful landscapes that go unmolested, reaching as far as the eyes can see. A world in which everyone has economic stability, have families full of love, and never having to worry where their next meal is coming from. Some people say this utopia is not obtainable, while others say we can come very close to this, but at what cost? Will governments force sterilization upon its citizens in order to meet food availability? Will we lose our freedoms that we have grown to love, all in the name of sustainable development?
Sustainable development is, “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” (Easton, 2008) In order for a country to be sustainable it must meet the environmental, economic, and social needs of its citizens. How can a country meet these needs and make sure it does not negatively affect future generations? Some say that population control is the answer.
Most American families consist of two adults and 2.5 kids while other countries sometimes have as many as seven children on average. Obviously the family with seven kids is going to consume more resources than the family with 2.5 kids. Should those families that choose to have more children than can be sustained be forced to be sterilized? That is what some areas of India have been doing. “The poor are encouraged-some would say coerced- to be sterilized after having two children.” (Cunningham, 2010 p.88) There are incentives for the sterilization, some receive a months’ pay, while others may receive better housing, land, and wells. This program has been very effective at lowering the birth rate, and reducing...
SCI 207
Instructor:
September 13, 2010
Imagine a world that is rich in natural resources, no one goes hungry due to the abundant availability of food; a world full of pristine oceans, lakes, streams, rivers, and seas brimming with fish and plant life. A world full of beautiful landscapes that go unmolested, reaching as far as the eyes can see. A world in which everyone has economic stability, have families full of love, and never having to worry where their next meal is coming from. Some people say this utopia is not obtainable, while others say we can come very close to this, but at what cost? Will governments force sterilization upon its citizens in order to meet food availability? Will we lose our freedoms that we have grown to love, all in the name of sustainable development?
Sustainable development is, “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” (Easton, 2008) In order for a country to be sustainable it must meet the environmental, economic, and social needs of its citizens. How can a country meet these needs and make sure it does not negatively affect future generations? Some say that population control is the answer.
Most American families consist of two adults and 2.5 kids while other countries sometimes have as many as seven children on average. Obviously the family with seven kids is going to consume more resources than the family with 2.5 kids. Should those families that choose to have more children than can be sustained be forced to be sterilized? That is what some areas of India have been doing. “The poor are encouraged-some would say coerced- to be sterilized after having two children.” (Cunningham, 2010 p.88) There are incentives for the sterilization, some receive a months’ pay, while others may receive better housing, land, and wells. This program has been very effective at lowering the birth rate, and reducing...