Poverty and the Environment in the United Republic of Tanzania

Until a few days ago, I wasn’t sure I even wanted to write this paper. But since my graduation depends upon it, I decided it’d be in my best interest to throw something together. Now that I’ve finished, I wish I would’ve put more time and energy into this paper as I’ve found the information to be quite interesting.

In writing this paper, I feel somewhat more prepared for the kinds of issues I might face if I’m offered a position with the Peace Corps in Africa. I’m also much more excited about visiting Tanzania, and if things don’t work out with the Peace Corps, it’s first on my list of places to visit.

The problems in Tanzania are real. But in researching this paper, despite all of the challenges facing the country, I believe things will improve. Slowly. The government seems to place a high value on the natural resources, and the environment. Unfortunately, it’s been difficult to enforce the policies that are designed to protect the environment because Tanzanians struggle with poverty. People who live hand to mouth are concerned with survival, and convincing them to look beyond today is a challenge. Some big changes are required, and investments to infrastructure will need to be massive.

But I have hope.

“The environment provides the basic resources for virtually all socioeconomic activity in the country, and is a foundation for the eventual alleviation of abject poverty.” ~The Government of Tanzania

With thirty-six percent of its population living in poverty, and an economy based on fragile natural resources, the nation of Tanzania faces a unique situation: balancing economic growth with environmental stewardship. Because all the main economic sectors of Tanzania – agriculture, mining, tourism, wildlife, forestry and fisheries – are based on natural resources, that growth must be done in a way that preserves the environment.

In fact, the environment is so important to the economy of Tanzania that, while considered to be one of the major contributing factors of poverty, it is also seen as the “foundation for [the] eventual alleviation of abject poverty” (Tanzania National Website, 2011).

Environmental policy objectives have been set forth by the Tanzanian government, and are designed to:

• Ensure sustainability, security and equitable use of resources;
• Prevent and control degradation of land, water, vegetation, and air;
• Conserve and enhance the natural and man-made heritage, including the biological diversity of unique ecosystems of Tanzania;
• Improve the condition and productivity of degraded areas including urban and rural settlements in order that all Tanzanians may live in safe, healthful, productive and aesthetically pleasing surroundings;
• Raise awareness and understanding of the essential linkages between environment and development, and promote individual and community participation in environmental action, and;

Despite the policy objectives set forth by the Tanzanian government, Tanzania faces environmental problems that threaten the growth and development of the economy. The current levels of consumption of natural resources are unsustainable. Soil degradation, deforestation, desertification, and loss of biodiversity all threaten economic growth, and further degradation of the natural environment will only exacerbate the issue of poverty. Therefore, it is vital to find ways of implementing policies and enforcing mechanisms for sustainable exploitation of the natural resources (Tanzania National Website, 2011c). Read more of this post

Your iPhone is Killing Children

Our electronics are the latest fashion statement.

If you don’t have white wires dangling from your ears, you aren’t cool. If you can’t check Facebook on your phone then you must be a dinosaur. It seems like each week a new phone hits the market, creating a perception that the phone we bought last week is already obsolete. The last thing we consider when purchasing a new iGadget is what happens when we are done with it? All we care about is how sexy we are going to look when our friends see us on our new phone.

So we replace our old one with the newer version.

As the number of consumer electronics we purchase continues to grow, so does the amount of electronic waste we produce. Electronic waste is becoming a serious issue around the world, especially in poorer countries such as China, India, Malaysia and Kenya. People in these countries process the waste for precious metals such as copper, gold, silver and palladium. Sounds like a good trade, right? The poor countries can extract these metals and sell them for a profit but the question is, “At what cost?”

Recycling of materials from electronic scrap has raised concerns over toxicity and carcinogenicity of some of its substances and processes.  Toxic substances in electronic waste may include lead, mercury, and cadmium. Carcinogenic substances in electronic waste may include polychlorinated biphenyls. Capacitors, transformers, and wires insulated with or components coated with polyvinyl chloride, manufactured before 1977, often contain dangerous amounts of PCBs.

Our waste is making people sick. Children are being exposed to lead, which, at high levels, can cause brain damage or even death. Think about that when you are buying your next piece of iCrap.

In 2002, laborers in a Chinese village were paid $1.50 a day and they have already experienced environmental and health impacts as a result of the e-waste processing.  The drinking water becomes contaminated as a result of glass and cathode ray tubes (which contain lead) being pushed into the rivers.  Because the groundwater is so badly polluted, water has had to be trucked in from other regions.  When laborers in these countries incinerate the waste with no protective equipment or clothing, they inhale the polluted air and become physically weak as a result.  [Studies] estimate that it is 10 times less costly to ship computer monitors to China than it is to recycle them in the U.S.  While much of the world has banned the process of exporting hazardous materials, the US had not yet ratified the agreement.

Who else hasn’t ratified the Basal Convention along with the United States?  Haiti and Afghanistan.  As the leader of the Free World, we have an obligation to do better than this and if our government isn’t going to do the right thing, it is up to us as consumers to step up and protect not only the environment but our fellow global citizens.

Where Can I Donate or Recycle My Old Computer and Other Electronic Products?

What Does it Mean to “Be Green”?

Today is Earth Day.

Around the globe people are banding together to help improve the health of our planet.  My contribution this year was to clean the river that runs through our campus.  Halfway through what I expected to be about a two hour job, we ran into a bit of a problem: a tractor tire almost as tall as me, buried in the middle of the river.  It was filled with sediment that smelled like death (no exaggeration).

We pulled it out of the river and laid it on the ground, contemplating our next move.  Should we roll it all the way across campus to our collection area or should we try to find another option to get it there?  While we were discussing our alternatives, a student offered to meet us with his pickup truck so we could load it into the back and drop it off right where we needed it.  Problem solved…or was it?

Another student thought it would be environmental heresy to use a fossil fuel burning machine to help us in our quest to save the planet.  I, on the other hand, didn’t want to be the person rolling an old tractor tire across the campus as it leaked muddy, smelly water the entire way.  Sarcasm got the best of me and my response of “Ironic, isn’t it?” brought on a barrage of environmental propaganda I wasn’t expecting.  I decided to keep my mouth shut and let her rant about her commitment to the Earth and the environment.

At that point I could have launched into a monologue about how big of an environmental hypocrite I am.  Actually, it would have been quite entertaining for myself but maybe offensive to this particular person.  I drive my car daily but I compost my kitchen waste.  I own a 52″ television but my apartment is 100% CFL.  I am the Vice President of the Environmental Club on campus but I spend a lot of time flying around the world.  I am a meticulous recycler but I take long showers.   I will drive half an hour one direction to buy organic food.  We purchase dish detergent that is phosphorus free and I am growing my own vegetables but I eat meat regularly.  I buy credits from my electric provider to offset my energy consumption and hang my clothes to dry…

I am thankful that there are people who care about the consequences of their actions and I am thankful there are people in this world who don’t feel a need to consume and be wasteful.  I, too, care about the environment but I am also thankful for the luxuries of technology.

This interaction made me wonder what it means to Be Green.  Do people with a superiority complex turn people off to the Green Movement?  Am I being Green enough?  Are my efforts to be environmentally friendly void and invalid because I am also making other choices that are not the best option when we consider their effects on the Polar Bears?  Should I do more?  Should I have pushed that stupid tire all the way across campus instead of picking it up with a truck?

Being Green doesn’t require you to be a tree hugging hippy.  For those people who are so devoted to the cause of saving the planet, I applaud you.  I find your ambition to be a noble one but please don’t stand on a soapbox and ridicule people who aren’t doing everything you think they should do.  Your only success with this approach will be in alienating people from the movement.  Encourage people for what they do right, teach them when they are making poor choices but do not judge.  I believe most people have a fundamental desire to make the right choices.  Sometimes those choices are not so simple.

Do you choose paper or plastic at the grocery store?  I always thought paper was the best choice.  It’s biodegradable, paper is the most recycled material and trees are a renewable resource.  Then I read an article stating the opposite of what I thought was the right choice.  In fact, paper is not the best choice due to the energy required in the manufacturing process compared to that of plastic bags.

Making the right choice isn’t always easy and your attempts at doing the right thing might actually not be the best choice.  Being Green is about doing what you can in the areas of your life where it makes sense.  Give some, take some.  Do what works for you and do your part.  Being Green doesn’t require you to give up your car  and you don’t need to hug a tree or put flowers in your hair.  There is no need to grow out your armpit hair and sing folk music to a poorly tuned acoustic guitar.  (Yes, I know I am stereotyping.  It is all in good fun.)

It is the small choices that we make on a daily basis that make the most difference.  Recycle, install CFLs, carpool, turn off lights when you aren’t using them…the options are endless.  Mix and match to your heart’s desire!

Happy Earth Day!

***Disclaimer: My area of study is in Environmental Science and I intend to continue my Postgraduate work in Natural Resource Science & Management.