Russia's Catch-22.(conflict between environment and economics)

The following bulletin from Russia reveals a fundamental conflict between the interests of the Russian environment and those of the economy. As economic activity accelerates, so too does the deterioration of Russia's environment. And as Russia is crippled by economic collapse, so is the environment set back on the path of recovery.

Environmentalists are therefore thrown into a dilemma. Do we support the environment, even where doing so is to the detriment of economic growth, and therefore to the people themselves, or do we focus on enabling people to achieve higher standards of living?

But as ever, the real issue is more complex.

If we assume, as we are taught to from an early age, that economic growth is a process which …