The above equation explains why the developed countries are more responsible for environmental damage despite the fact that they have lower population and more advanced (often environment friendly) technology. For example, United States has only 4.61 percent of the world population (a population of 314.7 millions) but its contribution to cumulative carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels is 29.3 percent. Same is the case with EU with 26.5 percent contribution to carbon dioxide. India has 17.5 percent of the world population (1,198.0 millions) but its contribution to cumulative carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels is only 2.2 percent. The developing countries are far behind the developed countries in income and consumption but they are increasingly developing the philosophy of development based on the experience of the developed countries. Their population and consumption behaviour are changing fast and as they produced sudden population explosion in the second half of the last century they may soon cause the collapse of the ecological system.

ENVIRONMENT IMPACT ANALYSIS

For legal and ethical reasons, now it has become quite common to go for environment impact analysis of a development project. The concept of environment impact analysis suggests that an economic project has environmental impact and it is important to know what it is. Imagine that we establish a thermal power station in a tribal area. It certainly has economic benefits. But it also has some adverse impacts. Sometimes even desirable development projects such as dams and canals have impacts on population and society. Irrigation canals have helped in improving agricultural productivity and diversification and led to multiple cropping in several parts of Rajasthan but this has also created new problems. In the earlier days when they had water scarcity life was certainly difficult. Now threat to physical survival is reduced but risks have increased manifold. They include malaria, social conflicts, violence and dissatisfaction due to rising aspirations. It is important to know before establishing a project what its impacts are.