The Balance Between Economic Development and Environmental Protection: A Case Study of the Rhode Island Jewelry Industry

摘要

Widespread concern for the unrestrained degradation of our natural environment was spawned during the social unrest of the 1960u27s. Vietnam, social inequalities, and environmental pollution were the issues of the decade. The 1960u27s were also a period of low unemployment and unprecedented increases in purchasing power and personal income. To many, the choice between an increased percentage in industrial productivity and growth and continued degradation of natureu27s delicate ecological balance was clear.In the 1970u27s, however, the trade-offs between economic growth and environmental protection have become increasingly difficult to make. Today the issues of greatest concern involve high unemployment, continued inflation, and decreased buying power. The possibility of further disruption to an already staggering economy has placed severe impediments upon the productive implementation of federal legislation dealing with pollution control standards. The potential impact of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1972 on the Jewelry Industry in Rhode Island provides a case in point.