Brown, Blue & Green Economy
Brown, Blue & Green Economy
Brown
Economy:
A
brown economy is one in which economic growth is largely dependent on
environmentally destructive forms of activity, especially fossil fuels like
coal, oil, and gas. This type of economy is responsible for the massive levels
of global warming causing greenhouse gases (mostly carbon and methane) in our
atmosphere. Air and water pollution are defining features of this type of
economy as are a range of harmful impacts on biodiversity. In addition to being
the leading driver of civilization-ending climate change,
fossil fuels contribute to the death of millions each year.
This
type of economic system is focused on growth and development independent of the
environmental toll. The brown economy makes demands on our environment that
surpass the Earth’s carrying capacity and it encourages unrestrained
exploitation of finite resources.
Blue Economy:
The blue economy also called the marine economy is
one that supports clean and healthy oceans and aquatic ecosystems. This form of
economy acknowledges that water is crucial to our financial, biological,
cultural, and spiritual well-being. Although some have coined the term to apply
to a comprehensive sustainability regime, in the context of this review, the
blue economy primarily focuses on managing oceans, waterways, and water
resources.
The seas cover 71 percent of the Earth’s surface and
they are critical to a healthy biosphere. They are a rich repository of marine
life, sea-based food, sea-embedded minerals, and coral reefs. Despite their
importance to life on earth oceans are under threat from pollution, climate
change, and acidification.
In a blue economy, we are tasked to engage in better
management of finite water resources and create more livelihoods for an
increasing number of people. This type of economy is focused on water
stewardship and it entails minimizing pollution and waste as well as greater
efficiency.
Green Economy:
The UN succinctly defines the green economy as one
that, “carries the promise of a new economic growth paradigm that is friendly
to the earth’s ecosystems and can also contribute to poverty alleviation.” As
indicated in a United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) report on the green economy diverse strategies for
economic growth and environmental stewardship can complement one another. UNEP
defines a green economy as, “one that results in improved human well-being and
social equity, while significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological
scarcities.” This definition is in line with the three pillars of sustainable
development (economy, social and environmental).
The green economy is premised on economic production
which minimizes emissions, reduces resource consumption, and lowers environmental
costs. Part of this approach involves recycling natural resources in a model of
economic development that emphasizes economic, environmental, and social
benefits. In its simplest essence, the green economy is one that results in
improved human well-being and social equity, while significantly reducing
environmental risks and ecological scarcities.
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