Environmental capital

Question

As the current generation borrow environmental capital from the future one, they should at least repay the loaners by protecting the environment now.(This sentence is extracted from an IELTS essay by an advanced writer.)What does 'environmental capital' mean?

Teechr · Accepted Answer

Nh?t BìnhWhat does 'environmental capital' mean?

I'm guessing that he/she is referring to natural resources.

Nh?t Bìnhloaner

I know that word exists, but I would not use it. I much prefer "lender".

AlpheccaStars · Answer

Nh?t BìnhAs the current generation borrow environmental capital from the future one, they should at least repay the loaners by protecting the environment now.

Capital is a financial term, meaning assets, like money, that are available for use in paying debts, expanding the business, or operating the business. "Working capital" is cash on hand for normal operations.

Environmental capital does not work very well in that sentence. If it refers to energy sources, we can extract fossil fuels from the ground, but we are using it, not borrowing it. How can we pay it back to our grandchildren? I suppose it could refer to forests, which can be replanted. But if we protect them, we are not using them. So "borrowing" is a contradiction.

The sentence to me makes no sense at all. It is not very natural English, either. I think this writer meant the following:

The current generation should use Earth's natural resources in a sustainable manner, so as to preserve them for future generations.

Environmental capital

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