Green mentality and growth is a harbinger for a new world civilization

Green mentality and growth is a harbinger for a new world civilization

A. Green practice and growth is a turning point in human history

i. Is nature an object to be conquered, used, and developed? New technology has changed the balance.

Ever since the first Industrial Revolution, we human beings have achieved a remarkable economic development. Thanks to the development, we can live much better lives than our ancestors. However, despite the 17 folds increase in income, more than 3 billion people are still suffering from the absolute poverty. Although we now produce foods in quantities larger than what all human beings can consume, many people are starved to death. Disparities between the richest and the poorest countries keep on widening. Many people are still suffering from hunger, diseases, oppression, and human rights violations. And unceasing international conflicts are killing many people.
Among the changes that have occurred since the Industrial Revolution, the reversal in our relationship with the nature is most ominous. Prior to the Industrial Revolution, humans had always revered the nature and regarded it as the source of life. As most of what the nature did was unfathomable to humans, they feared and worshiped the nature.
The economic progress had changed these. With the tools and machines that had become newly available, and with knowledge and skills they were able to acquire the power of humans began to grow very rapidly. In contrast the power of the nature grew rather slowly. Moreover, humans, especially those who lived in rapidly developing regions, became so confident as to regard the nature as something to be conquered and exploited.
The burdens we humans imposed on the nature began to outweigh the self regenerating power of the nature. Rapidly increased uses of natural resources such as timber, coal, oil, gas, and other minerals began to outgrow what the nature could regenerate. Enormous amounts of green fields, mountains, and “wetlands were developed” and “numerous rivers, lakes, and oceans were heavily used and sometimes completely remade”. The wastes and pollutants that humans threw back to the nature had increased so much as to make the quality of water, air, and soils in and around some areas where humans maintained economic activities almost unbearable.
Prior to the first industrial revolution, the average income of humans had remained at around $500. It grew to around $8,000 by 2009, a sixteen folds increase. The population, which was about 1 billion in 1750, is about 7 billion now. These suggest that the world GDP has increased at least by 111 times. With 31 to 1 resources-output ratio, this amounts to an increase in resource uses by more than 3,010 times. An enormous amount, indeed! And this does not include the losses caused by pollution.
When the population was small and economic activities were simple, the amount of the environmental capital humans used was smaller than what the nature could regenerate. But toward the latter half of the 20th century, the amount of the natural capital used up and destroyed or polluted began to outweigh the regenerating capacity of the nature. In particular toward the end of the century, the amount depleted grew much bigger.
For some time now, nature has been sending out strong signals that we cannot go on like this. It says,
"You are putting too much burden on me. As a result I am losing my regenerating power. If this goes on like this, there will come a point when neither you nor I can survive. If you do not change your behaviors and stop hurting me, I might do something awful to you to teach a lesson."
As evidence, just look at the followings.
(i) The probability for coal, oil, and gas may completely dry up is rapidly rising.
(ii) Pure water and clean air, which were typical examples of free goods, are getting scarcer and scarcer.
(iii) The ecology of the earth is under heavy threats. Every year numerous species go extinct.
(iv) Too much green house gas emission and the resulting global warming continue to upset the world’s weather system. Abnormal climate events might wipe out human civilizations.
How has the industrial progress that was believed to bring a never-ending prosperity for humans gone astray? What is wrong with the economic progress we have made? It is mainly because we have treated the nature as an object to be used and conquered, we have pursued too narrowly defined selfish interests, and we have blindly followed the motto, "becoming wealthy is everything." The ill perceived selfish nationalism is constantly causing conflicts and wars in many regions of the world. The fundamentally wrong attitudes toward the nature are destroying our environments and as punishment we face now abominable weather disasters.
ii. We should say NO to these neglects and abuse of the environment
We cannot leave the imbalance between man and nature as it is. If we insist on preserving the way how we have been living, our lives may soon be at a mercy of resource depletion and natural disasters. When lives are threatened, nations may turn against each other and may self destroy through senseless wars. This could bring an end to the (material) civilization we have now. Even when it is not destroyed, living in an extremely dirty and polluted environment would be a nightmare.
Fortunately we humans are not that stupid. Already many people see the threats and they have begun to change how they think and behave. Increasingly more and more people, understanding fully well how important the nature and good environment are, are doing positive things for the environment.
However, those who highly value the quality of the environment are deficient in one important aspect. They do not provide an answer to the basic problem of alleviating the extreme poverty, under which billions of people are suffering. In the name of protecting the environment, should we shut our eyes to the problems of hunger and disease?
The philosophy behind the green growth initiatives is very different. It is neither human-centered nor nature-centered. It cares equally for nature and man. They not only point out problems, but also suggest plausible solutions and cures. Green growth is a thought that tries to achieve economic growth and environmental progress all at the same time, relying on scientific and pragmatic methods. The philosophy is that by successfully implementing the green growth initiatives we can avoid crossing the ecological threshold and restore the rightful balance between man and nature.
B. The emergence and the implementation of the green civilization
i. Green civilization is being ushered by the green practice and growth initiatives
The goal of green growth initiatives is to transform the materialistic civilization of last three centuries into a green civilization of the 21st century. It is an attempt to change the quantitative growth of yester years based on material wellbeing to the qualitative growth based on harmonious co-existence of man and nature.
The green growth initiatives take the relationship between man and nature, or between economy and environment, as mutually invigorating. There is no reason why their relationship should be one of tradeoffs. Through programs that care for the environment as well as man, the initiatives aim to build strong bases on which a truly sustainable development is possible. By fundamentally changing our thoughts and deeds, the initiatives aim to make the earth a place where not only man, but also the nature can prosper for a long time to come.
The green growth initiatives can be effective in transforming the materialistic paradigm into a green paradigm. The materialistic paradigm seeks an economic progress of the man for the man. It takes the natural environment as means toward that goal. It sees everything mainly from the man’s perspectives. The green paradigm, on the other hand, seeks progress of both man and nature. It takes the natural environment as an equal partner of man. It is not an object to be conquered and used, but a partner with whom we engage in fruitful exchanges. It sees everything from the perspectives of the entire ecology.
Green civilization seeks a sustainable development that can greatly improve the quality of life for all living creatures. It recognizes what the nature can do for the human beings and at the same time what the human beings can do to the nature. In the era of green civilization, man would still rely on the nature for their living. But at the same time man recognizes that unless he takes good care of the nature, it can be destroyed and polluted beyond repair.
ii. The 21st Century is an era of implementation of the green civilization
Many countries in the world are currently striving to take leading positions in the global race in green technologies, green products, and green industries. The green competition is on.
Can America successfully join in the global green race and hopefully win in some areas? The answer is a conditional yes. The first step is to remake the soft infrastructure. A strong determination of leaders and policy makers to pull off the green revolution would help. However, will power alone cannot make things happen. It should be supported with comprehensive policies based on careful analyses.
America’s competitiveness in the global green race would be determined more by software than by hardware. Transforming existing production facilities and social hard infrastructure from brown to green is important. But at this stage of development and for green growth, people, their human capital, ideas and technologies, and systems and norms, i.e., the software of the country, are much more important.
Cultivating the new engines of growth is important for America to become an advanced country. However, it should not become the main focus of the green growth strategies. If we pay too much attention to the growth aspect of the green growth, we may well end up with yet another quantitative development.
The green growth initiatives should not be taken as predominantly scientific and technological programs, either. They should be more comprehensive programs encompassing economic, social, and environmental aspects of human lives.
America’s goal in the green race is not winning itself. Rather by participating in the race with utmost sincerity and hearts, America wants to be the most admirable change agent that would usher in the green civilization. Her goal is to become a leader who would contribute toward making the earth a most sustainable place where all human beings can live happily among themselves and harmoniously with the nature.
iii. Land that practices green civilization
America’s name People in the U.S. generally refer to the country as America and the citizens as Americans. For this America is sometimes called the land of opportunity.
Just imagine that early in the morning you are up and out in the garden greeting flowers, trees, and birds. The darkness of the night is receding and over the distant mountains you can see a new sun is about to rise. The sky is blue and the morning breeze cools your cheek. Crystal clear water overflows from the small spring well in the corner. You drink one glass and immediately feel that your body and mind are cleansed. Many are still in bed, but all the small creatures are busy going about their morning routines. Out in the field you gather dew laden fresh vegetables. On seeing the nature’s bounties and thinking of neighbors to whom you can bring those bounties, you feel happy and smile contentedly.
This calm, serene, and clean image of an early morning would make most Americans happy. Indeed many Americans on the way to work gather strengths from the nature they pass by. And that is why millions of Americans flock to the nearby mountains and riverside parks on weekends and holidays. They want to be near the nature.
Indeed, the traditional ideal for Americans was to become one with the nature. Americans believed that the nature was omnipotent and bountiful but man was weak and limited. They regarded nature as the fountain of life. The fountain, when kept and managed properly, would supply sufficient water for human needs. Thus they believed. They also believed that they should share the water with other creatures. Therefore not only must they keep the fountain clean, but they should also use it sparingly.
This ideal, however, became rather impotent when the material aspects of the Western civilization invaded America. The allure of economic progress and their accompanying material affluence were too strong temptations for Americans to resist. What people needed were jobs, money to buy foodstuffs, clothes, places to live, and to educate children.
Americans knew envies or mere aspirations would not give them what they wanted. They understood that they had to work hard, save a lot, and invest wisely. These they did and Americans had steadily improved their economic lots. Americans ran and ran, and have had no time to look back and think about what they have been doing.
In recent years, especially in the first decade of the 21st century, Americans began finally to look back and assess what they had been doing. They realize now that,
(i) Indeed Americans have come a long way in terms of economic growth,
(ii) Americans have made once a wilderness country be a thriving dynamic place, and
(iii) They are proud that once a wild country is now offering overseas aids
But Americans also realize that,
(iv) They have neglected the importance of the environment too long,
(v) They have put too much burdens on the natural environment through pollution and damages, and
(vi) They have lost important things such as family values, morality, neighborhood fellowships, and compassion for the poor and weak.
From these assessments, one thing becomes clear. Even with so much economic progress, Americans are not that happier and they feel something important is missing. On close inspection, they realize that,
(i) When the natural environment is polluted and destroyed too much, and
(ii) When there are too many underprivileged neighbors, they cannot be truly happy. So
(iii) They must make the economy, the society, and the environment truly sustainable.
What should Americans do then to become truly happy? They see that they should do at least the followings.
(i) They have to pay more attention to the natural environment. For this Americans should return to their roots and rejuvenate the ideal of becoming one with nature. They must cut down resource uses, they must use resources more efficiently, they must find alternatives to fossil fuels, and they must stop polluting the nature. Americans realize these can be done only when they change every aspect of their lives from brown to green.
(ii) They realize that they need further economic development. There are still big gaps between America and the developing countries. In order to stay ahead, Americans must work hard, save more, invest wisely, undertake R&D, improve education, and reform financial and administrative systems, streamline government.
(iii) They realize that they should make developments much more equitable. The benefits of development must be shared fairly among all citizens. They understand that they must do more to help the poor, weak, old, and handicapped. Most of all they realize that they must amend their selfish behaviors. And,
(iv) They realize that they must do more for the entire human society of the world. This is an extension of the third point. Americans come to realize that they must respect all the diverse cultures of the world. As we are important, so are they. As our natural environment is important, so are theirs. Americans must join hands with others to make the world a sustainable place for all living creatures. Through donations, volunteer works, financial assistance, and knowledge and expertise sharing, Americans can contribute a lot in these areas.
These four points are intimately related and hence they must be addressed together. How can we achieve them? America’s answer is to pursue the green growth initiatives. The goal is to achieve economic development, social development, and environmental development all at the same time.
America hopes to extend the technology in ushering in the green civilization. A prosperous economy, a harmonious society, and a cleaner environment are what Americans are striving for. By pursuing the green growth initiatives, America hopes to lead the process of converting the present day material civilization into a green civilization of the future.
The once forgotten green, organic, and recyclable traditional culture of America is about to resurrect.  The people from the land of the free after a hiatus for about 200 years, wants to rejuvenate their centuries old ideals of harmonious co-existence between man and nature.