ENDING ENVIRONMENT EXPLOITATION: ARE ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS THE ANSWER YET?

Abstract

Across various parts of the world, the environment has been degrading and heading towards a major downfall at an alarming rate. It is pertinent to understand the complexity of this situation instead of focusing essentially on politics, industrialization, socio-economic issues, and vested interests. The environment indefinitely plays a significant role for not just humans and animals but also microbial organisms by subsequently providing them a suitable atmosphere to grow in. Moreover, it provides us with an inexhaustible list of resources ranging from basic necessities such as fresh air, drinkable water to raw materials such as rubber, aluminium for household purposes, or even industrial use. Evidently, its preservation is rather non-negotiable and humans ought to play an instrumental role in the further development towards conservation of the environment, in the form of institutional policies and the involvement of several organizations that cater towards the protection of the environment. Despite its evident paramountcy to human existence, the development of a nation is only measured through the Gross Domestic Product that focuses merely on economic development, neglecting the environment altogether. The woeful state of affairs is such that claims of development supersede the claims for environment conservation. Even though sustainable development has been accorded as a major global priority, the legislations and the policies have so far had no considerable implication. Is it because environmental degradation has not been manifested as a real concern yet? Does environment conservation only restrict itself to academic debates? Have the policies attenuated the vigour with which Environmental concerns must be tended?