Inequality and Environment: A Catastrophe or a Great Opportunity?
According to Danny Dorling, Professor of Geography at the University of Oxford, “Equality matters in terms of health and happiness, but surprising new data reveals that it is also better for the environment - in the more equal rich countries, people on average consume less, produce less waste and emit less carbon.”
It is true that the rich generate more trash than the poor and someone’s trash is someone else’s treasure.
In the poorest countries, especially in Africa, rubbish is still just dumped anywhere, and management is limited. But there is also reasonably little of it.
Almost all of what you buy ends up in the bin. We can only store a finite amount of possessions in our homes for any great length of time. When you buy an item, you do not think about junking it. But you will eventually throw away almost everything you buy.
Let me put it this way: Do you ever feel pity for that poor neighbour’s child who cannot play with your children just because their clothes are dirty and torn? How often do you throw away food in the dustbins with the excuse of being modern and not finishing what is on your plate? Has it ever occurred to you that there is someone out there who wishes to have only a fraction of what you got?
As human beings, our wellbeing is linked to each other- whether rich or poor. The overwhelming pressure is due to inequality that deteriorates economic growth and undermines social cohesion, increasing political and social tensions hence driving instability and conflicts.
According to economist Jeffrey Sachs, economic balance is fundamental. If African countries are looking towards achieving sustainable development, then they should efficiently create conditions that allow people to have quality jobs.
To successfully achieve sustainable development goals, there is a need to bridge the gap between the rich and the poor. The economy has to be scaled to accommodate all citizens without grading them on their wealth. When equality is addressed, everyone is satisfied and the growth of the economy is enabled.
As Kate Raworth, an Economist puts it, “inequality undermines social cohesion in the sense of a shared society. It actually undermines people’s willingness to protect the environment.”
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