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Al Jazeera has come out with a fantastic piece of journalism that really puts at heart the issue not only facing Mexico but the entire world. I say the entire world because the abuses being done to the environment in Mexico are nothing compared to what is going on in other parts of the world such as China, Philippines, India and sadly, the list goes on.

Physical vs Mental Labor

Where ever the government does a sorry job of educating its local population, corruption, desperation and poverty are not very far behind. What do you do with such a population? Well, set-up factories where they have to use their bodies instead of their brain to barely earn a living. The nice thing about brain work is that it differentiates individuals, there is at least a possibility to move up while with manual work, the more you work (forced or otherwise), the faster your body breaks down.

Industrial jobs at the cost of the environment

Mexico, like many other third world places, has a lot to offer labor intensive industries such as the textiles in this piece by Al Jazeera. There is a ready source of hard working people willing to work long hours for cheap, lax regulations from pollution to job safety and a government that is eager to make deals. The local populations know what is going on but feel powerless to do anything about it, the government wants to attract jobs even if they come at the cost of the local environment. In this case, what was once pristine water used for various purposes by everybody in the small city of Tahuacan now kills crops planted by farmers and is no longer fit for even animal consumption. The governments answer? We are working on it, it doesn’t take six years to enforce environmental regulations even while a plant is in the works.

Health and Environment

I believe it’s high time that we add to our basic charter of rights the right to live in a pollution free environment! Of all the risk factors that could harm a persons health and those of future generation, growing up in a polluted environment is number one in my opinion. I would far prefer to live in a clean environment under a dictator then a dirty one in a democracy, and I am sure if you thought about this, you would agree.

It isn’t all bad

Before you go to the local store and buy the collective human species a rope, realize that we do have technology, expertise and where there is a will, a way to undo the damage that us humans are doing to the environment. It’s always easier to prevent damage then fixing it after the fact, but as we progress into the future and wise up, drastic improvements in environments of all types is possible. For instance, check out what Jordan and Israel are doing jointly to restore the coral reef in the Red Sea which they both share a border with.

The Bottom Line

You only have one environment that we all have a responsibility to keep clean… why not give it the respect it deserves?

Buzzvia
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/909667C9-7DC2-4EF1-94F7-3C3BB5FE8CD5.htm