Poverty can significantly impact the environment by driving unsustainable practices, but it is not the sole or greatest factor. Other elements, such as industrial activities and policy failures, also play critical roles.
I. Introduction
- Hook: Poverty plunges the environment and ecosystem into dispair and destruction. Critics opine that poverty can significantly impact the environment.
- Background: Overview of factors affecting the environment, defining modern living and its typical impacts.
- Thesis Statement: Poverty significantly impacts the environment, but industrial activities and policy failures are also crucial contributors.
II. Supporting View 1: Poverty Drives Unsustainable Practices
- Topic Sentence: Poverty can significantly impact the environment, as poverty is a key factor driving unsustainable environmental practices.
- Example 1: Deforestation in Madagascar (2020) due to slash-and-burn agriculture for survival. Poor farmers clear forests for farmland, leading to habitat loss (source: Reuters, 2020).
- Example 2: Overfishing in Ghana (2019) as impoverished communities rely on fishing for income. Depleted fish stocks harm marine ecosystems (source: BBC, 2019).
- Example 3: Charcoal production in Kenya (2021) due to lack of affordable energy sources. Deforestation and soil erosion result from extensive charcoal burning (source: Al Jazeera, 2021).
- Analysis: Poverty forces communities into practices that degrade the environment.
- Counterargument: Economic development can mitigate these practices by providing alternatives. Countries like Kenya and Ghana are making progress towards eliminating practices that impact the environment.
III. Supporting View 2: Lack of Resources for Sustainable Alternatives
- Topic Sentence: Poverty can significantly impact the environment as poverty limits access to sustainable alternatives, exacerbating environmental damage.
- Example 1: India’s dependence on biomass for cooking (2019) due to poverty. Indoor air pollution and deforestation from using wood and dung (source: The Hindu, 2019).
- Example 2: Indonesia’s illegal logging (2021) driven by economic hardship. Forests are cleared for timber and agriculture to support livelihoods (source: BBC, 2021). [Countries still cutting down trees].
- Example 3: Waste management issues in Nigeria (2020) due to lack of infrastructure. Poor waste disposal practices lead to pollution and health hazards (source: The Guardian, 2020).
- Analysis: Economic constraints hinder the adoption of environmentally friendly practices.
- Counterargument: Governments and NGOs are working to provide cleaner alternatives. There are many NGOs that have sprouted to help the cause.
IV. Supporting View 3: Immediate Survival Needs Over Long-term Conservation
- Topic Sentence: Poverty can significantly impact the environment as poverty prioritises immediate survival over long-term environmental conservation.
- Example 1: Subsistence farming in Nepal (2019) leads to soil degradation and deforestation. Farmers clear land to grow food, impacting biodiversity (source: Reuters, 2019).
- Example 2: Poaching in Zimbabwe (2020) driven by economic desperation. Endangered species are hunted for income, threatening biodiversity (source: BBC, 2020).
- Example 3: Pollution from informal settlements in South Africa (2021) due to lack of sanitation. Waste and pollution increase with unplanned urban growth (source: Al Jazeera, 2021).
- Analysis: The focus on immediate needs overshadows environmental conservation efforts.
- Counterargument: Sustainable farming initiatives are being introduced to mitigate this impact.
V. Opposing View 1: Industrial Activities as the Main Factor
- Topic Sentence: Industrial activities are the main factor responsible for environmental degradation, not poverty.
- Example 1: China’s industrial pollution (2019) despite economic growth. Factories contribute significantly to air and water pollution (source: various).
- Example 2: Brazil’s Amazon deforestation (2020) driven by agribusiness. Large-scale farming and logging by corporations (source: Reuters, 2020) even if deforestation has slowed down significantly (BBC, 2024) the impact is significant (check out ‘Tipping Point’ by Time Magazine).
- Example 3: Oil spills in Nigeria (2021) caused by multinational companies. Environmental damage from oil extraction and spills (source: BBC, 2021).
- Analysis: Industrial activities cause extensive environmental harm, often more than poverty-driven practices.
- Case Study: Include specific pollution statistics from major industrial cities.
VI. Opposing View 2: Policy Failures as a Key Factor
- Topic Sentence: Policy failures are a key factor in environmental degradation.
- Example 1: Deforestation in Indonesia (2020) due to weak enforcement of environmental laws. Illegal logging continues unchecked, harming ecosystems (source: The Guardian, 2020).
- Example 2: Air pollution in India (2021) exacerbated by ineffective regulation. Poor enforcement of pollution controls leads to severe air quality issues (source: Reuters, 2021).
- Example 3: Water pollution in Bangladesh (2019) from inadequate waste management policies. Rivers and water bodies contaminated by industrial waste (source: BBC, 2019).
- Analysis: Weak policies and enforcement contribute significantly to environmental issues.
- Case Study: Analyze the impact of weak policies on specific regions.
VII. Opposing View 3: Technological and Consumption Patterns
- Topic Sentence: Modern consumption patterns and technological advancements are significant factors.
- Example 1: Electronic waste in Ghana (2021) from global tech consumption. Imported e-waste leads to toxic pollution and health risks (source: Al Jazeera, 2021).
- Example 2: Plastic pollution in the Philippines (2020) from global consumer habits. Ocean and coastal pollution from discarded plastics (source: The Guardian, 2020).
- Example 3: Urban air pollution in South Korea (2019) due to high vehicle usage. Traffic emissions severely impact air quality (source: Reuters, 2019).
- Analysis: Consumption and technology use in wealthier societies heavily impact the environment.
- Case Study: Detail the lifecycle of electronic products and their environmental impact.
VIII. Conclusion
- Restate Thesis: Poverty significantly impacts the environment, but industrial activities and policy failures are also crucial contributors.
- Summary of Key Points: High consumption, energy use, urbanisation versus sustainable practices, technological innovation, policy changes.
- Call to Action: Suggest specific steps individuals, governments, and organizations can take to balance modern living with environmental sustainability.
- Final Thought: Addressing environmental degradation requires tackling both poverty and other significant factors.
Reading References:
- World Economic Forum – AGOA 2023
- “The Uninhabitable Earth: Life After Warming” by David Wallace-Wells, 2019.
- “The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History” by Elizabeth Kolbert, 2014.
- “For the Greta Thunberg in your life“.