Equity What is Equity? Equity Within Nations Proximity to problems • Inequities leading to problems Impacts of measures Inequity in decision making Equity Between Nations International Economic System Global Warming and Equity References Site Map Back to Main Menu...	Inequities may cause environmental problems Some people argue that poverty contributes to environmental degradation because it deprives people of the choice about whether or not to be environmentally sound in their activities. It is argued that people who cannot be sure of their next meal will pour all their energies into surviving, and that communities need to have a certain level of prosperity before they will turn their attention to solving environmental problems. However, it has been equally well argued that very high levels of affluence are accompanied by high levels of consumption, which lead to resource depletion and waste accumulation. Many environmental problems&emdash;such as global warming and chemical contamination&emdash;are the result of affluence rather than poverty. Inequities can also affect the environment in other ways. For example, the inadequate access to public transport and local services that often occurs in the outer suburbs of Australia's larger cities can result in greater use of cars, with their attendant environmental drawbacks including noise and air pollution, congestion and accidents.