The Environment

It is not simple to define the word “environment” when referring to the natural environment. Many try to define it as all the natural elements of the Earth (such as air, water, atmosphere, animals, plants, and minerals) that interact with each other, including everything surrounding humans and their activities. Placing humans at the centre of the environment is a highly controversial issue in the field of ecology. Does the environment serve humans or should humans serve the environment?

Humans exploit the planet’s resources unequally. Consumption is much higher in developed countries than in developing countries. Why? Because, unlike in developing countries, most people in developed countries can afford to consume products. They consume not just to meet their basic needs like eating and drinking, but also to maintain a certain standard of living that they are used to. 

This standard of living is what developing and emerging countries aspire to.What would happen if everyone lived like Canadians, for example? Well, we would need 4.8 planets to maintain everyone’s standard of living. 

How is this number calculated? We use the ecological footprint that humans have on the Earth. It allows us to calculate the impact that the world’s population has on the natural environment through its use and consumption of the planet’s resources. 

In recent decades, this overconsumption and the major increase in the number of people who consume too much have caused several environmental problems and consequences for the planet and its inhabitants.

Environmental issues have led many people around the world to take action. Some people join non-governmental organizations (NGOs), such as Greenpeace, to protect the environment and ensure a sustainable and equitable future for future generations. These organizations use different means to make themselves heard, such as peaceful protests. 

International environmental organizations bring together different states to prevent environmental problems and find solutions to them. States discuss and develop action plans that each member can draw up in their own country. 

Local groups also operate on a smaller scale, but are just as important in raising awareness and taking concrete action. These groups allow people to get involved in their community to improve their daily lives.

Environmental problems affect all countries. For real change to happen, many states need to work together. They meet at international conferences to draw up action plans to solve different environmental problems. Most of the time, these conferences result in agreements or conventions signed by the various parties. This allows countries to commit to taking concrete action on their territories to achieve the objectives set during these international meetings.

Once a treaty or individual initiative is signed, the state must intervene to implement various measures to achieve the set objectives. These measures can take the form of incentives or penalties to encourage people and companies to adopt better environmental-related behaviour. For example, a government can set up a carbon market to make companies pay for high greenhouse gas emissions (GHG).