Environmental Ethics

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

Page 69

population continues to explode as of now. It is suicidal path and must be changed, sooner the better.
Balancing the mismatch between demand and carrying capacities:
On an average the per capita requirement of land is 1.9 acres for food crops, 2.4 acres for pasture, 2.6 acres as wood land, 2.2 acres for shelter, clothing etc. i.e. total of 9.1 acres or 4 hectares approximately. Populations should therefore be brought drown gradually according to above carrying capacity of land. Likewise per capita consumption should be optimised to the same extent. Extensive research work has been done on the impact of mismatch between demands and carrying capacities of resources on damage to environment, water resources, atmosphere, soil and to human health and this has been quantified and documented. The findings are alarming and necessitate remedial measures soonest. References of these research works are available in Environment Extracts, published by Ministry of Environment and Forest, Government of India. There are numerous such publications from other countries also. The available data are so massive that it is not possible to quote even some of them in this brief treatise.
It will be illusory to assume that administrative, economical or even technological measures will solve environmental problems. The past experience is that it has not been possible. In spite of meticulous planning in cities and towns, the number of slums and their size are increasing. There are elaborate rural development, rural employment and poverty alleviation programmes, yet exodus from villages to slums in cities is on the increase. There has been considerable increase in grain production but intermittent shortfalls and consequent imports are back again. There is phenomenal increase in public transport both on roads and railways but the overcrowding is there. Residential houses have been constructed in large numbers, devouring even fertile prime agricultural land, yet there is acute shortage, forcing people to sleep on pavements. More and more people are being
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