Is human progress or progress of society possible

without abusing the environment?

It all depends on having control in the hands of those people who care – and there are
many of us. The biggest problem is that the solution finders, the caring among us are
generally not really interested in ordering other people around. Plus there are enough
bullies among the powerful to keep the few altruistic leaders in check. The latter tend to
get assassinated. Those currently in control are not about to hand over the reins. We
need to envision a better society that rewards our better natures instead of the greed of
the selfish. We need to obtain our natural resources in ways that are not destructive and
avoid making messes or clean up after ourselves. Or find alternative resources. Return
to a simpler life style that is not dependent on stuff for the sake of stuff. Being careful in
our relationship with Mother Earth is entirely doable. It simply requires the correct
values, priorities, attitudes be used in the decision making process. Making of non-
biodegradable materials should be banned. A worldwide Endangered Species act
should be strictly observed. The last bits of wilderness should be preserved. The world
should run 100% on renewable energy and lower artificial energy needs. Management
of waterways and bodies should be minimalized. Species should not be human-
introduced and these should be extirpated from islands. There will have to be a 2 child
limit to prevent overpopulation. The only reason the environment is preserved is for
humans, usually indirectly. Positive human progress is only possible, especially in long-
term, with observation of the written above.

Do you agree that a man's greed is the root cause of all

forms of environmental degradation?
No, unless not wanting to live a brutally short life filled with starvation and disease is
greed. Our modern world requires the extensive use of natural resources. We don’t just
pull sanitation, drugs, electronics, stable food and clean water supplies, and other
technological advancements out of thin air. The energy and material to invent and
sustain even the most basic of living standards requires energy and resources from the
environment. Animals aren’t any better. They just aren’t smart enough to access as
wide a variety of resources as we can, and they are usually kept in check by the same
controls that we seek to avoid: starvation, disease, and predators. Unless we want
billions of people to die from preventable causes, we have to exploit natural resources.
Unlike deer, we are intelligent enough to plan ahead and act sustainably. Even then,
balancing the immediate needs of a population with long-term consequences is not
easy. Maintaining forests is important, but we also need wood and loggers have families
to feed. Overfishing a region will eventually crash the market, but for some people
fishing is their only source of income and main source of food. There are greener
sources of energy than coal, but they are often expensive, unreliable, less efficient, and
many people rely on the coal industry for their livelihood. It is never as simple as, those
greedy humans just take for the sake of taking and pollute because they don’t care”.
Companies aren’t run by the evil sub-human caricatures you might see in cartoons.
They provide vital services that all of us rely on in one way or another. This computer
I’m writing with didn’t grow from a tree. There are entire college courses based on this
kind of thing. Dismissing it as greed would just be ungrateful towards the people who
helped create a world where most of us don’t have to worry about dying from childhood
diseases. The root cause of environmental degradation is not greed. The root cause is
the conflict between different values and cultures, immediate concerns, and long-term
sustainability.

What is Education for Sustainable Development (ESD).

A new approach to education has been proposed, called Education for Sustainable
Development (ESD), with the goal of developing education in order to foster individuals
who will contribute to the realization of a socially, economically, and environmentally
more sustainable society. From the beginning of the 21st century, this has given rise to
discussions and practices on related themes all over the world, including in Asia. While
the environment surrounding education is markedly changing in Asian societies, with
educational reforms actively pursued in many Asian countries and regions, their
situations greatly differ depending on the context in which they find themselves.

What are some concrete that you can do based on these

facts:
For every ton of tissue paper made with recycled paper
we save:
Learning the facts about recycling paper will help you as you fulfill your part to keep our
environment green. You only need to look around you to see that paper is everywhere
and of course, the need for it is essential. If we keep our minds focused on the desire to
be friendly to our Earth and her resources, recycling will become important. After a
while, we will be in the habit of recycling the paper we use in the course of a given day.
Likewise, we will teach our children so that recycling becomes as common and familiar
as ABC.