The Environment

For several decades I have emphasized the importance of environmental awareness to our future well-being. It is most encouraging that in recent years such awareness has been increasing, especially among the young, and that politician now have to take these issues seriously.

In the past, when industrialization began in Europe and gradually spread to other parts of the globe, the complex interrelationships of the natural world were poorly understood. In the name of progress, animals were hunted to extinction, forests were cut down, and waterways were polluted by factories and industrial plants. But as science has advanced and our understanding of the delicate balance of the natural world has grown, the excuse of ignorance is no longer available.

Today, we must face the reality that our excessively materialistic lifestyles are wasteful and come at a considerable environmental cost. It is only natural for people in the developing world to aspire to the same level of comfort enjoyed by those in the developed world. But with the global population rising rapidly, it is clear that if we do not change the patterns of consumption we consider "advanced," humanity's thirst for natural resources will be unsustainable. Already we are seeing the results: overexploitation and the corresponding degradation of the natural environment are generating environmental crises at local and global levels. It is very important, therefore, that the nations which are pursuing such rapid economic growth do not blindly follow the models of development they se in the more affluent countries. Instead, countries such as china, India, and brazil should take the lead in finding new, more sustainable avenues of development. In this regard I consider the economic model of microfinance, which can be flexible and sensitive to local and environmental issues, to be very forward-thinking.

It is no longer realistic for states to think only of their narrow national self-interest. Developed nations, which enjoy so many benefits, must act in cooperation with developing nations, which naturally want to share those benefits. Genuine cooperation cannot, however, be imposed by force; it can only emerge from mutual trust and respect among the parties involved, and trust comes only with transparency.