The article Use Energy, Get Rich and Save the Planet by John Tierney revolves around the man’s impact on the ecosystem and was written in 2009, April 20. In an impeccable way, Tierney elaborates the manner in which John P. Holdren and Paul Ehrlich developed a formula revealing how man actions results to diverse effect on the ecosystem. In the equation I=PAT, both scholars were able to disclose that the environmental impact by man is a product of the population, “affluence multiplied by technology”. Thus, I agree with their argument that in efforts for the environment to be protected, it is critical to ensure that there is less impact on the environment; there should be less population, energy revolution, and social transformation. These are steps that are worthy being considered during the Earth Day that has been celebrated since 1970.
Although the equation has been analyzed and improved by many scholars overtime, Ehrlich makes assumptions that he has observed overtime, it is impossible to adopt green energy sources because man was unable to resist from buying the latest technology and there no way the any US or global leader could be able to enable the citizens or the industry adapt to the green energy revolution. More so, Ehrlich assumes that, the ability of individuals and persons to buy new technology enables them to bet richer and thus enable the world to become greener. The second assumption about making the world greener is made complex by the fact that it is hard to believe that the technology could be employed to make the environment greener. In respect to that argument, Ehrlich argues that, as people get more industrialized and adapt the latest technological innovation, they can get access to cleaner water and air which can end up reducing less carbon to the environment, which in turn reduces the volume of the greenhouse gases released into the environment.
The old wealth is therefore considered bad because it resulted to Kuznet curve, which is inverted U curve. The major characteristic of the Kuznet curve are the numerous environmental problems. The environmental problems are considered to be more pronounced in the underdeveloped countries than developed countries that have well implemented property rights laws and well established governing systems. The criteria for governing in the developed countries enable a more efficient energy use which advocates for use of the nuclear energy and gas energy as the expense of the wood and oil energy. Thus many scholars, including Jesse Ausubel and Paul Waggoner of Paul Waggoner and Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station respectively have argued that the rate of global decarbonization has been on the rise. The increased rate of carbon emissions due to globalization is being subdued by the increased volume of forest cover in the United States and other affluent societies. As the forest cover increased in the developed countries, it is reducing in the less developed countries where the forests are being cleared to provide farmland and provide fuel.
As much as controlling the level of greenhouse gases emission is important in both developed and developing countries, it is imperative to limit the level of control because upon the control of the level of the gases emissions, which will limit the rate of economic growth will be limited. Eventually, the rate at which the developing countries will reach the Kuznet curve turning point will be longer. Efforts to implement policies like the Kyoto Protocol have been ineffective with little progress being made towards controlling the level of carbon emissions. Policies that have been set have been ineffective with Mr. Ausebel arguing that the Kuznet curve is more effective in setting guidelines for greenhouse gases emissions that the green revolution.
In the issue of greenhouses gases control is a global issue that needs to be controlled by all global players. It is imperative for nations to develop critical policies that will be able to overcome the challenges facing the world. Although technology innovations comes along many challenges, the issues revolving the energy use of adaption of renewable is among the critical issues that affects the rate of global warming. Global organizations need to adapt the renewable energies to make certain that sustainable development is achieved. In most cases, most scholars differ in their opinions in the best approach to manage global warming. Global economies need to identify the most appropriate policy that will take into consideration the development agendas of both the developed and underdeveloped economies. Despite the strategy taken by the economies, the most critical issue is to consider the development priorities of the current population. As much as the technology is being embraced by most economies, its needs to be kept on check in efforts to take into consideration the needs of the future generations. Nations should also keep their population on check to reduce the adverse effects on increased population on the ecosystem.
References
Tierney, J. ( April 20, 2009). Use Energy, Get Rich and Save the Planet. Retrieved on 18 December 2013 from http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/21/science/earth/21tier.html?_r=1&
