Economic Development and Environmental Protection

Economic development and environmental protection are a pressing issue primarily for developing countries where, in trying to catch up with developed countries, they have to consume natural resources on an unprecedented scale. This has seriously polluted our environment and, with the global environmental campaign gaining momentum, many people in China call for the precedence of environmental protection over economic development.

Any attempt to pose economic development and environmental protection as diametrically contradictory is simple-minded. Since no country is willing to stop its economic development, the best way is to strike a balance between the two and to heighten the environmental awareness of those solely concerned with economic development.

European countries both economically developed and environmentally friendly can serve as perfect examples for China. Their success story in both undertakings illustrates that environmental protection does not mean a complete standstill of economic activities or exploitation of natural resources, but rather an active development and application of effective technologies to minimize environmental consequences. In Germany, environmental protection has become part of economic development as it boasts the world’s most successful environmental industry. With a developed economy, we are well equipped to develop sophisticated technologies that can effectively safeguard our environment.

The relationship between economic development and environment protection is a complex one. For modern men, neither a primitive society which is perfectly ecologically friendly nor an industrial civilization which is ecologically hostile is what we want. Environmental problems arise as a result of industrialization and only technologies can deliver solutions to those problems. Rather than simply returning to the past of non-human activity, we can seek active technological solutions in solar energy and wind energy to replace fossil fuels. By the time this key contributor to environmental deterioration is eradicated, man will achieve a win-win result between economic development and environmental protection.

                                  经济发展与环境保护


        经济发展与环境保护构成了一个迫在眉睫的问题，这主要发生在发展中国家，因为在这些国家，在不遗余力追赶发达国家的过程中，人们不得不以史无前例的规模去消耗自然资源。这便严重地污染了我们的环境。随着全球范围内的环保运动势头日趋强劲，中国国内的许多人便大声疾呼，相对于经济发展，环境保护应被摆在首要位置。

        任何将经济发展与环境保护绝然对立起来的做法，都显得头脑简单。既然没有哪个国家会愿意让其经济发展停滞下来，最好的方法就是在两者之间达成一种平衡；对于那些只关注经济发展的人，应努力提高其环保意识。

        那些既经济发达又环境友好的欧洲国家，可以为中国充当一种完美的典范。它们在这两项事业中的成功故事，例证着这样一个道理，即环境保护并非意味着经济活动或自然资源的开发利用彻底陷入停顿，而是意味着积极主动地去研发并应用有效的技术，以便将环境后果降至最低限度。在德国，环保已变成经济发展的一个部分，因为该国拥有世界上最成功的环保产业。拥有了发达的经济，我们才有充分的条件去研发尖端的技术，才能真正有效地保护我们的环境。

        经济发展与环境保护之间的关系甚为复杂。对于现代人而言，完全环境友好型的原始社会，或者是充满生态敌意的工业文明，二者中没有哪个是我们所要的。环境问题因工业化过程而产生，但也只能经由工业技术才能对这些问题带来解决之道。我们不应该简单地回归过去，让人类陷入无为的状态，而是要在太阳能、风能等能源中寻找积极主动的技术解决方案，来替代化石燃料。当化石燃料这个环境恶化的主要推手被铲除之际，人类在经济发展与环境保护之间，就能实现一种双赢的格局。