The connections between the economy and the environment are multitudinous: the latter acts as a source of economic resources and as an outlet for emissions and waste. Environmental pollution, in return, leads to slow economic growth because it reduces the quantity and quality of resources. This means that the first step to achieving economic growth is by protecting the environment. Any failure to do it will, in the long run, lead to the depletion of economic resources. Therefore, this paper proves that environmental protection is not about flora and fauna, but about the United States economy.
Environmental protection aims at preventing, reducing, and managing waste streams besides safeguarding human wellbeing. Developed economies understand that environmental pollution affects the quality of inputs needed for production (Szerb et al., 2019). The United States economy depends mostly on the number of inputs and the efficiency with which they are used. As explicated by Szerb et al. (2019) in their study, “the greater the number of inputs and the more efficient the use of these inputs, the greater the amount of output” (p.273). The aim of eliminating pollution is not necessarily to protect flora and fauna but rather to safeguard human health. Economists associate pollution with an increase in economic costs arising from higher health care costs and reduced human labor supply (Munawer, 2018). Similarly, pollution affects economic growth by reducing the productivity of soil and water; thus, the country spends many resources remediating them.
Environmental protection targets natural resources due to their positive contribution toward fiscal revenue, income, and poverty reduction. The country has witnessed a significant increase in revenues from natural resources due to the rise in commodity prices (Sauvé et al., 2016). Similarly, population growth and a rising standard of living have seen the demand for natural resources increase steadily. Therefore, the focus has now shifted to protecting resources such as oil, gas, minerals, and timber. Developed countries understand that they stand a high chance of deriving significant current income from these resources (Mensah & Casadevall, 2019). In addition to providing revenues to developed countries, including the US, natural resources play an essential role in poverty reduction. In this regard, environmental protection aims at introducing policies that improve natural resource management.
The introduction of public policies such as command-and-control regulations and direct and indirect government subsidies further justifies why environmental protection is more about the United States’ economy. According to Muniz-Pardos et al. (2019), businesses across the US continue to develop and apply technologies to reduce pollution while necessitating economic growth. For instance, in the 1960s, one could not ride a bicycle along the Hudson River, but today it is allowed. Similarly, the New Yorkers used to dump raw sewage in the Hudson River until 1985. However, currently, the state uses advanced technologies to treat its sewage waste (Lee-Geiller & Kütting, 2021). New York’s efforts were informed by the desire to improve their economy; they both have the largest economies than they had in the 1970s. Most states utilize pollution control technologies as stipulated under the law.
Environmental protection is increasingly being prioritized due to its economic opportunities. For instance, the US has directed its efforts toward protecting natural resources to achieve future green markets. The key characteristics of green markets include “energy efficiency, environmentally friendly energy production, sustainable water management and mobility, material efficiency, waste management, and recycling”(Aram et al., 2018, p.164). The authors further added that the global volume of future green economies would be €4.4 trillion in 2025 (Aram et al., 2018). The global race for these markets started during the financial crisis when many countries adopted stimulus packages linked to environmental protection measures. During this period, South Korea acquired a green share of 80 percent while China had 38 percent (Grillitsch & Hansen, 2019). The green economy is regarded as the most efficient way for sustainability. The US has taken up the challenge by championing environmental protection measures to retain its market leadership role. Similarly, the country is currently providing systematic funding for environmental innovations.
Finally, environmental protection is regarded as the most effective measure of protecting the prosperity of future generations. In other words, it exists to ensure the present economic system does not destroy natural resources. Instead of worrying about flora and fauna, the country is concerned with the follow-up costs associated with the loss of biodiversity. Most developed countries, such as the US, are driven by the economic benefits resulting from environmental protection. For instance, the government is currently investing more in integrated ecological technologies, which reduce costs at the operational level.
In conclusion, environmental protection is not about flora and fauna, but the United States economy. As discussed above, environmental protection targets mainly natural resources due to its positive contribution toward fiscal revenue, income, and poverty reduction. Similarly, the adoption of command-and-control and direct and indirect government subsidies further justifies why environmental protection is about the country’s economy. Developed countries consider environmental protection as the most effective measure of protecting the prosperity of future generations.
References
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