Somepeoplebelievethateconomicdevelopmentshouldneverbeatthecostoftheenvironment.Theythinkthepresentseriousenvironmentalproblemsarelargelycausedbyrapid?economicdevelopment.Forexample,landresourcesareshrinkingbecauseoftheindustrialdevelopmentandtheexpansionofcities.Desertsarespreadingbecauseofovergrazing,poorfanning,treecutting,andstripmining.Ourairandwatersuppliesarebeingpollutedbypoisonousgassesandwasteproducts.Itisimportant,therefore,thatweshouldtakeanotherlookatthewayinwhichourindustriesandcitiesaredeveloping.

　　However,otherpeoplethinkitunnecessarytoconsiderenvironmentalproblemsnowandourfirstpriorityshouldalwaysbegiventoeconomicdevelopment.Theybelievethatenvironmentalproblemsareinevitableandunavoidableintheprocessofeconomicdevelopment.Theyareonlythebyproductsofeconomicdevelopment,whichcanbedealtwithlaterwhenwehavethetimeandmoney.

　　Ithinkthesecondideaiscompletelywrong.Ourultimateaimineconomicdevelopmentistoprovideacomfortableandhappylifeforourpeople.Whatisthepointofeconomicdevelopmentifweachieveitatthecostofourenvironment?Therehasbeenmuchevidencetoprovethatabalancebetweenthetwohelpsmorerapidandcontinuousdevelopment.