CRITIQUE paper

Environment – Sustainable Development

Reading:

Victor, David. 2006. “Recovering Sustainable Development.” Foreign Affairs 85(1): 91-103.

(1) SYNOPSIS:

(1a) Thesis Statement

Sustainable development has lost relevance in the last 20 years due to inadequate implementation by the UN, special interest groups, and governments worldwide; however, it can regain appeal if it is applied in its original form of helping the poor improve their lives through economic and environmental reform policies.

(1b) Outline

What is Sustainable Development -- original definition

· a healthy environment that provides essential natural resources and a thriving economy that provides environmental protection and aid for the (extremely) poor

· a system that maintains justice, freedom of opportunity, and political participation, and in which resources are well managed and economic gains allocated fairly

· a system of social justice, environmental protection, and economic growth and stability that is harmonious and reciprocal

Erosion of Concept of Sustainable Development

· subversion by special interest groups

· UN summits distort purpose of sustainable development with broad, incoherent plans without clear targets

· governments fail to establish meaningful goals for achieving sustainable development

· Millennium Development Goals set lofty, unachievable goals

Fixing/Restoring the Ideal of Sustainable Development

· return to fundamentals

· reassert original definition and purpose (see above)

· reestablish priority of alleviating/eradicating extreme poverty

· drop overly environmental focus; balance with human development

· respect and implement local decisions rather than lofty global ambitions

· “Fixing the concept will require going back to its origins, and especially stressing the integration of economic and ecological systems while leaving it up to competent local institutions to decide how to set the pursue their own priorities” (Victor 2006).

(2) CONNECTIONS:

Environment:

The article certainly addresses the environment; in particular, a healthy environment is the foundation of the economy. The two are integrated. This is one of the fundamental aspects of sustainable development theory. Sustainable development is about economic growth and environmental protection working in unison. The article argues, however, that environmental bias (i.e., over emphasis on the environment) has taken over the sustainable development movement, and that, overall, in the world as a whole, too much attention is paid to environmental issues in industrialized/developed countries whereas too little attention is paid to economic development and social justice issues in developing countries.

Culture:

The article doesn’t discuss culture in any significant detail.

Politics and Security:

The article addresses government and politics in several respects. It points out that one of the goals of sustainable development is promotion of political participation and political freedom, as well as implementation of anti-corruption. It argues that governments worldwide, along with the UN, have fallen short when it came to achieving, or even creating goals and strategies in achieve ‘true’ sustainable development.

Economics and Development:

Economics and development are a central focus of the article. Protection and proper management of natural resources is essential for economic development and is one goal of sustainable development. The article mainly discusses development in terms of developing nations, and how the ideology behind sustainable development can help them achieve economic growth, gain social justice (promotion of rights like freedom of opportunity and political participation), and eradicate extreme poverty. Economic development is discussed as an integral part of sustainable development, specifically in order to alleviate poverty.

(3) CRITIQUE AND REFLECTION:

(3a) Critique

The author argues that sustainable development, which was once a good idea, has become a shadow of its former self. He argues that special interest groups have seized the movement for their own interests rather than preserving its original purpose, while governments, and the UN, have also diluted the meaning of sustainable development. Sustainable development has done little more than set unachievable goals and create unrealistic strategies. I agree with the author that this is the case, and that sustainable development in its current form isn’t performing in its intended way. Since the idea of sustainable development has become so unappealing in recent years, it needs to reclaim its original identity and goals in order to gain renewed support. This will require cooperation and compromise from those involved, which may be hard to achieve.

I do take issue with a few of the author’s arguments, however. One argument in particular I disagree with is when he criticizes big environmental agencies, specifically the Global Environment Facility (GEF), for using the majority of their resources for promoting biodiversity and combatting pollution in industrialized nations. The author claims that these issues are not related to issues in developing nations. However, the fact is that the industrialized nations have a much larger impact on the environment than many of the unindustrialized developing nation (Footprint Network 2010). The GEF, as an environmental agency, pools its resources where they are most needed, i.e., where the environment is being affected the most. And so the GEF doesn’t provide most of its resources to the developing nations of the world because developing nations do not have the same type of environmental impact as developed nations. Thus, the GEF puts priority on industrialized nations, which makes sense to me.

Overall, however, the author’s argument is sound and I believe that sustainable development can be achieved if it can be properly defined and implemented.

(3b) Reflection

If all or at least some of the world can achieve true sustainable development, we will all have a much brighter future. However, as the world exists now, resources are consumed faster than we can replenish them, if they can even be replenished at all. Social injustice, like poverty and rule by corrupt officials, is still too prevalent, especially in developing countries. On top of this, nations across the globe are experiencing a global economic downturn. While I do not think that these issues are an imminent threat to humanity, they could lead to larger problems in the future, whether it be distant or near. Sustainable development, in its intended form, holds the principles by which global issues may be addressed. Although it may be unrealistic to expect it to be implemented universally, it seems like a very realistic and reasonable way to approach economic, social, and environmental issues. I believe that if the more powerful nations of the world made serious targets, it would not simply be forgotten or changed later, the well being of the world as a whole could be significantly improved.

The changes associated with sustainable development can only be achieved with compromise and cooperation. Green sources of energy—solar, wind, and possibly even nuclear—must be developed through compromise and cooperation, for instance. Eventually, I believe we must eliminate our reliance on fossil fuels. Compromise and cooperation on how to eliminate fossil fuels and harness renewable energy sources is key to this ‘sustainable development’ future. I think that once we can make green energy cheap, we will be able to implement it even in poor developing countries, and once cheap, reliable, and environmentally friendly energy is available to everyone in those countries, they will be able to develop economically which in turn will help them fight poverty and other social injustices.

Works Cited