Introduction
The production and consumption of wealth are integral components of economic activities. These integral components have profound effects on the environment, unavoidably leading to environmental risks that affect the vulnerable population immensely (Paul, 2021, para. 3). Given the complexities involved in understanding the possibility of production and Consumption of wealth posing environmental risk to poor population, it is imperative to adopt a theoretical model to guide the analysis. In this way, John Stuart Mill’s Theory of the Stationary State, which offers a lens through which to scrutinize the consequences of uncontrolled production and Consumption, is adopted (De Steiguer 1995, p. 30). The theory of statutory state suggests that an economy may reach a point where it achieves a stable state, where it maintains a balance between production and Consumption to thwart the overexploitation of resources. This essay critically analyzes how the production and Consumption of wealth result to generation of environmental risks for underprivileged communities, drawing on Mill’s insights and real-world examples to illustrate the interconnectedness of economic activities and environmental consequences.
Production, Consumption, and Environmental Risks in a Theoretical Context
Evidence indicates that the production and Consumption of wealth are synonymous with environmental risks that affect people, especially those from marginalized groups, including people with low incomes. John Stuart Mill’s Theory of the Stationary State offers a relevant structure for comprehending the interrelated dynamics of production, Consumption, and environmental risks that affect impoverished communities. According to Mill, a society reaching a stationary state attains equilibrium by balancing production and Consumption to escape overexploitation of resources (De Steiguer 1995, p. 30). However, in the modern context, rapid industrialization and unrestrained consumerism disturb this delicate balance, resulting in environmental risks that excessively affect people with low incomes. The production theory feature of Mill’s model underlines the significance of sustainable resource utilization, emphasizing that uncontrolled production, frequently driven by profit motives, can result in ecological degradation. Indeed, increasing production and Consumption of goods without mitigating the sustainability of the resources needed for production causes declining productivity and has a hostile impact on the poor (Paul 2021, para. 12). Concurrently, the consumption theory within Mill’s framework emphasizes the need for equability in Consumption, an aspect frequently ignored in a globalized economy where richer nations’ consumption patterns openly affect resource obtainability in poorer regions.
Production and Consumption Environmental Risks
Wealth production involves sourcing and extraction of natural resources, raw materials, and industrial processes that cause significant environmental degradation. If not controlled, such production-oriented activities may cause huge environmental risks that deny the poor people the right to access necessities, including clean water due to pollution. Many organizations involved in the extraction of raw materials required for production do not consider the needs of the local poor people who depend on them for their livelihood as required by the Rio Summit (Paul 2021, para. 12). Stationary state theory argues that the demand for natural resources can outstrip resources’ sustainable availability because of overexploitation in an unrestrained growth scenario. It is because of such production practices that natural capital is depleted, leading to scarcity that affects people with low incomes harshly compared to the affluent. This overexploitation disproportionately affects impoverished populations who often inhabit regions rich in natural resources. Lecture materials reveal that many organizations overexploit natural resources because they want to make huge profits by producing more (Prof Gerard Hanlon, 2023a, p. 3). For example, the uncontrolled cutting down of trees in developing and undeveloped countries often results in deforestation, soil erosion, and water pollution, directly disturbing the livelihoods of those who depend on the ecosystem.
Industrial pollution poses a substantial risk to environmental and public health, with underprivileged groups frequently withstanding the worst of its hostile effects. The lectures show that some countries are controlling and minimizing their CO2 emission while others are not responsible (Prof Gerard Hanlon, 2023b, p. 5). Industries involved in production and natural resource mining release pollutants that infiltrate air, water, and soil, excessively impacting vulnerable populations residing in the nearby areas. Air pollution because of emissions from the industries introduces unsafe gases and particles into the atmosphere, contaminating air and leading to respiratory illnesses and numerous health complications among residents. Health science and environmental science have provided substantial insights into the correlation between environmental burdens and ecosystem degradation (International Resource Panel 2017, p. 2). The pollution of water sources by industrial waste endangers drinking water quality and aquatic ecosystems. This has a huge impact on the livelihoods of people that depend on these resources.
Furthermore, the leakage of chemicals and heavy metals into the soil concessions agricultural productivity, which is the main source of livelihood for the impoverished communities. The interaction of these ecological challenges stresses the environmental injustice faced by disadvantaged people. This underscores the urgent necessity for stringent regulations and sustainable practices in manufacturing processes to address the uneven impact on the most vulnerable.
Today, the concept of climate change has become a household song sung every day to remind the masses of the dangers of global warming. Production and Consumption of wealth have a direct connection with climate change that poses immeasurable threats to the welfare of impoverished people in society that face the repercussions directly. Production and Consumption of goods result in generation of the greenhouse gases that cause global warming, donating to climate change (International Resource Panel 2017, p. 37). The main receptors of the consequences are the poor people who depend on agriculture and other related activities to earn their livelihood. Poor people normally stay in areas prone to life-threatening weather events like droughts, floods, earthquakes, tsunamis, and storms, among others. Therefore, lack of resources composites their challenges in recuperating from such disasters when they occur. Furthermore, climate-prompted shifts interrupt agricultural productivity, risking food security for these populations that depend on food directly from the firms because of price increments. Climate change is an issue that the United Nations has pushed by asking the nation to reduce their CO2 emission, as reflected in lecture three (Prof Gerard Hanlon, 2023, p. 8c). The convergence of these factors stresses the intensified risks faced by demoted communities, emphasizing the need for combined efforts to mitigate the root causes of climate change and the inconsistent burdens it places on people who have insufficient resources.
Resource depletion is a noteworthy worry as it includes the mining of natural resources to generate wealth through overproduction and overconsumption. Lecture materials show that an average American consumes twice as much as they consumed 50 years ago (Prof Gerard Hanlon, 2023, p. 7c). Mining and production have damaging effects on the lives of underprivileged populations who profoundly rely on natural resources to survive. This is done, for example through deforestation, where the cutting down of trees for wood and creating space for farming results in the loss of treasured forest resources. This, in turn, unpleasantly affects people who depend on forests to live, distracting the subtle balance between human activities and nature (International Resource Panel 2017, p. 2). Overfishing additionally demonstrates resource depletion practices, as unwarranted fishing exhausts fish stocks, directly affecting the lives of people who rely on fishing as a means of nourishment. The interconnection of resource mining and the welfare of vulnerable people underscore the significance of considering the consequences of exploiting natural resources for wealth creation. Therefore, identifying this link becomes critical in nurturing sustainable practices that support economic growth and safeguard the livelihoods of relegated communities that rely on these vital resources.
Investigating consumption patterns is essential to understanding the environmental risks faced by poor populations. John Stuart Mill’s stationary state theory underlines the prominence of exercising restraint in Consumption to support the environmental equilibrium required to avoid ecological degradation (De Steiguer 1995, p. 30). However, the truth of contemporary international consumerism shows a blatant contrast, as it regularly encourages unnecessary resource consumption, resulting to substantial waste. This overconsumption plays a fundamental role in intensifying environmental risks that the low-income earners in rural and congested urban areas normally shoulder. The lecture materials demonstrate that people in rural areas are affected by climate change more compared to those in urban areas (Prof Gerard Hanlon, 2023b, p. 5). A good example of the disparity lies in the dumping of electronic waste, mainly driven by the consumption behaviors of richer nations. The rejected electronic products frequently find their way to developing and underdeveloped countries where unceremonious reusing activities take place, like in the case of mobile phone waste dumping in lecture three (Prof Gerard Hanlon, 2023b, p. 4). Inappropriately, this informal reutilizing poses severe health dangers to those involved, increasing a direct link between undue Consumption in wealthy regions and the ecological and health risks persevered by underprivileged people.
Waste generation is perceived as a direct outcome of the Consumption of goods and services. Wastes pose a persistent environmental risk, particularly to impoverished populations living in areas where waste-discarding facilities are located, absent, or inadequate. These communities commonly find themselves located in close proximity to landfills, becoming innocently exposed to the detrimental chemicals and pollutants originating from these disposal sites (Abubakar et al., 2022, p. 6). The prevalent issue of plastic pollution from disposal further worsens the detrimental influence of waste. Poor inhabitants frequently need more appropriate waste management structures, something that exposes them to plastic waste contamination problems that affect water sources and soil. This jeopardizes the well-being of individuals within these communities and contributes to wider environmental dilapidation. The inequalities in waste disposal infrastructure show ecological injustice issues, emphasizing the pressing need to attain equitable waste management systems that deliberate on the well-being of all communities, irrespective of their socioeconomic standing. Mitigating waste generation expansively involves reevaluating consumption patterns and executing broad waste management approaches to guarantee the health and environment of disadvantaged populations.
Conclusion
Production and consumption of wealth, when not controlled by sustainable principles, suggestively contribute to ecological risks for disadvantaged populations. John Stuart Mill’s Theory of the Stationary State acts as a valuable theoretical charter for comprehending the significance of attaining a balance between economic activities and environmental preservation. The examples discussed in this essay show the real-world repercussions of uncontrolled production and Consumption. Critical analysis of the issue reveals that there is a need for urgent policies that prioritize ecological sustainability and social justice. Therefore, policymakers need to enact laws that will ensure that the production and Consumption of wealth are restricted or controlled to safeguard the wellness of the impoverished communities and help them jump frog from their state poverty.
Bibliography
Abubakar, I.R., Maniruzzaman, K.M., Dano, U.L., AlShihri, F.S., AlShammari, M.S., Ahmed, S.M.S., Al-Gehlani, W.A.G. and Alrawaf, T.I. (2022). Environmental Sustainability Impacts of Solid Waste Management Practices in the Global South. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, [online] 19(19), p.12717. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9566108/.
De Steiguer, J.E., 1995. Three Theories from Economics about the Environment. BioScience, 45(8), pp.552–557. doi:https://doi.org/10.2307/1312701.
International Resource Panel., 2017. Assessing the Environmental Impacts of Consumption and Production. [online] Resource Panel. Available at: https://www.resourcepanel.org/reports/assessing-environmental-impacts-consumption-and-production.
Paul, D., 2021. Merging the Poverty and Environment Agendas. [online] International Institute for Sustainable Development. Available at: https://www.iisd.org/articles/deep-dive/merging-poverty-and-environment-agendas.
Prof Gerard Hanlon., 2023a. Lecture Two: The Environment, marketing, and Consumption. Lecture materials. BUS107/130
Prof Gerard Hanlon., 2023b. Lecture Three: Accounting and Marketing for the Environment. Lecture materials. BUS107/130
Prof Gerard Hanlon., 2023c. Lecture Four: The Circular Economy and a recap. Lecture materials. BUS107/130
write