Essay Competition: Ruth O’Leary

This essay was written by Ruth O’Leary – one of the runner-ups of this year’s essay competition. Well done Ruth for a fantastic essay!

‘The needs of humans should have priority over those of nature in any planning for sustainability’ Discuss this suggestion.

Humankind’s relationship with nature has varied over the past century. Whilst many still view nature as an untouched wilderness, there is a sharp contrast between the way we view the natural world and the way we treat it. Humans have a very inter-connected relationship with nature so, in the planning for future sustainability, the needs of humans must be considered. However, so too must those of nature. Dramatic events such as nuclear testing, the current mass extinction and our general exploitation of resources have led many to advocate for a new geological epoch: the so-called ‘Anthropocene’. It is clear that humans are having an impact on the Earth which is comparable to the effects of geological processes (Thomas, 2016). While controversial, this shift in thinking, alongside environmental movements, such as Extinction Rebellion, have emphasized the need to solve the sustainable developments conundrum immediately.

Human need has seemed to out-weigh that of nature’s over the past century through the capitalist mentality of many in the global north. The fast fashion industry has repeatedly been scrutinized in recent years for the socioenvironmental issues displayed by many of the most prevalent businesses within the industry. Boohoo is an example of one such business whose unethical practices have recently been brought to awareness in the media. Being of one the largest UK-based fashion companies, it is expected to have a full year 2019-2020 growth of 40-42 per cent (Reuters, 2020). However, it was recently reported than the company was paying many garment manufacturing workers in the UK far below minimum wage; there was a report of one factory worker offered a wage of just £3 an hour (BBC, 2020). Furthermore, the textile and apparel industry ranks among one of the most polluting sectors worldwide (Arrigo, 2020). The endorsement of industries, such as Boohoo, has become a part of the daily lives of many people in the western world. However, it is important to make a distinction between practices which are part of human need and environmentally unsustainable practices which are unnecessary in sustaining human life.

Since the industrialization of much of the western world, humans have heavily relied on fossil fuels for development. Throughout history, nature’s power has often been expressed through literature and it was this idea of a vast wilderness that intrigued the exploration of nature for the resources it could provide for man. One of the most important ways in which humans can limit their impact on the environment is by minimizing their exploitation of natural resources and, therefore, reducing the impacts of global warming. The ‘Spaceship Earth’ metaphor puts into perspective the needs of humans. This is the concept that any resources that humans have access to are finite and limited to what is already on the Earth. In this way, human need and environmental sustainability meet as, if humans do not reduce their global emissions, the planet will suffer and, if humankind does not learn to support itself without being so heavily reliant on natural resources, human life will not be self-sufficient in the future. Still, it is argued that for many countries in the world that are currently developing, it is unfair to reduce their ability to access natural resources to the same extent that other countries have used them to develop in the past. 

Whilst the developed world is responsible for much of the exploitation of the environment, it has not experienced the effects of its actions. Many delegates at the UN general assembly argued, in 2019, that “unprecedented climate impacts are disproportionately burdening developing countries”. This is widening the inequality between advanced and developing countries. Those countries already at a disadvantage in terms of development are now struggling to further develop due to the increased likelihood of droughts and other extreme weather events. Yet, despite the contribution of unsustainable practices by wealthy countries to the poverty of people in the global south, countries of influence seem unwilling to change for the benefit of the planet and the poor. Consequently, the needs of humans living in countries of political influence are currently taking priority over environmental sustainability. In planning for sustainability, the needs of all humans must be considered, including those of the global south with little economic prevalence.

Countries of all progressivity, however, have been impacted through the Covid-19 pandemic. It is strongly thought by scientists that our destructive relationship with nature is putting us at greater risk of pandemic diseases (Attenborough, 2020), making this one of the first times that many of today’s most developed countries have been so severely affected by humankind’s impact on the environment in our current interconnected and economically advanced world. It has been heavily suggested that the SARS-COV-2 virus, which causes Covid-19, was passed to humans by bats. This will have occurred due to the unethical practice of animal trafficking which is at unprecedented levels (Daszak, 2020). Many species are nearing extinction, yet this trade has little to no benefit for human life. By acknowledging the need to respect the space of nature, we can both safeguard species from the prospect of extinction – ensuring future environmental sustainability – and we can protect humans from other global consequences, including pandemic diseases.

It is clear that there needs to be some kind of compromise made by humans when planning for sustainability. Some practices must continue to take place despite the consequences they have on the environment, but changes can be made at all levels to reduce these impacts. These could include a change in lifestyle choices, the switch to green energy or local sourcing of food and goods. In order to have effective global change, governments must be held accountable and an effort must be made to enforce legally binding agreements such as the Paris Agreement from which President Trump has withdrawn the US. But above all, it is vital for there to be a shift in mindset on a global scale and the current pandemic has shown that, as humans, we can dramatically change our way of life in order to protect life. 

Feedback from the Head of Department: ‘A good discussion of the ways in which human consumption and production processes have contributed the exploitation of the environment. The essay drew attention to inequality between the countries most responsible for these damages, and those that were likely to face the worst consequences, but also showed the need for a global perspective in responding to these challenges.’

REFERENCES

Arrigo, E. (2020) Global Sourcing in Fast Fashion Retailers: Sourcing Locations and Sustainability Considerations. Sustainability, 12(2), p.508.

Attenborough, D. (2020) Extinction: The Facts. BBC 

BBC (2020) Government ‘Must Stop Garment Worker Exploitation’. BBC News [online] Available at: <https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-53465977> [Accessed 26 September 2020].

Daszak, P. (2020) Extinction: The Facts. BBC

Reuters (2020) Boohoo Thrives After Strong Holiday Sales. Business of Fashion [online] Available at: https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/news-analysis/boohoo-thrives-after-strong-holiday-sales#:~:text=The%20group%20is%20now%20forecasting,of%20%22around%2010%20percent%22Thomas, D. (2016). The Dictionary of Physical Geography. 4th ed. John Wiley & Sons Ltd, p.29.

Image Credits: Holly Hodges

DISCLAIMER: THE VIEWS EXPRESSED IN THIS ARTICLE ARE THOSE OF THE AUTHOR ONLY AND DO NOT REPRESENT THE VIEWS OR OPINIONS OF COMPASS MAGAZINE AS A WHOLE OR THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY.