Cree Indian Proverb

Only after the last tree has been cut down, Only after the last river has been
poisoned, Only after the last fish has been caught, Only then will you find that
money cannot be eaten.

-- Cree Indian Proverb

This proverb means that after we have destroyed what natural resources our land has, then we will realise that money isn't everything, and will not be able to provide us with nutrients for survival.

A hypothetical example would be if a country has exported all her natural resources like timber, oil, wool, water, everything, in return for money, then they ultimately have to buy all these goods back from other countries because money cannot be directly consumed; it is just a medium of transaction.

That is why most countries in the world today are so concerned with sustainable development, because there is no point in having a large growth in the present but forgoing future growth so satisfy present needs (of having money). An example would be Singapore which focuses on supply side increment to boost future growth, like NeWater and investment in capital goods (like machinery). For NeWater, we invest a lot of money into trying to develop a method of desalination or converting seawater into drinkable water.

Many countries are not focused enough on sustainable development and they will suffer in the future. An example is Brazil which is clearing their rainforests for their plantations to thrive. This will affect them adversely in the long run because they would not have much natural resources left for future use.

Ruisi, Yadi, Baorong, Serene 09S06J