I have some questions for you: What is the relationship between the economic meltdown and environmental sustainability? How would the meltdown affect the course of environmental sustainability? How can we effectively manage our environment in the face of the present economic meltdown? This is the focus of this article.

It is quite interesting that the word, “meltdown” is being used to define the current economic crunch. Before now, meltdown is used to define the leakage or accident at a nuclear facility resulting in the exposure of dangerous nuclear elements to the environment. If such a word should be used to define an economic situation, then it is something very serious.

Environmental sustainability

The concept of environmental sustainability which came up as a result of observed damages done to the environment by human activities has faced so many challenges. These challenges have made it very difficult to fully put to work the prescriptions of sustainability. The prescription of using natural resources in such a manner as not to jeopardize their prospects to meet the demands of future generations. It demands among other things a drastic reduction in the emission of polluting substances, controlled deforestation and aggressive re-forestation, controlled use of water resources, execution of environmental impact assessment for projects, proper waste management, good and effective recycling and reuse policy and adoption of green living ideology by people.

With the present economic down turn, many nations are now more concerned with stabilizing their economies and this to a good extent involves increase use of natural resources to increase production and market.

Therefore, more natural resources would be used further depleting the highly diminished global resource base. It means more oil would be mined reducing the already disappearing global oil reserves. More fossil fuels might be burnt by industries increasing global warming. More sea food would be exported. More of the already decimated forests would be cleared for cultivation, and fuelwood for cooking, home heating and construction.

With a decrease in their financial power, people are bound to pounce on what is available and affordable and that would be nothing other than the natural resources. If great care is not taken by all and sundry, the economic meltdown would translate to a serious environmental meltdown.

To overcome this;

• Concerted efforts should be made by everyone to embrace green living.

• Governments, NGOs and other organizations should pull resources together and find lasting solution to the meltdown.

• Policies should be enacted and implemented to ensure that industries comply with environmental laws.

• People should be properly educated on the environmental implication of their lifestyle and encouraged to live green.

• Reduce. reuse and recycle principles should be encouraged.

Why the financial crisis is causing problems for poor

I just stumbled upon a very interesting debate on The Economix Blog, a blog by The New York Times.

In a time where global experts and scholars seem to disagree about the victims and the spoilers of the financial crisis, I find this piece very thought-provoking.

Behind the piece is Mr. Pedro Conceição who is director of the Office of Development Studies (O.D.S) at the United Nations Development Program, a leading United Nations agency in the fight against poverty.

Mr. Conceição’s explains why the financial crisis is causing problems for poor countries in the first place and asks:

“How did this happen? How is it possible that what started as a high-finance crisis in the world’s richest economies has come to hurt people in some of the poorest parts of the world?”

Luckily, Mr. Conceição’s has also agreed to answer reader questions about how the global recession is affecting the world’s poorest countries, and what can or should be done to help them. So far, many readers of the New York Times have joined the heated debate.

Too many people

According to reader “Judith Weller”, Mr. Conceição needs to pay more attention to population issues:

“Why isn’t there more emphasis on population reduction. Africa has increased its population but not its ability to feed and care for them. Instead of hand-outs wouldn’t it be better to insist on population control and limiting the number of children so that population can be brough into balance with natural resource and local food available?” argues Ms. Weller.

The blame game

Another reader named “Dan” argues that:

“Countries get into these situations like Zimbawee by their own undoing. They have internal political strife that rips their country appart at the seems and so, why should other nations be responsible for them financially?”

Don’t forget global warming

But what about global warming, asks another reader named “Caroline”:

“Strange that the man says nothing at all about global warming. It is a major factor in world poverty: drout, impossible to grow food, seasons not existing anymore, crops destroyed by storms, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes. No water at all in India, not even to drink”.

What do you think? Join the debate on The Economix Blog or write a comment below.

FLICKR-PHOTO WITH  CREATIVE COMMONS LISCENSE BY WM JAS. NAME: “WHY DOES POOR PEOPLE BE POOR”

We echo the words of the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon on the Observance of World Population Day: In the midst of the worst global economic crisis in generations, we must find the most effective ways to continue progress towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals. There is no better path than the focus of this year’s World Population Day:  Investing in Women and Girls.

No one knows yet what the full scale of this global economic crisis will look like. We do know that women and children in developing countries will bear the brunt of the impact. What started as a financial crisis in rich countries is now deepening into a global economic crisis that is hitting developing countries hard. It is already affecting progress toward reducing poverty.
Policy responses that build on women’s roles as economic agents can do a lot to mitigate the effects of the crisis on development, especially because women, more than men, invest their earnings in the health and education of their children. Investments in public health, education, child care and other social services help mitigate the impact of the crisis on the entire family and raise productivity for a healthier economy.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Protect the Gains Achieved

Investments in education and health for women and girls have been linked to increases in productivity, agricultural yields, and national income — all of which contribute to the achievement of the MDGs. Investments by governments worldwide have raised school enrollment rates, narrowed the gender gap in education, brought life-saving drugs to people living with AIDS, expanded HIV prevention, delivered bed nets to prevent malaria, and improved child health through immunization.