Developing countries: protecting environment or economic growth?

Chris Coggins: The biggest polluters on the planet are USA, Japan, former-USSR countries especially Russia and Ukraine and Belloruss, Germany and France. The developing countries pose a very minor threat to the environment.In India, 3 million people die every year from malnutrition, disease , neglect and failure of infrastructure such as hospitals and transport. The future of the Bengal tiger or the Asian lion or the king cobra seem unimportant by comparison. It has been estimated that the salvation of one Bengal tiger has the opportuntiy cost equal to about 19,000 human lives. India needs economic development to save 500-600 million people from grinding abject poverty.In China, more than 3 million die every yeat from the same causes, but the giant panda is regarded as more important by the environmental lobby.Let the Americans, Europeans, Japanese and Russians take the first steps. Then maybe we can tell the Indians, Brazilians and Chinese what to do....Show more

Sammie Bocanegra: economic growh of course , some people in developing countries are living terrible lives , they need to improve their economy before thinking about protecting the environement , there have been many conferences about environement like the earth summit or the rio conference , they led to the kyoto protocol , to keep it short it gavea few limitation on industrialised countries but they weren't legally binding , you could say it was just some sort of advice , the kyoto protocol didn't give any limitation to developing countries , seeing as they don't present that much danger to the environement compared to developped countries , so basically they shouldn't have to worry about protecting the environement as they don't cause any real danger to it , the only way to protect it , is to at least take the first step and follow the kyoto protocol , but as it is not legally binding , but since it would decrease gain and production most countries don't follow it ! , including the US and france " those two are the only ones i'! m aware of , but i'm sure there's more"...Show more