Some believe that tackling environmental issues should be managed by a global organization instead of being handled individually by national governments.
Do you agree or disagree with this belief?
Why a universal approach?
Environmental problems transcend political and geographical borders, and must be responded jointly
There is uneven distribution of resources, which could create an imbalance in implementation, but an international body can effectively bridge this void
A global approach can help resolve differences between different nations and engender cooperation
Why locally?
National governments are better informed about the complications affecting local populations
Decision making fast
There is a lack of trust between the the prosperous and destitute nations, the latter fear that the former may try to impede their development in the name of development
The fast deteriorating health of the planet has drawn a profound interest in finding ways to alleviate this threat, and a majority believes that a task of such multitude requires international action. I subscribe to this notion because such a critical job cannot be negotiated effectively at the regional level.
Undeniably, pollution transcends geographical and political boundaries and has a domino effect on other areas miles away, sometimes continents apart, from the source. This is likely to impact all forms of life far and wide, and jeopardize people, flora, and fauna. To corroborate, the arctic is getting contaminated by the residue of industrial effluents released from thousands of miles away in Egypt, India, and China, among others, killing the plankton, a food source of myriads species of fish. Such complications must be handled jointly by all countries if any tangible outcomes are to be achieved.
Similarly, individual undertakings aimed at resolving the environmental imbroglio will certainly be hampered by uneven distribution of resources and expertise while elite societies have these at their disposal, the impoverished lack these. However, global cooperation can help make available essential elements and ingredients to enable discovery and deployment of mitigation tools and strategies.
Nevertheless, although the skeptic lobby does raise its concerns regarding the developed nations overwhelming their underdeveloped counterparts to push their agenda of gaining control over the latter, these fears are unfounded and lack substance; the consequences of inhospitable environment will affect everyone in equal measure, and will be more pronounced in destitute countries owing to absence of mechanism to offset the environmental impact.
In hindsight, taking steps to avert ecological catastrophe should be the onus of a multilateral world body as only it can engender policies to enable concerted efforts from every part of the globe.
