Economic development is an option for many countries to improve their standard of living, however, this can lead to social and environmental problems. I do think the drawbacks of economic growth outweigh the upsides, and this essay will discuss them.
Numerous nations, especially the developed ones, opt to enhance their economy. Considerable benefits come with that choice, such as better infrastructure, job creation, and consequently an increase in the quality of life. For example, the construction of new areas, like buildings, allows the creation of new jobs, diminishing the unemployment rate. Therefore, if people have more purchasing power, the possibility of buying what they need and also doing new activities will be granted, which means a more quality life. On the other hand, this growth comes with disadvantages. The boost in purchasing power leads to a need or addiction to consumption. This necessity leads to an excessive demand by industries, but a lack of supply, in other words, it induces inflation. Furthermore, the proliferation of industries will affect the environment as it releases alarming amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, causing damage to the planet and to our health. I believe the cons of economic growth outweigh the pros. One of the upsides of this is the increase in quality of life, however, the drawbacks have a direct impact on this. For instance, inflation causes the prices to grow larger, preventing people from some products and infrastructures they once had the opportunity to use. In addition to this, the increasing pollution can cause respiratory problems that can not be solved. Hence, the disadvantages surpass the advantages as it erases some essential benefits of this development.
To conclude, the edge of economic improvement does not overcome the obstacles, because better infrastructure and a prosperous life are negatively affected once inflation crashes and pollution rises, causing more damage to people’s life.