[b]Nations should pass laws to preserve any remaining wilderness areas in their natural state, even if these areas could be developed for economic gain.
Write a response in which you discuss your views on the policy and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and supporting your position, you should consider the possible consequences of implementing the policy and explain how these consequences shape your position.[/b]
I completely agree with the view that nations should pass laws to preserve any remaining wilderness areas in their natural state, even if these areas could be developed for economic gain. Already the situation is such that it would be pointless for many nations to even pass such laws, since they have no wilderness areas left, being the concrete, urban jungles that they are. We should take immediate action to prevent the Earth from degrading further.
Firstly, the Earth is home to countless species of flora and fauna. Much damage has already been done because of human encroachment on the natural habitats of other species. Several species have gone extinct. A hundred years ago, the Great Indian Bustard, a magnificent bird, used to be seen by the thousands in India. Today, thanks to urbanization, hardly one or two are to be found, even in the existing wilderness. Human beings, by virtue of being the most capable and intelligent beings on Earth, can adapt and adjust to any situation; we must spare a thought for our less fortunate fellow living beings, who can thrive only in their own natural environments.
Wilderness areas play a major role in maintaining the ecological balance of the Earth. For example, forests play a major role in the water cycle, in temperature control, and also in maintaining the carbon dioxide level in the atmosphere. Already, we are facing the effects of deforestation in the form of global warming: the output of carbon dioxide thanks to human activity is steeply rising, whereas the reduction in forest cover means that the ability for nature to restore this balance by consuming the carbon dioxide is steeply falling. Humans need to realize that eventually, even their own survival will come under threat, let alone that of other living beings, if they continue to tinker with the natural wilderness areas further.
Further, economic gain is not a factor that can outweigh every other form of gain. There is also the aesthetic value to be considered. We humans have the ability to appreciate nature. As Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the former Prime Minister of India said, we have not inherited the Earth from our ancestors, rather we have borrowed it from our future generations. Thus, our future generations have every right to enjoy and appreciate Nature as we do. We simply cannot wipe off the last bit of wilderness from the face of the Earth, and leave the future generations with a completely man-made world.
There is also the issue of tribal people, whose only source of income is the wilderness that they live in. What will be their fate if we were to convert even the remaining wilderness into modern landscapes? What will be their source of income? For example, the Jarawa community in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are now facing exploitation in every form: economical, physical and emotional, because their privacy has been disturbed, and people are looking to use them to their advantage. Thus, the tribal communities will suffer if wilderness areas are encroached upon.
Thus, nations should formulate stringent laws to preserve their remaining wilderness areas. This may not be beneficial economically, but it is crucial for the Earth to sustain itself in the long run. For all living species to live in harmony on Earth, the ecological balance must be maintained. The only way this can be achieved is through the implementation of foolproof laws that look to preserve the remaining wilderness areas.