Hi! Welcome back. In my first post, I shared that I will research about various green economy concepts that can be applied to low-income countries. However, there are so many green economy propositions available currently. So, in this post, I want to share which approach will be most beneficial for low-income countries.
We do not inherit the land from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.
-Native American Proverb
This proverb has often been used to make people see that we cannot continuously exploit our Earth. From my own experience, nevertheless, people often choose to be ignorant. Some good explanations of this behaviour can be found here. Nonetheless, there is one important explanation that is not explained, human’s selfishness.
Selfish: concerned excessively or exclusively with oneself : seeking or concentrating on one’s own advantage, pleasure, or well-being without regard for others
-Merriam Webster
As harsh as it sounds, Richard Murphy suggests being selfish is what drives our economy today (Snowdon, 2014, p.3). In high school, we were taught that the economy is fundamentally based on profit maximisation model. This model encourages people to consume more, and by consuming more, GDP will increase which signals positive economic growth. Therefore, it will be hard to stop our overconsumption habit unless there is a change in our current economic system, which is highly unlikely to happen.
Moreover, in today’s world, we highly rate convenience. For example, firms package their drink products in plastic bottle as it is cheap, carriable and convenient (Don’t need to wash after consumption).
Plastic Bottles at a landfill in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. Photo taken by Jie Zhao from The Guardian
We know that we are consuming/producing too many plastics. We know that plastics are harmful to the environment because it is not bio-degradable. Yet, we still readily consume/produce it. What would you call such behaviours? I personally would call it being selfish.
If selfishness is so prevalent right now, there must be a way in which our pursuit of pleasure and convenience can benefit the environment instead. This is especially important in less affluent nations where their primary goal is to develop their economy. Therefore, for the less affluent nations to pursue a green economy, it must first be exclusively beneficial for individuals without affecting the countries’ economic growth.
Do comment your opinions below and correct me if there is any mistake 😊
Hi Bima!
Your theme is really interesting, and I agree that it’s something many critics need to realise. I’ve also been quite disturbed about environmental injustice, especially about the pollution caused by the fast fashion industry in lower income countries.
In addition to human selfishness, I think convenience has become difficult to refuse in places like Singapore. From my experiences, I’ve felt uncomfortable “standing out” from the supermarket crowd for refusing plastic bags and am still afraid of refusing plastic take-out containers as I worry that this may inconvenience shopkeepers and make them angry. I think excessive plastic use needs a practical and convenient solution to remain attractive and sustainable to people like myself who live fast-paced lives.
Cheers,
Evelyn 🙂
That is so true hahaha. I dont like standing out in the crowd alsoo. but like, now is better because listening to our friends’ stories about eco-friendly living give me peer pressure to do the same hahaha. Right now, I feel like there need to be a change in the market concept so that less plastic is used. One store in Jurong Point mall called “Reprovisions” did exactly that! Ypu should check it out!
Cool, Thanks Bima. I checked out their website and they seem really interesting because they also cater to Asian culinary needs. I feel this is pretty unique since many eco-friendly that I’ve heard of sell products based on Western culture. Maybe because this is a local company. I’m glad to see that there are local enterprises that are eco-conscious.
Cheers,
Evelyn 🙂
Hey Bima,
I do agree that many environmental impacts are due to selfishness. I think it’s interesting and I never thought of how humanity’s self-centeredness can be exploited to benefit the environment. Personally, I can’t think of any instances because like you said it’s money that makes the world go round and like discussed in class, less affluent nations tend to value economic growth than environmental conservation.
Just one question, do you think aid from more affluent countries (be it monetary or others) will be helpful in allowing less affluent countries to shift more resources towards environmental conservation?
– sheryl
Yes, it will definitely help! Many of the green technologies right now are more expensive than those running on fossil fuels. However, some are more efficient too. These machines are categorised as fixed costs. As what we learn in econs, AFC will decrease when output increase, more affluent countries can help to subsidise these green machines so that the cost barrier to enter a greener economy is not so high, and also help to subsidise the production to increase output and hopefully ROI (Return of Investment) will be quick as well.
Hi there,
I have a couple of inputs.
For Evelyn, I bring my tupperware to the deli counter at Cold Storage (like to buy olives or my occasional splurge for a slice of meat). Honestly, the folks behind the counter react very positively – they’re perfectly happy to weigh my container beforehand and put the sticker on it instead of a plastic bag. I also always bring my own bags, and recently, some cashiers have thanked me for doing this. When I ask the folks at Spinelli or Starbucks to put my smoothie in my own cup, they NEVER seem to mind at all. My point is, people are unlikely to get annoyed with you.
For Sheryl, just to clarify… although it’s true that less affluent nations are very likely to prioritise economic growth, I hope you didn’t get the impression that affluent countries prioritise conservation. I mean, we just have to look at the US and its share of the environmental crisis. And lest you think otherwise, I would argue that Canada, Singapore and most other affluent nations have pretty deplorable records when it comes to protecting Nature. Want some inspiration though ? Meanwhile, there are plenty of LI and MI nations whose initiatives are downright inspirational. Sometimes, when you realise your wellbeing depends on intact ecosystems, your priorities shift. Take a look at Costa Rica, for example. But don’t stop there.
Hi Dr Coleman,
Thank you for sharing your positive experiences with me. I have also been in situations when cashiers had thanked me for refusing plastic bags. As for buying take-out, I will try using my own Tupperware next time(hopefully they won’t mind)!
-Evelyn 🙂