El desarrollo y la contaminación

Abstract

This work recognises that unplanned economic development causes the loss of natural resources by producing wastes, destruction, pollution, rupture of the ozone layer, etc. A natural resource is an economic definition that science and technology transform into a productive resource, susceptible to damage and overuse. When natural resources are exploited it is not taken into consideration that natural and economic time spans do not accommodate production and regeneration cycles, and this is the cause of increadebly high costs. Taking into account that several sectors are involved in this process, any possibility to create an “Environmental Minestry” should be ruled out because the decisions have to be taken in the classical sectors of the economy and the government. There is no doubt of the effects of the foreign debt in the Latinoamerican countries. One of them is the presure for “comercial crops” and the destructive effects on the environment. Despite the high cost it is necessary to prevent rather than cure, if we want to avoid the destruction of natural resources and bog catastrophes (Bhopal, etc.) Important investments have been lost due to the implementation of a development policy base on a relationship between society and nature witch does not seem feasible in the long term. Its impact on health and living standards is obvious.