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Narrido, Iris

PolSci 3B

Critical Discourse Analysis & Conceptual Framework

How Development Continuing Harm Inflicted on the


will be contested in Environment
the years to come Poverty

Americans pressuring their government to


Policy Implications of battle Climate Change
contestations Failure of US Government to fight poverty

Disagreement about Increasing number of poor people


trends in Global Increasing number of wealth owned by rich
Inequality people
Development will surely be contested in the years to come because of two things. First, the
harm inflicted on the environment will continue and possibly sabotage the road to development
because we live in a progressive society. With the arrival of new technology comes the arrival of
more effective methods of production. However, there is no assurance that these new methods are
sustainable alternatives. For example, mining is still legal in the Philippines. Although mining
provides numerous job and business opportunities, it will negatively affect the areas surrounding
the mining parameter. It will also affect water bodies situated near the mining area which will
produce even bigger problems for the ecosystem. If natural habitats are destroyed, natural
resources will become non-renewable and will eventually affect development. Lack of resources
mean lack of means for production of goods. Second, development will also be contested because
of the rise of poverty. For years, poverty has been the number one problem of many countries.
Poverty can hinder development because the minimum standard of living will continue to rise and
it will be difficult for a lot of people, especially those with large families, to adopt and maintain
this standard of living. For a country to develop, the people should also be guided towards
development. The real-life implications of these contestations can be seen in the policies regulated
by our governments. The first contestation is manifested in a survey conducted by The Associated
Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. The survey showed that Sixty-one percent of
Americans think climate change is a problem that the government needs to address. There is a
great number of people who want to improve our environmental situation but unfortunately not
enough people are willing to pay for government interventions towards climate change. The survey
also shows that half of the American population are not willing to pay while only 18 percent are
willing to pay. A possible explanation for this can be the second policy implication of the
contestations to development. The possible reason why half of the American population is not
willing to pay is because they simply do not have the extra money to pay. Based on a study
conducted by the conservative Heritage Foundation, $22 trillion dollars was spent by the US
government just to battle poverty. The study concluded that despite the government spending,
poverty levels were still the same. It is safe to say that these problems arise because of Global
Inequality. The increasing number of poor people are forced to resort to any means to acquire
money for their daily sustenance, even though these means may not be sustainable. The increasing
number of wealth owned by rich people also shows how unfair the global system is. The wealth
just keeps on going to the wealthy few and the poor just keeps on getting poorer. This goes to show
that Development is not an overnight victory, it is years worth of effective and sustainable
planning. Everyone must be willing to participate for development programs to succeed.
Ultimately, everyone must be focused to achieve the goal but the road to the goal should be paved
with good intentions for the environment and for humanity only.
Resources:

Thomas, C. (2017, March 13). Americas longest war. Retrieved from


http://www.washingtontimes.com

NORC at the University of Chicago. (2017, October 2). Most Americans want the
government to combat climate change, some willing to pay a high amount. Retrieved from
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/10/171002144906.htm

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