Environmental Ethics

Author(s): S M Jain
Publisher: Prakrit Bharti Academy

Page 45

3
OPTIMISING POPULATION AND CONSUMERISM
Stress:
Population explosion has direct impact on environmental degradation. The more the number the more the requirement of food, putting more and more stress on soil, beyond its carrying capacity. Soil is not renewable on the time scale as biomass grown to meet growing needs and is therefore degraded continuously with each crop and ultimately becomes infertile. The unbearable pressure on soil has turned vast stretches of land into wastelands. The growing numbers need more and more water for meeting drinking, household, washing, agricultural and industrial needs. As a result water sources deplete fast ultimately getting completely dry as has happened in many places. For increasing numbers there are increasing needs for clothing, other household goods, transport, schools and colleges, electricity and therefore there is more and more pressure on natural resources both renewable and non-renewable. Most of non renewable resources particularly oil and minerals are being exploited in such huge quantities that all the known resources will be completely exhausted within a century or so and nothing will be left for future generations. This will be the cruelty of most abominable form inflicted by present generation on its own future progeny. Greater numbers will generate more waste and pollute soil, water and air more and more by increasing amount of household, agricultural and industrial pollutants.
Fruitarian Era:
Homosapiens (mankind) are supposed to be on this planet
✪ 30