Conservation....Is it a first world luxury?

[Mantas 3]

If I lived in a dirt floor tin shack with 5 kids.

If I was illiterate.

If I had lost more than one infant child in my life.

If my whole life existence was nothing but a 24/7 battle to ward off hunger and disease.

If I had one chance to change all this and better my life and my families.

If that chance came in the form of lopping the fins off hundred and thousands of live sharks.

 

Would I really give a toss what anyone in the wealthy quarters of the world thought?

 

I once heard that 10% of the worlds population used 90% of the worlds resources. I don't know if that's true, but I have no reason to doubt it. So are we now saying to the developing world.............No...no...nooo...You can't enjoy the privileged life style that we have been enjoying for the last 300 years, it's way too damaging for the environment.

[journey_man 0]

Originally Posted By: Mantas

Conservation....Is it a first world luxury?

Absolutely, and with it comes responsibility. Most of the environmental activists are from the first world too.

I too suspected that the finning was being done by fishermen who were far enough down the economic ladder not to give a toss. It isn't, the big catches are done by big boats. Check out the Wikipedia Page.

It's good to see that various parts of the Chinese culture are recognising that finning isn't working and are banning sharks fin soup. Banning is not sustainable in the medium term tho, as there is demand and a black market will form. Far better to do the hard thing and get global qoutas and rules set up. I liked the American rule that you could import shark fins into America, so long as they were still attached to the shark!

On a broader note, this is but one concern of many that are on a global scale. Whales, cod, CO2, pollution, oil are all global concerns that we struggle to address because any solution has to be arrived at thru hard fought piece meal agreements with many governments and commercial interests. Which many companies simply ignore anyway because enforcing these agreements is beyond many countries.

Given these and other drivers, I wonder how far we are away from a world government and world police? I think to effectively manage the planet it has to happen. What form would it take? Something like the EU system?

[journey_man 0]

Originally Posted By: Mantas

I once heard that 10% of the worlds population used 90% of the worlds resources. I don't know if that's true, but I have no reason to doubt it.

You should doubt it. There are many, many sound bites out there dreamed up by irresponsible media people that have come to be universally accepted "facts" that are completely wrong. I keep getting caught out. Check everything.

[Mantas 3]

Mate, even if it's half true, it aint good

[Oyuki kigan 0]

i heard that it is more 80% to 20%. But if anything, that doesn't make the case about it being a "first-world luxury". If anything, it means that since the first-world is using the lion's share of resources, it is our responsibility to conserve, not the 3rd World's.

 

Besides, if someone's family is starving, they won't listen to the law anyways. Nor should they.