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Third World Environmental Issues |
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by Liteboho Senyane | 02-12-2018 23:18
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Sometimes I like to wonder about why it is that poverty still exists in the Third World Nations. As a student of Development Studies, I hear a lot of theories but no one really explains to me why this issue cannot be addressed. This is because we are all in the classroom; learning theories that we forget must be applied in order to move forwards. I like to envision a classroom scenario with different students, me as a lecturer and a group of people I have termed “forgotten people”. The forgotten people are individuals we, as development practitioners and the rest of the world, seem to only understand and see in the context of statistics and numbers. These people are inclusive of the natural environment that we know is there, we use it as much as we deem fit but we hardly ever really think that one day it will all be gone. Some people understand the need to care for the environment today but since that so many others do not comprehend what our naked eyes see; it is difficult to carry on the environmental health mission. The students in my classroom and I like to take walks to all different parts of the world in different times in the past, present and future. I envision scenarios to visit, to understand and then try to find new solutions to these. A concept I like to use to explain these scenarios is euthanasia. This is because euthanasia involves a sickly individual asking someone to give them a free pass to death so that they do not have to suffer anymore. In this case, the sickly individual in our environment and I often wonder if it would choose to ask for euthanasia or not. Our misuse of it and nonchalance attitude towards it has brought environmental issues such as acid rain, increased temperatures and decreased natural resources. In theory, we understand what this means but in practice, we don’t actually comprehend what this involves. At the back of our minds, we blame the big corporations, the industrialized countries but we continue to also do activities that harm the environment. Africa has its own share of environmental issues but the continent also has a great advantage. For one, we have witnessed what bad environmental policies do to the Earth, secondly, we know about the green movement and thirdly, as undeveloped nations, we have the opportunity to develop in the right way. The Third World is a large territory and if these nations were to take it upon themselves to find ways of developing that instead of harming the environment, celebrated its revival, the Earth would grow healthier. In this time of innovation and technology, many countries and companies have come up with green technological infrastructure and products that reverse environmental issues instead of perpetuating them. Having the Third World adopt these strategies and also focus on building on to them would create a whole new side of the developing world. Instead of thinking of environmental issues as the Western problem, we need to realize that we have the means (land, human potential) and the technology to build a green side of the world. It is about time that the Third World started to leave the rest of the world in this fight for a green Earth. As nations that appreciate land and all its natural resources, we need to build a decade of hope so that humanity remembers that it is possible. In truth, the Third World has been silent for way too long, only crying out for help when poverty hits too hard. The reason that this is important is that we are also people who have been blessed with the same capacities, capabilities and potential as with the rest of the world which is actively fighting environmental issues. Third World Environmental Issues Sometimes I like to wonder about why it is that poverty still exists in the Third World Nations. As a student of Development Studies, I hear a lot of theories but no one really explains to me why this issue cannot be addressed. This is because we are all in the classroom; learning theories that we forget must be applied in order to move forwards. I like to envision a classroom scenario with different students, me as a lecturer and a group of people I have termed “forgotten people”. The forgotten people are individuals we, as development practitioners and the rest of the world, seem to only understand and see in the context of statistics and numbers. These people are inclusive of the natural environment that we know is there, we use it as much as we deem fit but we hardly ever really think that one day it will all be gone. Some people understand the need to care for the environment today but since that so many others do not comprehend what our naked eyes see; it is difficult to carry on the environmental health mission. The students in my classroom and I like to take walks to all different parts of the world in different times in the past, present and future. I envision scenarios to visit, to understand and then try to find new solutions to these. A concept I like to use to explain these scenarios is euthanasia. This is because euthanasia involves a sickly individual asking someone to give them a free pass to death so that they do not have to suffer anymore. In this case, the sickly individual in our environment and I often wonder if it would choose to ask for euthanasia or not. Our misuse of it and nonchalance attitude towards it has brought environmental issues such as acid rain, increased temperatures and decreased natural resources. In theory, we understand what this means but in practice, we don’t actually comprehend what this involves. At the back of our minds, we blame the big corporations, the industrialized countries but we continue to also do activities that harm the environment. Africa has its own share of environmental issues but the continent also has a great advantage. For one, we have witnessed what bad environmental policies do to the Earth, secondly, we know about the green movement and thirdly, as undeveloped nations, we have the opportunity to develop in the right way. The Third World is a large territory and if these nations were to take it upon themselves to find ways of developing that instead of harming the environment, celebrated its revival, the Earth would grow healthier. In this time of innovation and technology, many countries and companies have come up with green technological infrastructure and products that reverse environmental issues instead of perpetuating them. Having the Third World adopt these strategies and also focus on building on to them would create a whole new side of the developing world. Instead of thinking of environmental issues as the Western problem, we need to realize that we have the means (land, human potential) and the technology to build a green side of the world. It is about time that the Third World started to leave the rest of the world in this fight for a green Earth. As nations that appreciate land and all its natural resources, we need to build a decade of hope so that humanity remembers that it is possible. In truth, the Third World has been silent for way too long, only crying out for help when poverty hits too hard. The reason that this is important is that we are also people who have been blessed with the same capacities, capabilities and potential as with the rest of the world which is actively fighting environmental issues. |
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9 Comments
Wow, lots of feedbacks up here.
If you do have spare time, hope you can read the book of Paul Collier and Jean Ziegler. Both professionals in famine and poverty tell us the true stories that have been forgotten and not publicized to other countries.
The truth is that there are still way too many people living in war zone, bad hygiene area, chemical pollution, poverty, disease and other problems that rest of us are not facing.
Public issues and problems are not the ones that we are not facing or cannot see, but they still do exist as many other people in different region and countries are facing.
Denying the truth and problems will lead us to get all abandoned from what we have not seen so far :(
Thanks for your report!
Posted 05-12-2018 11:57
Hi Liteboho!
I have yet to have read an article that has generally talked straight into the status quo of our continent they way you have. It is true that we have all the basis resources to move into developing this continent into a great one, a healthier one too for the Earth.
A serious look into our academic mode of teaching should be reviewed so as to introduce more practical infused sessions that theory ones. This way, students will already get a feel as to how to tackle real-life situations pertaining environmental health.
I like how you infused your knowledge of Development Studies into the notion of environmental health, it give a clearer meaning and makes us understand your way of think on a great context.
Lovely report Liteboho!
Yours sincerely
R.
Posted 04-12-2018 22:03
Liteboho,
Hmm...I think its high time we left the theory for the practical. Enough of data, numbers, its time to act. As you have also mentioned, we should know that in environmental management, blames should not be shifted to anyone or organisation, it is a collective responsibility.
Thanks for that beautiful report. It is really inspiring.
Posted 04-12-2018 18:36
Thank you guys for taking your time to read and comment. I value your feedback greatly and it would be nice to talk more...so off course Kushal, the topic is still up for discussion
Posted 04-12-2018 00:35
Hi, Liteboho! A very hot topic is raised in your report. I also thought a lot about this issue. Of course, poverty, like social stratification, is unlikely to be completely eliminated, but much progress can be made in getting rid of poverty if it becomes issue No. 1 on the agenda of each state.
Posted 03-12-2018 23:04
Hello Liteboho Senyane, Namaste
Everything developed country are doing and we have to face the problems. People are cutting trees in their own country and country like Nepal having 40% forest are helping to absorb Co2 emission. They mush pay us,
Action musts be taken to control the problems, Developed countries must overcome pollution and help developing country i need.
Thank You for the Report.
Posted 03-12-2018 19:29
Well, Liteboho. Many thanks for the article. It is true indeed that third world countries are facing environmental degradation and action must be taken.
Posted 03-12-2018 15:31
The paragraph seems to be repeated on the article. Please make the necessary corrections Liteboho
Posted 03-12-2018 11:31
This is the truth. Poor countries are too hampered by the environment degradation but government and the nation being poor specific action and awareness aren't taking place. Are the fundings provided by the developed countries to developing countries enough to bring change for environment protection in the third world country? is still the topic of discussion.
Posted 03-12-2018 11:29