Tuesday, July 20, 2010

A JOINT RESPONSIBLITY


I do believe that both America and China should contribute more to tackle with the pollution since both of us owe too much to Nature in the process of modernization. That is a fundamental issue most of us will agree.
The point is ,should we do it in separate ways or in a joint way? For those who believe " one and one is two", you may come to a quick answer that we should just do our own job.
Theoretically , it does make some sense, however. But a fact may have been ignored that China is yet to finish its modernization . Indeed ,fantastic and modern cities are dotted throughout my country ,which leaves a impression to foreigners that China IS a developed country, while in the vast rural areas , people there are just struggling to survive. As the gap between the rich and the poor widens , they do not benefit much from the process of the modernization. Their lives don't change remarkably. That is why we DO NOT separate our responsibility.
The die is cast. Our environment is deteriorating and we are running out of time. What matters is not how much we have done as various countries but as the whole human race. Then without assistance of developed countries , those developing countrieswith the world's largest and poorest population , will make way less contribution to restore the Nature than they would have. That is why we SHOUL NOT separate our responsibility.
I fully understand that some Americans may fear that the power of the US could be threatened as long as the developing countries are access to things like high technologies. Fear ,however, is just one thing deeply rooted in the human nature. As Franklin D. Roosevelt has pointed out ,the only thing we have to Fear is Fear Itself. It does make sense in providing financial and technological assistances and conducting joint researches. After all , in the long run ,China will become an indispensable international power with or without the help of the US. But the thing is we can become friends instead of ideological enemies.
That is why we CAN NOT separate our responsibility.
To summarize my views, the key to tackle with environmental problems is whether China and America will shoulder their joint responsibility. Only in that way ,can we ever imagine a bright future of the whole human race.

2 comments:

lucia said...

cannot agree with you more. joint responsibility, cool!!!

"Only in that way ,can we ever imagine a bright future of the whole human race."

Mike Lohre said...

Luke: so thoughtful. You are espousing ideals that really speak toward the big picture of humanity, and not just national notions of what it means to grow and prosper. You also point out the poor often get left out of the discussion when countries grow and the gap between the rich and poor is wider and wider.

This is what troubles me sometimes: do people who have very little choice end up really supporting most of the upper classes by their lower-class status? Is there really a fair opportunity for all to have a decent life, or is the nature of economics now that there must be clear winners and losers too? I"m not an economist. Far from it, but I think about it sometimes. What Belton said about studying China's growth and using that to help countries and economies like Africa's that are really struggling, that makes sense to me. That seems like thought that does not have limits and borders and can benefit many.

Great post, Luke!