Business Environment and Public Policy - Essay Example

Business Environment and Public Policy Table of Contents Introduction Industrial growth has been synonymous with the growth of the country and thecivilization of men associated with it. Since the Industrial Revolution and the onset of fossil fuel use, human life has been associated with excessive pollution occurring various forms. Fossil fuels have resulted in large quantities of Carbon monoxide and Carbon dioxide emissions, that are directly harmful for the health of human beings themselves as well as all animals and living organisms associated in the near vicinity of such large emission sources. Apart from these emissions, man's industries also went ahead towards emission of various other gases that resulted in decreasing ozone layer and the protection built that nature has built around the earth. The natural causes that encouraged life on earth were getting destroyed by these artificial sources. Global Warming is a much talked about topic, discussed in many international and national forums, so much so that people have come to accept it as a part of life which is very dangerous. The effects of global warming is still in the laboratory; so is the cause of global warming and the extent to which it will affect human life and the environment. This paper tries to explore the various effects, the lobby that has helped to build up the needed hype to draw attention to the issues. Finally, we also analyze the reasons behind the Global Warming and the methods to counter it and the need to counter it (Global Warming, 1999).. Global Warming - the phenomenon Global Warming is due to what is known as the Green House effect. The green house effect occurs because of the reason that the emitted carbon monoxide and the associated gases that are hot rise to the top of the atmosphere and do not allow the heat of the earth to radiate and lose itself. This results in the green house effect and the global warming. There are a number of contributors to the green house effect. Detailed studies have been conducted by various agencies governmental, non-governmental and international collaborative agencies as well. "An increasing body of observations gives a collective picture of a warming world and other changes in the climate system."-Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), 2001. More and more work is being done and research carried out to say yes or no on the issue of global warming. But it is very true that there are carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide emissions that are affecting the atmosphere and its constituents. The global warming is observed by some of the indicators listed below. 1. Diseases. With an increase in temperature, the bacteria and the virus seem to be breeding themselves out. This would increase the outbreak of various diseases new and old. An increased number of disease outbreak would also indicate an increased temperature in the air. 2. Early arrival of spring, heavy rains, floods and snowfall are all considered as a result of global warming. 3. Droughts at other places and forest fires that devastate vast extents of forest areas. 4. Bleaching of coral reef, sudden change in animal population and change in their range of operation. All these point to a rise in temperature in the atmosphere leading to a global warming. There are also people who provide an opposite view of the global warming. According to them, (Consumer Alert, 2000) there are evidences that would substantiate their claims that there are no noticeable Global Warming or something that mankind should be working overtime on (Jason Lee Steorts, 2006). 1. Temperature of the atmosphere has been measured using the satellite navigational temperature measuring meters which resulted in noting that there are no significant raise in the temperature in the last 18 years. There is no global warming as is being portrayed. 2. Nearly 98% of the gases that are emitted and that cause green house effect are not effluents of the industries or manufacturing. They are mostly natural sources mostly water vapor that contribute to the greenhouse effect. In other words, only 2% of the damaging effluents come from the human sources. 3. Warm climates do breed viruses but a mild increase in the temperature is not going to cause such a massive problem as is being portrayed by the advocates of the Global Warming. There are arguments footed by both the parties involved in the dispute. We find that, as did a number of neutral bodies, there are facts that point to an overall global warming which has harmful ramifications. And it is also true that man has significantly contributed to the global warming scenario much more than Mother Nature. Importance of Global Warming Global warming is important because of the fact that this would lead to a large scale changes in the environment and climatic conditions that it would affect everyone including man kind. Global Warming has been found to affect the thickness of ice sheets in the Polar Regions, causing more water to come into the oceans. This would lead to a raise in the sea level which could result in flooding a number of islands and low lying areas across the world. The rise in the overall temperature due to the green house effect results in a multitude of phenomenon. In tropical countries, it affects the regularity of the monsoons. This means a frequent cycle of drought and flood; no rains followed by heavy rains. Incidence of more environment triggered chronic sicknesses like allergic and asthmatic problems are consistently on the rise. The overall health of the people living in these areas comes down drastically. This would in turn affect the productivity of the person and the overall productive time of the society. Green house is contributed more by the carbon di and mono oxide emissions than by any other. This also leads to larger suspended matter in the atmosphere. There are a number of accidents that have been caused due to smog and other such air borne pollutants. Air borne pollutants also contribute to what are called Carbonic Rains or Acid Rains. These acid rains change the texture and chemical composition of the soil affecting agriculture to a great extent. To reinstate the original state, the farmer has to spend more chemical fertilizers or add-ons to the soil. Over a period of time, this would reduce the cultivable extent of the land as well as reduce the produce that comes out of a given size of land. The chain does not stop there. Since the food requirement of the world is growing and if the production per acre of land does not go up, then more forest land will be brought under cultivation resulting in decrease in forest tracts that will end in a reduced rainfall and so on. The loop will go on and would only be a converging set of loops taking us towards an imminent but prolonged problem scene. We should also look at the impact that global warming will have on our co-habitants of the earth, typically, the trees, the animals and the rest of the living organisms in the world, since a change in them will also affect human life whether it is in the farms or in the cities. Any major change in climate will affect the way animals lead their lives. Typically, when the climate is harsh the animals migrate and the flora also displays a similar trait of behaving with the climatic change. This cycle of changes that flora and fauna for the earth display will go for a major overhaul if climatic changes set in. Particularly, when there are vagrant climatic changes like delayed rains or advanced winter could all lead to a question of survival for these living organisms. Such disturbance in their life may not happen on one bright day, but would slowly and steadily creep upon them unaware and before they could understand and their instincts could react. All these would contribute to a large scale extinction of species that maintain a natural balance in the environment resulting in imbalances that we might not be able match or predict until starts hitting us. By and large, we can say that global warming is happening and is certainly a spoiler of the earth and its survival. There cannot be second thoughts on the fact that the global warming need to be addressed by human beings since they are the creators of this problem and they need to address the same immediately, since it might be too late and irreversible once certain levels are reached in the warming scene. For and Against Global Warming While many political leaders have significantly brought up the issue of Global Warming to the dais, it is Al Gore and his team during their presidential campaign that made a strong impact on the issues and the methods to tackle global warming. Al Gore, in one of his speeches, refers to the rising population which should be reaching 9.1 billion by 2050. (Vega, 2005). This increases the demand for food, water and for all other resources that lets out effluents affecting the atmosphere and moving it closer to the green house effect. According to Gore, there may not be any glaciers in 15 years on top of Mount Kilimanjaro and reduced on top of Switzerland and the Glacier National Park might cease to be a glacier. It is not just the terrorism that is to be taken seriously. Global Warming is equally if not more serious. Two hundred scientists across the world have united together to produce an ultimate research outcome that has clearly shown the global warming and the warming of the ocean currents. Al Nino and ocean warming over the Pacific and Antarctic is increasing the destructive capabilities of the hurricane that hits the coasts of gulf in the US. This was reflected in the destructive force of Hurricane Katrina. Al Gore warns of inaction and procrastination countering impending disasters. On the other side of the story, Steorts says, that the large expanse of water creates huge quantities of water vapor which is the major contributor to the global warming. This is a phenomenon that will happen in a multi-decadal cycle, varying from twenty to forty years which leads to an increased temperature which results in an increased air and water movement that could cause hurricanes and tornadoes. This is, many people say is linked to the sun spot activity, the magnetic storms that cross the earth and when earth comes into the storm's path. All these are natural activities and human beings have no say in the matter. It is only imperative that humans show an understanding of how they use the resources available in the world intelligently rather than an imminent catastrophe that we need to act upon. While all these points talk pro and con human activity, global warming is a phenomenon that is accepted and is very much existent. But it is also taken in that human activity does cause global warming and only difference is the degree to which it causes. While on side, human contribution is the major cause on the other it is a minor contributor. However, we need to appreciate the fact that human resource utilization is causing global warming. The Course and the Global Warming This course is on the business that works towards more production, resulting in better selling propositions that would finally rope in profits that is sought by the shareholders of the company. Every business enterprise has a number of stake holders to their activities. It is imperative that the company takes care of the requirements of all the stake holders and its decisions and activities are in line with these needs. While most of the common stake holders, viz., employees, the shareholders, the customers and the vendors are known and the entire operation of the company would depend on these, the other stake holders like the public and the society, the environment, the depleting resources are not looked into in detail. Hence it is important that the other aspects of business which are not considered gets considered as well to produce the best results. Profits are important but we should also see how the company contributes to the saving of the environment and reduces pollution. Many companies have woken up to this requirement and are following the pattern of reporting along with their annual financial report, a social and responsibility report more in the lines of Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) for corporate responsibility.(Global Reporting Initiative, 2005). Analysis and Solution for Global Warming Multitude of studies has been done to seek and ratify global warming. An analogy on what happened and is happening in health and safety will make an interesting comparison. While in the early days of the industrial revolution, occupational health and safety were not provided the kind of importance that they really deserve. This resulted in large scale accidents, loss of life, loss of material and hence profits for the company. Initial requests to the companies on improving the nature of working and work environment to make it safer yielded little or no result. Reason: it would cost money and would increase the cost of the product. But over a period of time, the companies have come to realize that the increased safety in the work environment really saves money for them and the profitability increases. It saves on the amount of unproductive time, loss of manpower, loss of material and so many other direct and indirect losses. It has been established repeatedly on more than one occasion that safe and healthy work practices contribute to the bottom-line of the company rather than erode it. Much in the similar way, it is a misjudged and misunderstood phenomenon that working on the pollution and environmental issues that lead to global warming has a negative effect on the profitability and the investments do not produce any return. On closer analysis, it will be found that these would contribute to an improved profitability. Let me explain how. Combustion is the major source of energy in most of the industries. This could be coal, oil or any other material; could even be wood. Inefficient combustion of these fuels alone produces carbon monoxide. Complete combustion would produce carbon dioxide. Now engineers and scientists are working on producing complete combustion of these fuels. This would result in better utilization of the energy source and there by improve the profitability of the company. Similarly on all the other pollutants, a recycling norm is being worked out. Every recycled product would bring down the cost of the product by nearly 50%. This has happened with Chinese Polymer cloth and will continue to happen in all products. Recycling would reduce pollution on all fronts; process toxic wastes and bring about better environments. And in the bargain, would also let the companies that adopted this method make more money and turn highly profitable. Global Warming is caused through factory and industrial pollution to a reasonable extent if not more. It is important that we monitor and reduce toxic and polluting outputs coming from these units to the barest minimum possible by adopting treatment methods and other processing systems. Political and apolitical parties should come together to bring in a clear education and public information system that would provide people with information that they can believe in. Conclusion Global Warming is here. Whatever be the cause of the global warming, man is also contributing in his own way to increase the pace of this phenomenon. It is also his duty to reduce this pace if it could be and possibly reverse it. Global Warming is not a single man's issue; it is a global human problem. It has to be addressed by everyone and specifically by people who are the major source of this destruction. As explained in the previous section, it is also understood that such measures to reduce pollutant levels in the atmosphere or in the water that the industries use and effluents that they let out, will not only improve the global warming scenario, it will warm the coffers of the company by improving on the profit margins by using lesser resources and generating more products out of it. It is obvious which warming we should take: warming of the hearts of our shareholders or global warming. References 1. Al Gore, On Katrina, Global Warming (Text of speech), CommonDreams.org, 12 Sep 2005 2. Consumer Alert, The Global Warming Debate, Cooler Heads Coalition, 2000, 3. Global Reporting Initiative, 2005, 4. Global Warming, Early Warning Signs, 1999, < http://www.climatehotmap.org/> 5. Jason Lee Steorts, Scare of the Century, National Review Digital article, 5 June 2006, 6. Paul Kregman, A test of our character, New York Times, 26 May 2006. 7. Vega, Ceclia, Warning from Gore on Future Global Warming called an Emergency, San Francisco Chronicle, Sunday 5 June 2005. Read More