“Sustainability – Environmental protection - Economics”

Here a note to the topic „environmental protection “and „economics” - which are often used in a contradictory way - seems to be appropriate: “Economic activity” covers all rational human activities, which serve the purposeful use of limited goods for the need satisfaction.

(http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wirtschaften)

Now where lays the contradiction to the demands of environmental protection? Rational activities? Limited goods? Exactly, there is no contradiction. The maximum well-being for humans can always be found where we live in harmony with our environment!

In October 2006, a 600 pages comprehensive study was published on behalf of the British Government. In this study, now widely known as the “Stern-report”, Nicholas Stern, the former executive economist of the World Bank, states that - due to the direct and indirect effects of the climate change - annually 5 per cent of the global gross domestic product are currently destroyed. If we stay inactive, this value will increase to 20 per cent, a consequence of this could be a strong recession. Investments of just 1 per cent of the world wide gross domestic product (for example, in technologies to the reduction of the CO2-emission), however, could prevent the worst effects according to Sterns opinion. (GEO KOMPACT)

It is noteworthy that this study is based on a purely economic aspect of the phenomenon!

A solution of environmental problems is probably only possible if we are all pulling in the same direction instead of always pointing a finger at someone else. In this world, we are not only explorers, but also shapers: With each act, each word and each thought, we change us and our environment - thus we should act consciously and be aware of our possibilities!