Question

How does global poverty damage the environment?

Answer 1

- Low-income individuals often need to purchase cheap “stuff”. And often companies that sell for cheap have the worst environmental policies. – Lack of education. Higher income individuals have more access to education (even basic information like how to recycle). – Low-income individuals are often living in something that is called “survival mode”. This means that they don’t have the same drive as others to participate in global movements. They are focused on surviving on a day to day basis. We could argue that keeping the environment alive is survival. But this is more basic than that even. – Lack of money leads to lack of choice. For example instead of making sure your home is lead free people from the low-income category have less choice in where they live. (the above is more about local poverty) Globally low-income people are selling their crops as ‘cash crops’ versus keeping the food for themselves. This means they are using agriculture for money then they are more focused on getting money than preserving their local environment. I think the biggest contributor of environmental damage is lack of concern not global poverty.