9058009916

CHAPTF.R T V

67

86230

are poi 1 lit. 1 ng. Correspondingly, to 1nt.ervene to prevent. snoh a dftgradat.1 on , or 8 1 m p 1 y to ml t. i g a t. e 11., has b e e n regarded as a sort of ¹ liixury' (1.e. an unprodnc1.1 ve act.1v1t.y):    to fight.

poi lut. i on might. i mprova our living st.andarda and, in sonę c a s e s , 1 8 1nev1 t.ablfi t.o limit, t. h e 'freedom' of    po 1 1 n1.1 ng

agenta , hut so d o 1 n g we put obstać los t.o growt.h, employmftnt, etc. Tn ot.her words, a t.rade-off bet.ween growt.h and a pollution-free env1 ronnent. I a assumed.

%

Ts it. correct, to asanne t. h e ex1atence of t.his t.rade- off? Ts i t. really unqnes 1.1 onah 1 e t.hat t.o fight. natura 1 degradation implies t.o fet.tfir economic growt.h and welfare? There ts much fivldence t.o suggest. t.hat. int.ervfint.inna t.o stop, mit.lgat.fi, or eliminat.fi t. h r progreasi ve destructlon of our env1ronment. aro not only nficossary to d e f e n d hliman race - froni sfilf-dfist.ruct.1on hut. t.hat. t.hey, in t.he mfidium/long run,* canhe ais o afficifint. and prodnctivfi from a mere ecnnnnlc point. of view. For ftxamplft, to limit. t.hfi degradation of sea    coast.s only

apparent.ly means t.o slacken t.he growt.h of t.he t.ouriai indnst.ry. Tf t.he degradation of * coast.s 1s not . stopped, fiyfint.ually morę and morę spoi lad coast.s would not. appeal any longer to hollday makers, and t.his ohv1ously would 1mply very negat.i ve effects for t.he Industries which rely on t.ourism, recreat ion, etc.

To fight. poi lut. ion and na t. u rai degradation is not. a * luxury' which our societies cannot. afford, especially in t.he present. s1t.uat.ion, Tt. is just. t.he ot.her way aronnd, and t.he stat.fi s ho u ld interyene In t.his area much morę heavily and fixt.fins1vely. Tn t.his way publlc act.1v1t.1es would prodnce pos i t. i ve effects on t. h e economy as a wholfi and, morę spec 1 f 1 ca 1 1 y , would 1mply also hlgher levels of act.iyity and fiaployinent in t.hose product. 1 ve pr1vat.fi sect.ors which are paylng growing at.t.ention to t.he enyironment. (e.g. Industries 1nvolved in recycling refuses, alt.firnat.ive techno 1 ogl es, etc. ) .

Anot.her example of new possihle approaches to t.he issue of st.ate inr.ftrvent.ion and act.ivit.ies concerns t.he area of Professional trainlng. Tn t.his field, sińce a long t.1me ago t.he need for sonie forms of public int.ervftnt.1on has been recognized, so t.hat. our suggest. 1 on s are ma i nly concerned wit.h t.he need for new approaches to t.he issue rat.her t.han with t.he need for t.he Interyention It.self. Public    1ntervfintion t.o

provi de professional trainlng is regarded as ¹ product.ivfi' and effldent. only 1f Is dist.lnct. from educat.lon in generał. Professional t.raining t.o speclf 1c Jobs    Is regarded as

alt.ernat.1vfi t.o generał edncation. Rut. do modern societies, increaslngly characterized by high f lex1bi I ity and mobili t.y In t.he economic sphere, act.na 1 1 y reqnire such a form of professional t.raining? Tn a world in which workers are morę and morę r e q u 1 r e d to adjnst. to new    product 1ons and

technolog! ea which keep on changing and developing at. a very fast. pace, t.he t.raril t.lonal professional t.raining does not seem t.o represent. any longer a posit.1ve or useful public cont.r1but.1on t.o t.he process of product. łon and reprodiict.1 on of t.he labonr force. A kind of act.ivit.y which might. appear as