Abstract
Intact and functional ecosystems are habitats for people, animals, and plants form the natural basis of humanity's existence. Ecosystems provide food, building materials, energy sources, and active ingredients for medicines. They regulate the climate, form humus in the soil, and are important for nutrient cycles and clean drinking water. Therefore, preserving biodiversity is important for the nutrition and economic, social, and cultural development of current and future generations. This chapter investigates the planet's challenges in maintaining an environmental balance.
We owe today’s young activists a huge debt for sounding the alarm. Now, we need to turn their enthusiasm into an institutionalized political force, and develop a blueprint for a potent, well-designed, and productive economic agenda.
DARON ACEMOĞLU
TopIntroduction
The mythological tales of ancient Greece have had a profound impact on the way leaders made decisions during that time. The fear of punishment and retribution, along with the ominous uncertainty of the future, were vital instruments that guided the leaders of the polis. The oracles, with their prophetic vision, provided a glimpse into the future, warning the leaders of the consequences of their actions.
The plays written by famous playwrights, such as Euripides and Sophocles, were a reflection of these themes and provided an entertaining and thought-provoking experience for audiences in the amphitheatres of Athens and Ephesus. These plays continue to survive the test of time and still have a profound impact on modern audiences.
In today's world, political leaders are acutely aware of their responsibility for the future through their actions. This is especially true in democracies, where they know that their actions must lead to a better future, or they will face political consequences. While there is no oracle at Delphi that predicts this, the political system demands it. Despite the differences between the ancient and modern worlds, the tales of Greek mythology continue to inspire us to make decisions that lead to a better future.
One of the most famous concerns during the wedding of Peleus and Thetis, related to the three goddesses, namely Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite, argue over who was the most beautiful of them all. To settle the argument, they decided to ask Paris, the prince of Troy, to judge them. Each goddess offered him a bribe to sway his decision. Hera offered him power and wealth, Athena promised him wisdom and victory, and Aphrodite offered him the most beautiful mortal woman in the world, Helen of Sparta. Paris was swayed by Aphrodite's bribe and declared her as the fairest. However, this decision led to the abduction of Helen and brought about the Trojan War. Paris took Helen to Troy, and the Greeks, led by Agamemnon, invaded Troy to retrieve her. The war lasted for ten years and ended with the defeat of Troy. The very least one learns from this is that there are consequences for every choice made, which is apt for this piece of research.
Following this trail of thought perhaps the most appropriate ancient myth is also the story of Sisyphus. If Homer is to be believed, Sisyphus was the wisest and cleverest among all the mortals. If one recalls the myth of Sisyphus, the gods had condemned him to continually carry a boulder to the top of a mountain, from the summit of which the stone rolled back again of its own accord. The gods had decided on the worst punishment possible, which was useless and hopeless. What the world faces today regarding environmental protection is similarly an unenviable task.
Regardless of our beliefs about the ethical relationship that women and men should have with nature, the evidence is mounting that our collective actions are pushing earth's biogeochemical system further each day from the previously existing conditions. Nine bio-geochemical limits must not be transgressed to maintain an environment conducive to human societies. There is, therefore, a reason to question the relative carelessness and inertia that characterizes the current world in the face of these global problems (Pietrzak, 2024). The scientific diagnosis is clear: climate disruption, mass extinctions, overexploitation of natural resources, and widespread pollution are associated with the principle of precaution, which dictates prudence and forethought.
People still need to feel concerned. A distance still separates individuals from the social and environmental consequences of their daily actions (Yigit, 2024). Additionally, most people now live in large cities isolated from nature, work or study for many hours inside buildings with strictly controlled conditions, and travel in vehicles that also cut them off from the world. Such future threats, often conveyed in scientific knowledge imbued with margins of uncertainty, compete with the pressing reality of daily life, where providing for our needs (primary or derived) and those of our family leaves us with the feeling of having little room for maneuver.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Greenwashing: A marketing ploy that falsely, deceptively, misleadingly, or inaccurately portrays a “green” or “eco-friendly” product or service having a positive environmental effect to help increase sales.
Corporate Social Responsibility: Profit maximizing companies use the CSR business model to gauge social and environmental benefits alongside organizational goals such as profitability.
Pollution: The introduction of harmful materials into the environment. Sustainable Development: Development is considered sustainable if it meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
Carbon Footprint: The emissions of carbon equivalent greenhouse gases such as the amount of carbon dioxide and methane produced by individuals or organizations.
Sustainable Development Goals: Intergovernmental set of development goals to which all United Nations members have committed to work towards by 2030. They consist of 17 goals and 169 indicators.
Circular Economy: A process whereby there are measures taken to the ‘make’ and ‘dispose’ and maximize ‘use’ in the economy, keeping products in circulation to the fullest extent possible by reducing material consumption, streamlining processes and collecting waste for reuse.
Climate Change: Refers to the periodic change in Earth’s climate due to changes in the atmosphere but the Earth’s climate is shifting at an unprecedented level given the short period. Climate change has come to mean the rise in global temperatures from heat-trapping gases resulting from mining and using oil, coal, and other fossil fuels. Climate change indicators include rising sea levels; increase and severity of extreme weather, such as hurricanes, droughts, and floods; and ice loss at the Earth's poles.
Carbon Neutral: A company offsetting the amount of carbon they produce by removing carbon emissions elsewhere or purchasing carbon credits, thereby achieving net-zero carbon emissions.
Biosphere: The region on, above, and below the Earth's surface where life exists; a narrow zone where soil, water, and air combine to sustain life.