Will angry speeches save the environment?
Rivers are a major source of plastic pollution flowing into the oceans. But not all rivers are equal.
The research on this topic creates controversy as it appears that the worst contributors are rivers in developing nations.
This seems intuitive. Waste management is less effective in poorer nations and awareness through education is lower.
I recently visited my home country of Ecuador. I was surprised by the increased knowledge about the effects of pollution more generally - my family now even sorts out their garbage.
A lot of other initiatives look like ‘greenwashing’ but there is definitely a move towards being more kind to the planet.
Consider this however, only a country that has escaped the most extreme poverty is able to ‘care’ for the environment. When people are in ‘survival mode’ their concern for what happens to the land is null.
Yet some of the strongest environmental activism denounces businesses and more generally capitalism as the source of all evil. This is simplistic. The best chance to improve people’s lives and the environment they live in lies in economic development.
Do not let angry claims stop progress.