Southeast Asia: A Long Road to Development
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suspect that a small percentage of people who read this issue of ESbT have visited the parts of southeast Asia and the Pacific Rim that we are featuring this month. I have not. I have just returned from a trip to Korea and Japan, however, and it is clear to me that Peter Rogers and his colleagues are examining a region that will have, along with all of
institutions, and the industrial power structure of the world. This underscores the need for environmental literacy throughout these institutions, as well as for a strong commitment to the common good and the principles of sustainable development. It is not enough that environmental professionals subscribe to these principles. Eventually, the care of the planet will be in the hands of individual bankers, developers, industrialp J Sts, and politicians who may L dilllid have much more to gain personally if they forget about sustainable development and the environment and forge ahead as humans have done for so long. Will there , be sufficient incentives, however indirect, for the powerful and the hungry to act responsibly? The jury is still
Asia, increasing world affairs. The rates influence of eco-on nomic a n d population growth alone are awesome. 4, The articles assemblec for this issue point out that this is a complex multicultural region whose growth is not without its negative impacts, both to the natural environment and to public health. Given the recent history of Western civilization, this is no surprise. The 7 critical question, of course, is: Can the mistakes of the past be avoided? Can Southeast Asians industrialize, commercialize, and become affluent consumers without ravaging their natural resource base, endangering the health and welfare of their populations, and grossly polluting their air and water? Unfortunately, the signs are not good; already the cities of Southeast Asia are choking with traffic and smog, and some of its rivers are heavily polluted. The tendency of a developing country to follow this treacherous path is almost too powerful to stop. It would take a ruthless United Nations force to police the developing world and make it conform to high standards of environmental protection, and there is now no legal or ethical basis for such action. Rather, we must look for new approaches to encouraging sustainable development, and these must include a combination of diplomatic, economic, and market incentives. For these incentives to work, they must have the enthusiastic support of developed nations, financial
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M)13-936w93/0927-2257504.00/0 0 1993 American Chemical Society
There are some good signs, however. Several institutions in developed countries, including those from Western Europe, Japan, and North America, have begun to combine technology transfer, development assistance, and environmental counseling as a part of their extension into the developing world. The World Bank has become much more environmentally responsible, as have JICA, USAID, and others. Perhaps it is through these institutions that a new and more effective mechanism for environmental protection will emerge. No one seems to know how to implement the lofty goals stated at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro or to control development and growth that continue unabated. It is clear, however, that we must do so. Science and technology are available, but scientists and engineers are not in control.
Environ. Sci. Technol.. Vol. 27, No. 12, 1993 2257
