This essay discusses the actions taken by governments and organizations to tackle air pollution and deforestation. It also highlights the reasons behind their failure to address these issues properly.
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Running head: ACTIONS TAKEN FOR ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION ACTIONS TAKEN FOR ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION Name of the Student Name of the University Author note
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1 ACTIONS TAKEN FOR ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION Introduction The increasing concern related to the environment has yielded little results in the recent years, as the practical solutions taken by governments and organizations across the globe have been largely ineffective. The two major concerns have been air pollution and deforestation on a large scale. Developed countries like those in the European Nation are the main contributors of deforestation asthey are the largest importers of products made from forests (Brack and Bailey 2018). When it comes to air pollution, two Asian nations, Iran and India top the list. These facts reveal the governments in the respective nations and organizations as well, have failed to tackle the problem. The essay will focus on these two topics and try to understand the reasons behind the governments and organizations’ failure to address these issues properly. Further, it will also look at the plans and procedures undertaken by the governments and organizations to tackle these issues and causes of failures. Body Paragraph 1: Air Pollution Air pollution is the result of the release of toxic gases and other pollutants in the atmosphere. Several action plans taken by governments across nations controlling or reducing air pollution have fallen flat. The chief reasons for these failures lie in the government’s inability to dictate terms when it comes to implementing the plans and their own ulterior motive to gain political and economic advantages. Organizations too have contributed largely towards the increase in air pollution.
2 ACTIONS TAKEN FOR ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION In a study conducted by Yakubu (2017) assessing the “double air pollution in Nigeria’s Port Harcourt Rivers State, it was revealed that the government failed to address the issue in time, which led to devastating effects. The author points out that the government only took action several months after the inception of the dangerous ‘soot’ pollution. Wang et al. (2018) on the other hand, provide example of the Chinese government in tackling the country’s one of the most serious issues especially within the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) region. The authors state that the government’s implementation of the Air Pollution Prevention and Control Action Plan was largely successful in bringing the air quality within the BTH region to a safe standard. McKitrick (2006) also supports this argument by presenting the exampleofCanada,wherethegovernment’s“detailed,extensivesystemoflegislation” contributed to improved air quality since the 1970s. Apartfromthegovernments,severalnot-for-profitorganizationsandbusiness organizations too have shown concern over the degrading quality of the air. As Hawrysz and Foltys (2015) mention, one of the three dimensions of the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is the environment. Business organizations incorporate the CSR within their business plan and objective and work on achieving the objective, although most organizations take it for granted. One of the most recent examples is the emissions scandal of Volkswagen, a giant automotive company renowned across the globe. The company cheated emissions test in the U.S. that could have severely affected the air and the health of the population as well. Gemmill and Bamidele- Izu (2002) mention the UN supporting non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in battling the menace of air pollution. The authors cite the excerpt from UN’s Agenda 21, in which it has been stated that it must consult with NGOs and take measures to control air pollution. This provides evidence of the important role played by organizations in controlling air pollution. One of the
3 ACTIONS TAKEN FOR ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION most important steps taken was by the United Nations in the form of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) over the past few decades. It is but imperative to state that although governments and organizations in different nations have and are working towards controlling air pollution, they have failed to recognize the differing needs of different regions. To cite an example, the previously mentioned study by Wang et al. (2018) have also shown that the Chinese government’s plan was successful in only a limited area but did not make much difference in other parts. Body Paragraph 2: Deforestation Industrialization, in the name of development has resulted in the diminishing of forests and increase in air pollutants leading to environmental degradation. Deforestation refers to the conversion of forests into non-forested land use like grazing, agriculture or urban development. The massive dip in the rate available forest in the world has raised a warning alarm for governments who were until severely negligent of the issue. However, deforestation is yet to receive specific attention as is visible from the UN’s 2017 Annual Report (Appendix A). The report mentions the campaigning done to stop air, water and land pollution but did not specifically target the issue of deforestation. Chakravarty et al. (2012) have elaborated on the causes of deforestation and found that urbanization or industrialization has contributed to the loss of around 21 per cent of tropical foreststhroughouttheworldsincethe1980s.Manybusinessorganizationsandeven governments are involved in the destruction of these forests in the name of development either directly or indirectly (Appendix B). The prime motive behind destroying valuable tropical rain forests is the economic gain. The giants like Starbucks, Nestle and McDonald’s are amongst
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4 ACTIONS TAKEN FOR ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION those names who knowingly or unknowingly contribute to deforestation. Due to the economic power these companies possess, the governments also sometimes succumb to their pressure and fail to take any action. Castelo(2015)however,countersthisargumentbyprovidinginstancesofthe environment protection laws implemented by the Brazilian government mainly to protect the Amazon. Policies like The Forest Code of 1934 and its later amendments included some major steps undertaken by the government to preserve forests. In addition, numerous organizations too are accelerating their efforts to minimize deforestation. The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) is an important name in the list. Myers (2007) on the other hand, argues about the absence of a strong mechanism within the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) or the Kyoto Protocol that could allow the REDD – reduced emissions from deforestation and degradation – to function properly (Appendix C). The above arguments and counter arguments bring forth both the success and failures of governments and organizations in protecting the environment. It is however important to note that the ratio of success as compared to failure is very little, which is a concern. Developed nations are busy prescribing ways to tackle air pollution and deforestation to the developing nations but fail to implement these in their own country. Developing countries are continuing the process of industrialization while trying to match their developed counterparts and in the process, destroying the environment. Conclusion To conclude, it can be said that the international laws and policies that have been undertaken by international organizations are not properly followed by world governments. As
5 ACTIONS TAKEN FOR ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION mentioned in the essay, governments and organizations are mostly concern about their own economic and political gains. They only act when the general people put pressure on them after the situation reaches the most risky stage. The essay mainly highlighted the point that the practical solutions applied and implemented by the governments have yielded minimum results. The essay also highlighted the role of business organizations in deforestation and air pollution. Other government and non-governmental organizations associated with the task of protecting the environment have failed to understand the issues properly and implement solutions apt for different regions. An increased attention, awareness and research need to be given to air pollution and deforestation in particular in order to protect the environment.
6 ACTIONS TAKEN FOR ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION References: Brack, D. and Bailey, R. (2018). Ending Global Deforestation: Policy Options for Consumer Countries.[online]Forest-trends.org.Availableat: https://www.forest-trends.org/wp-content/uploads/imported/Brack_Deforestation_Programme_R eport_FINAL.pdf [Accessed 15 Jun. 2018]. Castelo, T.B., 2015. Brazilian forestry legislation and to combat deforestation government policies in the Amazon (Brazilian Amazon).Ambiente & Sociedade,18(4), pp.221-242. Chakravarty, S., Ghosh, S.K., Suresh, C.P., Dey, A.N. and Shukla, G., 2012. Deforestation: causes, effects and control strategies. InGlobal perspectives on sustainable forest management. InTech. Gemmill, B. and Bamidele-Izu, A., 2002. The role of NGOs and civil society in global environmentalgovernance.Globalenvironmentalgovernance:Optionsandopportunities, pp.77-100. Hawrysz, L. and Foltys, J., 2015. Environmental aspects of social responsibility of public sector organizations.Sustainability,8(1), p.19. McKitrick, R., 2006.Air pollution policy in Canada: improving on success. Fraser Institute, p. 6 Myers, E.C., 2007. Policies to reduce emissions from deforestation and degradation (REDD) in tropical forests.Resources Magazine,7. Wang, L., Zhang, F., Pilot, E., Yu, J., Nie, C., Holdaway, J., Yang, L., Li, Y., Wang, W., Vardoulakis, S. and Krafft, T., 2018. Taking Action on Air Pollution Control in the Beijing-
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7 ACTIONS TAKEN FOR ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) Region: Progress, Challenges and Opportunities.International journal of environmental research and public health,15(2), p.306. Yakubu, O.H., 2017. Particle (Soot) Pollution in Port Harcourt Rivers State, Nigeria—Double Air Pollution Burden? Understanding and Tackling Potential Environmental Public Health Impacts.Environments,5(1), p.2.
8 ACTIONS TAKEN FOR ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION Appendices: Appendix A: Appendix B: Appendix C: