Sustainability has Two Sides

Dr. Seuss’s story “The Lorax”, states that cutting down trees can be inherently harmful. Terri Birkett’s tale “Truax”, however, says that this is a necessity. It is impossible to prevent people from deforestation. The problem is that both sides don’t recognize or even mention all the facts about deforestation. Each story, as children’s entertainment does, focuses more on the faults than the other. This creates a biased and higher-than-expected favorability for each of them.

Birkett refers to “The Lorax”, for its harsh criticisms of logging companies and forestry companies. If her main character, TheTruax, had actually answered all the valid questions in Seuss’s movie, this would be fair. Instead, he shows no concern for animals being relocated due to habitat loss. After his job, he doesn’t know how to keep biodiversity intact and he says that it is not his responsibility to do so. Each story misses the point of its opponent, so they are not accurate representations of the reality of deforestation. It’s easy to understand the power of governments and ordinary citizens to effect change by looking at the three-pillar sustainability process. We all need to acknowledge that the three pillars of society, economy,, and environment all matter. Human satisfaction is the primary goal. Quality social interaction, finances, and a healthy planet are all key factors in achieving better living.

Second, these three pillars need not always be in conflict. A healthy economy can create a healthy environment. They can all work together and maximize each other’s benefits. However, it is not always possible to make compromises between them all. Sometimes, companies may have to make compromises between what is affordable (like plastic water bottles), and what is more costly or less convenient like refillable cups and bottles.

The last thing we should do is to stop taking environmental damage lightly. Replanting trees after they have been removed from an area can be a great thing, but it still causes problems if the ecosystem has been altered. Trees take years to regenerate and many species of animals need to relocate while they do.

We must remember that deforestation is a complex issue and one cannot be understood by relying on pre-existing views of those who have been incentivized. Instead, we should pay close attention to the actual facts and present the most objective and independent view possible. To preserve the earth’s sustainability, we must be able to see the costs of production and environmental deterioration.