Economic Development and Environmental Protection

There are some individuals who argue that, compared to the environment protection, the top priority is supposed to given to economic development. They deem that environmental problems are inevitable and unavoidable in the process of economic development. They are only the by products of economic development, which can be handled later when we have the time and money.
However, other individuals hold different opinions that environment protection should be attached more importance than economic development in that present serious environmental problems will threaten the health of the residents and hinder the advance of the economy.
As far as I am concerned, environmental protection and economic development can coexist in parallel and can stay in harmony. Our ultimate aim in economic development is to provide a comfortable and happy life for our people. What is the point of economic development if we achieve it at the cost of our environment? There has been much evidence to prove that a balance between the two helps more rapid and continuous development of the society.