Improving Our Standard of Living (Wattpad Edition)

Chapter 29: Sustainable Development

The quality of the environment has a substantial effect on the world's standard of living. It would be unfortunate to live somewhere where the food and drinking water are contaminated with harmful microorganisms and chemicals. Where the air is so polluted, it's like puffing on a cigarette with every breath. Where the soil is so overused that crops won't grow and people starve. Where the trash is piled in the streets and in the rivers.

A study published in the journal Science Advances found that the rate of species extinction over the past century is 100 times higher than normal and that "a sixth mass extinction is already underway."[1]

The previous one was the extinction of the dinosaurs.

The researchers said it isn't too late to bring the rate of species extinction down to normal levels. That's because mass extinctions take centuries to unfold. We have time.

But the longer we sit idle, the more likely bad things are to happen. Things we don't anticipate. For instance, the continuing disappearance of the bees, which are vital to pollination and food production.

Today, extinctions are caused by air pollution, global warming, unsustainable farming practices, and because we dump our waste all over the land and in the oceans, rather than recycling it.

According to the World Wildlife Fund, humanity is consuming the Earth's natural resources at a 50% faster rate than the planet can replenish naturally [2]. We're living as if we have 1.5 Earths when there's only one.

Fortunately, we can solve these problems. There are many things we can do that we've hardly begun to try. I discuss them in the sections ahead.

This is one area that requires extensive government regulations. But we don't need to abolish capitalism. That would make the problem much worse. I explain why shortly.

Rich Countries Have Healthier Environments

Contrary to popular belief, wealthy nations have cleaner environments than poor ones. It's the countries undergoing their own Industrial Revolutions that are the most polluted. Just like England in the 1800s. Developing nations have the most smog, the dirtiest water, the most trash in the streets and rivers, the most deforestation, the most desertification, the most poaching, the most unsustainable farming practices, etc.

But once countries reach a certain GDP threshold, pollution starts to plummet. The higher the GDP, the less pollution. Also, birth rates are lower in wealthier nations, and they invest more in renewable energy and recycling.

Take, for instance, the difference between Beijing and Tokyo.

Beijing, China is so polluted that its buildings are often hidden in a cloud of smog. It's so bad, residents often wear masks when they go outside. The water is contaminated with all manner of microorganisms and industrial chemicals. Trash is improperly disposed of.

Despite also being an industrial powerhouse, Tokyo is pristine by comparison. Its buildings are always visible and beautiful. The air is fresh. The water is clean. There's no trash in the streets and rivers. Electricity is used efficiently, and the recycling industry is booming there.

The biggest difference between China and Japan is that one is wealthier than the other. (Per capita.)

China is catching up, though. It's starting to invest heavily in renewable energy and recycling. Someday its pollution levels will plummet and reach the levels of the developed world.

Don't misunderstand. Wealthy countries are still polluting on a massive scale. I'm just pointing out that there's a connection between more wealth and less pollution. But it only happens after a nation enters its own Third Industrial Revolution. In other words, once a country experiences its own Digital Age, an increase in GDP beyond that point reduces the rate of pollution.