Photo: SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

The amount of pollution created can always be reduced

There is no denying that pollution has wreaked havoc on our environment and left many of our natural resources on the brink of death.

But the amount of pollution created can always be reduced, and it is worth noting that the government has taken several initiatives, such as the implementation of green policies which prioritize the environment and seek to protect it, to ensure that our natural heritage is preserved.

Unfortunately, at this point in time, too many are afforded the freedom to use our precious natural resources to their own whim, and the current status quo, which merely imposes a fine as punishment, is not enough to prevent polluters from harming the environment.

No number of green policies will be enough if polluters continue to take advantage of the current situation, which affords them impunity when it comes to treating our natural ecosystem as nothing more than a tool for profit.

In this regard, law enforcement agencies must take a harder stance. Environmentalists have long touted the importance of taking a hardline approach to polluters, be they individuals or entire industries, and penalizing them for their actions.

It is high time that this changed. Not only must governmental policy incentivize companies and individuals to take on greener initiatives, law enforcement must be empowered to take stricter actions -- such as heftier fines and jail time -- against corporations which do not prioritize the environment.

It is the only way that we can ensure that our natural resources, on which our nation depends so heavily, are preserved and restored to their fullest potential.