The issue of environmental stewardship has ignited significant discourse, with a spectrum of opinions, where some people assert that it is responsibility of individuals, while others claim that it is obligation of companies and local government. In this essay, I will elucidate both perspectives before articulating my own stance.
On the one side of the debate, some people believe that individuals cannot solve environmental problems as they need complex and large solutions. Problems such as deforestation, illegal logging, air and water pollution need serious and urgent actions and great funding; people themselves are unable to solve these problems. One good illustration of it can be found in China, where soil degradation and desertification, from Gobi Desert, were hindered. The Chinese government took a lot of effort and used the latest technological advancements to address this issue. By planting more than 1 billion trees around the desert and by supplying the region with fresh water from nearby rivers, they stopped this problem and saved the remaining areas.
On the other hand, others state that people are the main producers of environmental issues, like soil or air pollution. By throwing batteries to rivers or using old non-eco-friendly cars, they contribute to an ecological crisis. They believe that people should sort waste, because sorting bio-degradable and non-biodegradable goods for individuals would take a few minutes, while it takes several days for recycling factories. For instance, in South Korea, it is ubiquitous to sort waste and use eco-friendly technologies; this country does not have any problems with the environment. Moreover, Korea is asserted as one of the unpolluted countries in Asia.
In conclusion, in my opinion, it is evident that both governments and people should solve environmental problems together to reach the utmost results in this dilemma.