Why there is Scarcity around Us?
We look at the ocean and reassure us that water is abundant and will last us till infinity. Before we dwell on this, let’s take a detour. They say that money is the root of all evil. But one wonders why it is so, since money was a concept invented by us, to connect a human with his needs. But the path we as species have taken for ourselves to consider this very same money with a negative connotation. We have descended down to a level where we no longer have any regard for the water, food and shelter provided to us. Think about this, half the world feasts and wastes enough which could feed the hungry half of the world. This is one of the reasons for these times of grave scarcity. It is an extremely easy leap to make that greed as the root of all these evils. We like to pretend that we have kept our own personal greed in check, which is not always true. Look around, water scarcity, food scarcity it’s all around us.
Types of Scarcity
One must understand that one cannot wish scarcity away. It is a fundamental reality of economic life. We do not have a history of judicious use. But the need for the judicious and environmentally healthy use of resources is the need of the hour. The oceans are draining leading to water scarcity and the glaciers are melting due to global warming. The world’s resources are not what one would call fair or one that serves equality. Most of the people in developing nations are suffering from water scarcity and food scarcity. Not only are humans suffering but because of the greed of the human race, the animal kingdom is also a victim of this scarcity.
Water Scarcity
Water scarcity is one of the prime case for concern because people die due to the scarcity of water. We waste water because it is available to us in abundance but we fail to refer to those countries and places where getting a glass of clean water to drink is a difficult task to manage. Water scarcity not only affects human beings but also animals. Few of the root causes of the scarcity of water is mentioned below:
Overuse of water due to ignorance
Water Pollution
Political conflict between states
Natural calamities like Drought
Government access
Food Scarcity
Food shortage is another issue faced by the world. Another name for food scarcity is famine which means an extreme scarcity and the severe shortage of food. Famine is an issue where due to various environmental issues leads to a shortage of food. Some reasons for the scarcity are:
population imbalance
scarcity of water or lack of rainfall
natural calamities
crop failure
government policies
Coal and petroleum : Consequences of over extraction of coal and petroleum
