Iamnotsupportiveoftheideathateithertakespriority.Itisnecessaryandabsolutelypossiblethateconomicdevelopmentandenvironmentalprotectionco-exist,inthesensethatbothofthemareindispensablefactorsfortheprosperityofsociety.
Economicdevelopmentisseeminglymoreimportant,duetothefactthatitcreatesenormousjobopportunities,improveslivingconditionsandincreasesgovernmentrevenues.Yet,theabovegoalscanonlyreallybereachedonconditionthattheenvironmentiswell.protected.And,interestingly,itistheeconomicdevelopmentpersethatprovidesthemoneyandpersonnelresourcesrequiredfortheprotectionoftheenvironment.Awell-preservedenvironmentisthegroundworkfortheeconomyandinawaypromoteseconomicgrowth.Afast-developingandwell-functioningeconomycallsforagoodenvironment,whichoffersessentialresources,e.g.wood,coal,water,etc.forproduction.Oncetheenvironmentdeteriorates,theproductionprocessislikelytobedisturbedorevenhalted.Whatisworse,naturaldisastersthatcomewiththeworseningenvironmentalconditionsmightevenparalysesthewholeeconomymidposeaseverethreattohumanlife,Thepursuitofshort-termeconomicprofitisthedestructionofourhomeandthatofourposterity.
So,economicdevelopmentandenvironmentalprotectionareequallyimportant.Inthissense,weareactuallyworkingonanenvironment-friendlyeconomy.Giventhestatusquod,itispossibletorealizetheco-existenceofthetwoaslongasweareconsciousanddeterminedenough.
