Young1

Anthony Young

Prof Gatlin

Intro to Environmental Sci.

December 15, 2010

Opinion Paper, Issue 2:

Is Sustainable Development Compatible With Human Welfare?

When first asked the question “is Sustainable Development compatible with Human Welfare?” I

was not quite sure what was being asked or what response I should have. So I began to read the given

issue. I then dissected what sustainable development means and the current affairs with human

welfare. Sustainable Development is a continuous pattern of resource use that aims to meet human

needs, while preserving the environment, so that these needs can be met - not only in the present, but

also for generations to come. In today’s society Human Welfare has become extremely imbalanced,

creating an unimaginable gap between very-poor and the elite rich. When asked the question again, I’ve

come to the conclusion: No, sustainable development is not compatible with Human welfare in an

economic and capitalistic system. After, reading both arguments I understood each side clearly, but I did

not agree with their reasoning’s entirely. Jeremy Rifkin’s argument that sustainability is compatible was

more acceptable for the awareness of global issue, but as a planet we cannot be sustainable in the

current humanistic system driven by monetary gain. Ron Bailey’s argument against sustainability is not

the direction by which the environmentalist agree, and puts even more stress on our planet. Bailey’s

argument is to simply “wait” for developing countries to become wealthy, and have the resources to

become sustainable as a nation and not a worldly issue.

In conclusion, the only way sustainable development will be compatible with human welfare is to

remove the monetary system and implement a Resource-Based System. A system were all resources are

distributed based on a survey of all the Earth’s people and resources. No need for money.