Poverty and Pollution

Poverty and Pollution

The assertion Pollution is the price of progress is supported some scholars that outlines different reasons as evidence. Evidently, some scholars identify the poor as the individuals that pay the price of the pollution for their progress. In the first stance, developing countries where poverty is rampant incur low costs and thus dumping polluting industries in these nations helps in the reducing the high costs of dealing with effects of pollution in developed countries. Instead of having a region recording high increase in pollution, the polluting agents should be redirected to clean because the concept helps in managing the high costs of pollution. The last statement that supports the assertion is the fact that people value their environment and consider keeping it clean relative to the rise in their incomes.

Evidently, the fall in costs is noticeable when pollution rates fall due to the shift of the dirty from affluent to the affluent nations. A close examination of the ideas used to support the assertion that the poor should pay the price of their progress through increased pollution reveals that the economically, the ideology works and helps in economic improvement. However, it is apparent that the assertion offers economic benefits while the tradeoff ignores the moral issues evident in the decision to redirect pollution to the poor countries and regions. According to the human rights, all human beings have the right to life and this means the right to a healthy environment. Apparently, redirecting pollution to the poor is a wrong against humanity and it is punishable by law.

Economic progress and development are noted as two close concepts are mutually, interdependent. Considering the economic value of a nation's goods and services increases, the activities and the commitment of the nation's workforce to produce quality and large quantities determine the positive economic progress. When relating economic progress which is on an upward trend, it is then true to assert that economic development rises, Therefore, the two concepts of the economy are mutually dependent. Using this relationship, it is evident that for developing countries to experience economic development, people in polluted regions cannot be relocated because most of the activities they engage in result in the pollution. For instance, the residents of Valley of Death in Brazil depend on their daily activities to earn and cater to their needs. However, the same activities that they value because of the employment opportunities available.

One significant aspect of life is that one cannot relocate the individuals because they will lose their jobs and source of income. Therefore, instead of using the region as entirely for industrial services, it is significant to leave the individuals to sustain their living standards through the job opportunities that they polluting individuals offer. Therefore, pollution becomes a minor aspect while the jobs remain as the significant factors as they help in sustaining the living of the poor individuals in the polluted region. Using this example, the residents of the Valley of Death portray that the economic progress of the region influences economic development because the workforce has helped in the development of Brazil's overall economy. In this way, economic growth overlooks some aspects that are dangerous to the community such as pollution. A polluted environment is a good place for the current residents because they manage to get money for improving their living standards.

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