Business ethics and environmental pollution
Business ethics and environmental pollution
In business ethics, there are three main spheres that a business tries to keep closely monitored. These spheres are: ensuring public relations with the consumers and other stakeholders (company image) is fully maintained, ensuring that the business or employees operates within restricted criminal law and lastly ensuring civil law is also maintained in the business operations.
Considering that pollution is not restricted in third world countries, businesses release pollutants into the environment without any form of treatment. This is what makes it questionable to look at the implications of business ethics to polluting the environment (Roberts, 2010).
On another issue in which the company pollution may impact negatively on its ethics is breaking of the national law. This is due to the fact that even if it is not prohibited by law to release pollutants into the environment by the government, it is against international environmental laws thus still a crime though can’t be dealt with by the law of the third world.
Lastly, it would be impossible for the company to lead its employees by example. This means that the people working for the company are not in a position to be followed in case a civil crime occurs. From a general perspective, pollution impacts negatively on the ethics of a company regardless of where it takes place (James, 2006).
There are several reasons which push or make business entities ignore pollution threats to their business environments in the third world. These reasons can be said to be tactical advantages present in third world countries or loopholes in the laws of the country.
One of the main reasons behind the great pollution and uncaring manner in which businesses view pollution in third world is lack of a law in regard to industrial pollution. This can be claimed to what has led to setting up of industries even in areas least expected. As there are no laws explaining out what restricted areas are in a country or the maximum allowed pollution levels, many businesses do not bother to create any internal laws to govern disposal of the wastes.
Another reason is poor knowledge on business ethics. In most third world countries, illiteracy levels are still high thus even management of business entities in the region is still affected by illiteracy. As one of the main disadvantages of illiteracy, the business unknowingly disposes out their wastes in undesignated areas causing a lot of problems to the public (Jean, 2006).
The other reason is a drive for civilization and the notion that one of the compulsory aspects encountered in civilization is pollution. As it is normal during civilization, a lot of environmental pollution and degradation occurs. This is used by most of the business owners as an excuse to pollute the environment. This can be attributed to study from earlier researchers who propose that environmental degradation cannot be avoided during civilization.
Though pollution is taken as the price a country has to pay for civilization and industrialization, I can differ a lot with this statement with some facts and philosophical ideologies. To begin with, pollution is the release of untreated wastes into the environment. If one has to develop or create industries, it is also possible for such a company to be I a position to treat its waste properly before releasing it to the environment. The company may also dispose its waste properly without having to release it raw into the atmosphere (Jean, 2006).
Looking at the connection between economic development and pollution controls, it is clear that economic development comes at a compromise on environmental pollution controls. For example, a country like the US developed very much rapidly when industries were set up. This meant that a lot of pollutants were released into the environment. As a matter of close observation, it is clear that pollution control is inversely proportional to development rates. However, from an analytical approach it is clear that the pollution control even depicts higher economic development. This can be exemplified by the fact that pollution control uses better technologies which can be summed up as green energy or green world technologies.
Considering what the world is calling green energy technology, the main concern is economic development and control protection and control. It is clear that economic development should not always pollute the environment. In fact, green energy technology seeks to establish pollution free development which in reality is very possible and less costly as compared to the normal technologies used for development which releases a lot of toxic substances into the environment (Jean, 2006).
Looking at the issue of pollution and livable surroundings to any human being, it is a moral right for any company or firm to provide its people of neighborhood with acceptable living environments. This is what has led to development of social standards that indicate a human life is worth more than any economic value. As a result, each and every person should be accorded proper living standards regardless of where they are in this world. This covers both the citizens in developed world and the developing world. This is also provided for in each and every constitution of a country in the world. The society also views human life as sacred and serene thus human beings should be provided with livable standards regardless of area of origin or economic status of the area of origin (Clarke, 2004).
As technological researches reveal, the developing world has the highest potential of prosperity. This can be attributed to the fact that the resources and environment are not completely exhausted or exploited. The developing world lacks enough resources to make a green energy world thus have to rely on the developed and wealthy countries. Creating of green energy technologies and greener environments is beneficial to all in the world regardless of development levels. Therefore, I would support the idea that developed countries should work with the developing world to develop a green world. Later after the initial developing world is developed and green world achieved, the developed world can then benefit from the green world and reconstruct them to become green as well (Roberts, 2010).
As we move towards a green world, one of the main concerns is pollution control. This means that a uniform global pollution control forum has to be developed so as to fully cater for the regulations on international pollution strategies. If I were to be chosen or requested to develop such a strategy, my strategy would be an equitable approach instead of a uniform law. This would put into consideration individual pollution levels of a country and deal with them as per the region requirements. Green world technology devices would also be distributed according to regions to ensure unified development (Clarke, 2004).
In conclusion, as we develop or progress economically pollution would be fully controlled so as to make the world a better place to live. Also, it is a moral responsibility of each and every person to make the environment better and reduce technology. This is what has led to a call for countries to work in conjunction so as to help make the world a better place to live. One of such projects is green world technology which attempts to make economic development much eco- friendly.
References
James F. 2006. Introduction to business ethics, Pearson Publishers Inc
Clarke K. 2004. Green stakeholders: Industry interpretations and response; Journal of Management Studies; 33(6), pp. 715-730, Penguin Publishers
Jean S. 2006. The Precautionary Principle in Contemporary Environmental Policy and Politics; Princeton Inc
Roberts D. 2010. Environmental and business ethics, Oxford University Press
