is economic development more important than environmental preservation?

Question

is the economy more important than the environment or is it the other way around?

Answer 1

You don't necessarily have to choose.

It all depends on who owns the property. If property were in private hands, the incentive to preserve it is always there. If you were to destroy your own property you would suffer severe losses.

However, when property is in "public" hands, (in other words nobody in particular owns it), then the incentive to exploit and use it up is VERY high. There are no direct consequences to have to worry about.

Notice that the debates usually focus on areas in which nobody in particular owns the property.

Answer 2

The economy can turn on a dime, but the environment takes centuries to heal. The environment is more important.

What good is a great economy without clean air, water, and wildlife?

Answer 3

Well if you ask the guys making all the money off destroying the enviroment they'd say the economy is more important, but you can't have an economy without an enviroment, but the reverse isn't true.
I'd like to see us make more of an economy out of protecting the
environment,that way you kill two birds with one stone.

Answer 4

Economy and environment are both of the same importance but whats happening is that people in the economic industries seek cheaper solutions, the solutions that harm environment.

Answer 5

The pollitions are screwing up you head! We CAN have both!Check out www.permanentenergy.com here is way to have millions of high wage jobs and a clean environment. The pollitions don't want you rich fat and happy. If we were we would be in their shorts all the time making them do right. They want and work at keeping you poor and working so much we don't have the time to jump their BS! It only takes us having enough money to afford the time to jump in their BS! Alaska pays their residents to live there! www.earthrights.net/docs/oilrent thats oilrent on the end. Just the money from1 commodity does this. With every state having many more than just 1 commodity what's your states excuse for not paying you? What's the feds excuse with the millions of resources at their disposal to not pay 50 times more than Alaska?

Answer 6

of course the economy is more important, we can reduce the quality of the air and foster new industry to create designer oxygen masks for the population at large. and when all the plants die we can genetically engineer plants that are patented and need royalties paid to grow them (with failsafes to make sure they won't grow unless they're paid for)

there are literally thousands of new opportunities to be had as we mess up the planet! :")))..

Answer 7

I'd say environment first; then economy.

Answer 8

The discoveries of what affects that come at the cost of progress.

Answer 9

Why do you think they are not compatible or that they can not be accomplished simultaneously?