Energy as an Environmental Issue

The protection of the environment has become a priority for many national governments due to the influence of various pressure groups and the commitments that have be given out to the general public in terms of enforcing responsible government whenever possible. The ability to use the planet in a responsible manner is no longer the preserve of a fringe of campaigners who have spent a lifetime trying to convince the general public that it is not prudent or responsible to waste all the resources that are due to go to the future generations.

Some nations are addicted to the use of energy in all its forms. For example they will buy cars that are not energy efficient and which put an additional burden on the oil resources that the country may be able to access in the long run. They also mean that the use of oil has an impact on the disposable income that is available to the nation in terms of building economic growth. There are also other benefits in terms of reducing the impact on the state which has to subsidize those citizens who are unable to afford the essential things in life.

It therefore seems that the protection of the environment has to necessarily be tied up with the energy policy of a country. There are many leaflets that tell the community about the various energy saving systems that are available to them in the short term and which can improve the standing of the economy if done on a consistent basis.

Balancing Energy Policy

One of the things that are very worrying is that there are vast sways of political persuasion which refuses to acknowledge the impact of human activity on the environment. Their mantra is to spend and spend until they get their fill. For some people this is an unacceptable use of resources and does not foster the type of responsibility that is crucial for the economic development of the nation. However it must be remembered that these conservative voices have been on the wrong side of history when it comes to different elements of the histories of the world. It then seems that they will continue this pattern when it comes to energy policy.

An effective environmental protection policy also has to consider the fact that the nation has a real need for energy in order to foster economic development. This is the type of commitment that has build economies over time and ensured prosperity for the Western world. It would then appear to be entirely counterproductive if the powers that be decided to stop the use of energy for economic development. Environmental issues are important but they cannot be more important than the duty to maintain a certain minimum living standard for the general population. The failure to plan for the energy needs of the community has brought the nations into the situation of global warming. At the same time they cannot afford to go back to being the underdeveloped economies of the past.