when in conflict the us should prioritze global poverty reduction over enviromental protection.

Firstly, I would like to make it clear that I'm not against all measures to reduce poverty. I agree that poverty reduction is a significant global issue and I'm all for decreasing poverty rates. What I'm insisting is that protecting the environment is a more important issue than reducing poverty because the environment affects /everybody/ in the world. Pro's position only regards the well-being of those in poverty, while my position regards the well-being of every human, both wealthy and poor. Without further ado, I will make my first arguments. Definition of prioritize: 1. To arrange (items to be attended to) in order of their relative importance 2. To give priority to or establish as a priority http://dictionary.reference.com... Given these definitions for the word "prioritize," I will be arguing that environmental protection is an issue that is of more significance than reducing poverty. Con's duty is to prove that poverty reduction should be held as a higher priority than environmental protection. 1) The poor benefit from the improvement of the environment The Nile River is an important source of water for those who live near the river. Unfortunately, water pollution is a large problem (Source 4) for the river. Toxic waste-water and agricultural pollutants often go into the river and this is crucial, considering that the Nile is a large source of fresh water for nearby inhabitants. If the water is contaminated, the people wouldn't be able to use the water for agricultural and personal uses. Even the poor would benefit from the improvement of the environment because it would enable them to have a wider access to resources (such as fresh water). 2) Water pollution is an issue that affects every person in the world Consider China's environmental situation. Zhou Shengxian, the head of the State Environmental Protection Administration stated in an environmental conference that "(Source 1) If environmental protection efforts continue to lag behind economic growth, pollution will become even more rampant." Shengxian indicates that if environmental protection efforts are not prioritized as much as economic growth, pollution will eventually become a severe problem that will drastically affect China's future economic and social stability. In 2005, there were over seventy-six severe incidents of pollution in China. One of the many incidents included a spill of cadmium in the Beijiang River, which threatened the drinking and agricultural water source in that province. As you can imagine, providing a safe water supply to those in poverty cannot even be possible if efforts are not taken to protect water sources from pollution. Water pollution is one of the most serious and important problems in the world. Humans depend on clean water for industrial, household, agricultural and recreational activities. Large bodies of water are constantly contaminated by organic water pollutants, inorganic water pollutants and macroscopic wastes that come from untreated sewage waste. Organic water pollutants include: (Source 2) detergents, food processing wastes, insecticides, fuels, chloroform and tree and bush debris. Inorganic water pollutants include: ammonia, chemical wastes, fertilizers, heavy metals, silt and acidity that is produced by industrial discharges. Macroscopic pollution: various types of trash. As you can see from the various types of water pollution, it is important to reduce as much water pollution as possible. Countries, such as Canada, are putting effort into reducing water pollution. The province of Ontario recently implemented a ban on pesticides (Source 3) because pesticide runoff harms the water and the biodiversity of life in bodies of water. Such laws are crucial for the well-being of the environment. Fresh water is important to sustain life on earth. The need for fresh water not only affects those in poverty but affects those not living in poverty as well. Environmental protection is clearly a more significant issue than poverty reduction because environmental protection affects people in poverty AND people who don't live in poverty. Environmental protection should be prioritized over poverty reduction because the well-being of the environment affects every person in the world, while poverty reduction only affects people who are in poverty. I await my opponent's response. Source 1: http://worldcup.china.com.cn... Source 2: http://en.wikipedia.org... Source 3: http://www.thestar.com... Source 4: http://sitemaker.umich.edu... Source 5: http://abcnews.go.com...