Is sustainable development the only response to the planet's exhaustion of resources?

Thèmes abordés

Is the Sustainable Development the only response to the planet's exhaustion?

Résumé du document

The disturbances of the climate, the destruction of the ecosystem, the rarefaction of the water resources are threatening the continuation of life on earth. In the meantime, our societies wonder about an economic dynamic that leads to exclusion and inequalities no one seems to be in a position to control. How can we confront this set of problems that are obviously inextricably linked? As the world is witnessing a major ecological disaster, the international stage is envisaging all the solutions that could put an end to the problem. By looking into the environmental case and its stakes, we can realize how inextricable the situation seems to be. Yet, sustainable development, which pretends to reconcile the economic well-being, the social justice and the preservation of the biosphere, seems to be the magical solution that could resolve all of our anxieties. Hasn't it been conceived precisely for that goal? Sustainable development is in the heart of political, economic and social stakes which I chose to study in my paper. If this notion is very much in fashion, it is also a theme that is controversial that is often brought into question. Can we imagine a new dynamic, some new solutions that could re-examine sustainable development from every angle? Is sustainable development the only response to the environmental issues? Nowadays, we can find infinity of elaborated theories about what is happening in the world and what humanity should do to fight this scourge. I did my best not to get lost in scientific details and to focus on the political analysis of the environmental problem, not forgetting the social and economic aspects. I tried to elaborate my thought around the idea that sustainable development is above all a theory with its weaknesses and strengths.

Extraits

[...] Does the undeveloped countries have the right to pollute in order to profit from an economic growth? That all the questions the world has to answer when it comes to the resolution of the ecological debate. The policy claimed behind all the conventions, protocols, summits on the Environment is controversial because it questions the choices of development of the North and the South and asks the crucial question of energy. Those political decisions aim at modifying the relations of men and nature, by redistributing rights and responsibilities between the States and between their governments and civil societies. [...]

[...] The recent events which have triggered a new attention from the public are very regularly mediatised: the waves of heat, drought records, catastrophic floods, etc. The global climate seems to be totally deregulated and every event provokes the commentary of scientists who suggest openly that those disorders have a strong linked with the green house effect. We know that this green house effect is a direct consequence of the human activities. It is definitely a matter of politics. Can we conclude that the environmental problem has entered in politics much more seriously and on a long term basis than the ordinary? [...]

[...] It formed one of the bases of the future works dedicated to the development and the environment. In Rio, the NGOs' functions and influence have taken a new dimension. Those organizations have played a new role in every stage of the conference. Their place was important and visible. Those organizations were engaged in the conference preparation process, thanks to the impulsion of its general secretary Maurice Strong. They have been active members of the four PreComs (Nairobi, Geneva and New York). [...]

[...] Is the sustainable development the only response to the planet's exhaustion? INTRODUCTION Environment and Politics The ecological issue as a political one The political will to resolve the climate change The major conventions shows the difficulty to compromise between a market of environment and a worldwide regulation The sustainable development as the main ecological preoccupation The sustainable development: decrypting the political stakes The sustainability in debate NGOs, Business world and sustainable development: the dangerous relationships CONCLUSION Introduction The disturbances of the climate, the destruction of the ecosystem, the rarefaction of the water resources are threatening the continuation of the life on earth. [...]

[...] Its mission is envisaging the risks of climatic change linked to the human activities. All of those specific organisms show us to what extent environment has become a strong political issue that needs to be handled in a global dimension. The countries which have signed the Kyoto Protocol commit to reducing their emissions of HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_dioxide" "Carbon dioxide" carbon dioxide and five other HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenhouse_gas" "Greenhouse gas" greenhouse gases or engaging in HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emissions_trading" "Emissions trading" emissions trading if they maintain or increase emissions of these gases. [...]