MUET Extended Writing March 2013 Mans careless attitude is the main cause for the destruction of the

environment. Discuss. The main cause for the destruction of the environment is not mans careless attitude but his/mans greed. The Indian independence and nationalist leader Mahatma Gandhi put it succinctly when he said, The world has enough for mans needs but not for mans greed. It is mans greed for more money, riches and comfort that has led to the exploitation of Mother Nature and Her destruction. Mans insatiable desire to make money fast causes him to build factories to produce all kinds of goods. The production process involves the emission of a lot of poisonous and harmful smoke into the atmosphere thus, polluting the air and depleting the ozone layer that eventually causes the Greenhouse Effect and climate change. Besides factories emitting smoke, ships carrying toxic industrial waste drain away these harmful and deadly chemicals into the oceans. Not only sea water gets polluted, marine life is also affected. Eating contaminated sea products/harvests in turn has shown to be deleterious to human health too. Thus, in the name of progress and fulfilling human needs, corporations have been acting wantonly towards the environment all for fast profit. This is sheer irresponsibility and not merely some careless attitude of the transgressor. Mans greed also has led to the depletion of natural resources. Over-fishing is an example. Many reports and studies have proven this. Lack of clean drinking water is also said to be attributed to mans greed when businessmen use up more water for the production of goods and livestock for slaughter and sale rather than allow the poor from their countries to consume it. Shortage of drinking water in some countries is due to the industrial rich using up much of it for manufacturing purposes besides polluting the same in the process/as part of the process. The exploitation and subsequent depletion of resources such as water, oil, timber, metals and sand not only changes the geography of regions, it also affects the ecosystem and life in adverse ways. In some cases, overuse of resources will lead to a shortage of these resources. By the time we realize it, it may be too late as Thomas Fuller in Gnomologia (1732) said, We never know the worth of water till the well is dry. (Another form of) greed (also) manifests itself in the acts of corruption. Authorities close their eyes to infringements of the laws that are intended to protect and preserve the environment. Corrupt local authorities shut their eyes to widespread deforestation and open burning of forests, approve hillside projects on hill slopes that necessitate the cutting of hills and also fail to act against irresponsible developers who dispose of their construction waste at unapproved dumping sites. In some countries even the judiciary that is supposed to dispense justice by punishing those guilty of destroying the environment work hand in glove with corrupt authorities to set the former free. And the rape of nature just continues unabated. Surely, such corrupt practices are not the result of a careless attitude. Mans avaricious nature has adversely affected both flora and fauna. If fishing industries overfish to meet the overwhelming demands and satisfy the uncontrollable appetites and palates of man, illegal poachers carry out their heinous activities of killing elephants, rhinos, crocodiles and tigers for their tusks, horns, skins and claws respectively, just to pander/cater to the vain demands of the well-to-do. These products fetch high prices and despite strict laws that prohibit illegal poaching and stringent enforcement of those laws using high tech equipment, illegal poachers somehow ingeniously manage to come up with devious ideas and means to trap and kill the above mentioned helpless animals all for the purpose of making the quick buck. How could such wanton acts of destruction be ever attributed to mans careless attitude? No, never! Such selfish and mean acts are a result of mans avarice, either inborn or acquired.