Do you agree or disagree with the following statement Because economic growth is so important for modern societies economic development should not be slowed down by concerns about the environment

There is a long-lasting debate over whether economic growth should give way to preserving the natural environment or not. I believe that protecting the environment can help humanity more profoundly than seeking economic growth.

First, developing the economy would yield a diminishing return. The marginal benefit of consuming any product decreases as production goes up. For example, when a starving person has one steak for dinner, this person would feel a higher level of satisfaction compared to the additional satisfaction from having one more steak. And this means that when the economy reaches a certain level – people no longer worry about food, clothes, or housing – any given increment would yield a smaller amount of satisfaction, making seeking pure economic growth not that economical. Moreover, most economic activities ultimately involve using natural resources, such as coal or crude oil. The finite nature of these resources would mean that the more people use them, the smaller their deposits would become. When supply becomes lower, the price would inevitably increase, incurring a higher expense when people want to seek more economic development. Both the decrease in return and the increase in cost make chasing more economic development irrational.

Second, preserving the natural environment brings long-lasting benefits to humanity. Every living thing exploits nature to harness the resources needed for survival, and humans are non-exception. Cultivating vegetables, fruits, and staple food together with meat products from fishery or animal husbandry provide people with the food we need every day. When environmental conditions deteriorate, bio-diversity will decrease, resulting in fewer food choices for us, which would make our living standard worse. Under extreme circumstances, entire species of farm produce might face extinction, threatening our food safety. However, if nature is in a good state, there will be more natural habitats for plants, animals, and marine species to thrive, resulting in higher biodiversity in any given area. And this diversification not only makes the organisms themselves more resilient to threats but can also ensure the food safety of humankind. So, protecting the natural environment can benefit us for generations to come.

To conclude, preserving the natural environment serves humanity long-term while seeking pure economic growth can be irrational.