Comm101 Task 12

What are some of the challenges that the environment faces today? Explain the ethical considerations for environmental protection.
Throughout the world there are various types of pollution that interfere with the quality of life for all living creatures and with the natural functioning of the earth 's ecological systems (Pollutionissues n.d.). Although some environmental pollution is a result of natural causes, most pollution is caused by human activities (Pollutionissues n.d.). With time goes by, the environment face more and more serious challenges that caused by human activity, such as industries activity and commercial activity (Shaw et al. 2013, p312-315). When people engage the business activities they will spend the money of input to improve their production and promote their development (Shaw et al. 2009, p312-314). Their will get the input to push commercial activities from the nature environment, meanwhile the activities of output will bring the pollution to nature environment, so the businesses will cause the double damage to the nature environment (Shaw et al. 2009, p313).
First I will explain the major environment issues in business. First issue is talking about use of non-renewable resources. As we know, most resources are non-renewable, such as oil and water (Shaw et al. 2009, p338-387). Get the information from the website the earth just have less than 3% of world water is fresh and seawater or underwater are removing now (USGS 2014). And nearly 25% of water resources are not available to work, so the pollution and lack of water is really seriously (USGS 2014). In fact, only 8% of these water is a human consumption (Shaw et al.2009, p386). The most use of water is 70% that is used for irrigation and 22% of water is used for industry (Shaw et al. 2009, p386). Nowadays, there are still one billion people who haven’t have access to drink fresh water and more than 2.4 billion people cannot live in the place where not have sanitation (Shaw et al. 2009, p386). With the development of world, the daily demand of oil is increase from 85.1 to 87.0 (Grace & Cohen 2005, p147). The growth of demand means the people will consumption more and then will need more resource to produce (Knight 2014). For exploit this resource to promote or continue the produce the human will break the relationship between the nature environments and damage the environment (Knight 2014). Therefor, we need to follow the principle of just saving to protect the environment and reduce pollution, just use what we need to save more for future generation (Grace & Cohen 2005, p147-149).
Secondly, the environment issue in business is climate change (Shaw et al. 2009, p389). The most seriously climate change is global warming, earth is just like a greenhouse—one of those see-through buildings where people grow vegetables—or a glasshouse in a botanical garden for tropical plants (Shaw et al. 2009, p390). That 's why this is called the "greenhouse effect," which means that the Earth keeps warm because of the invisible layer that surrounds it (Shaw et al. 2009, p389). But human activity, such as burning fossil fuels--causes more greenhouse gases to build up in the atmosphere (US EPA 2014). As the atmosphere "thickens" with more greenhouse gases, more heat is held in (US EPA 2014). Fossil fuels such as oil, coal and natural gas are high in carbon and, when burned, produce major amounts of carbon dioxide or CO2 (US EPA 2014). A single gallon of gasoline, when burned, puts 19 pounds of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere (US EPA 2014). This CO2 is the biggest factor responsible for recent warming trends (Shaw et al. 2013, p). Rising global temperatures have been accompanied by changes in weather and climate (Shaw et al. 2013, p318-319). Many places have seen changes in rainfall, resulting in more floods, droughts, or intense rain, as well as more frequent and severe heat waves (US EPA 2014). The planet 's oceans and glaciers have also experienced some big changes - oceans are warming and becoming more acidic, ice caps are melting, and sea levels are rising (Shaw et al. 2013, p318-319). Meanwhile, with the melting of ice the fresh water supply will risk (Knight 2014). As these and other changes become more pronounced in the coming decades, they will likely present challenges to our society and our environment. (Shaw et al. 2009, p389)
Thirdly I will explain the issue of the life span of products. Many product have built in obsolesce (Knight 2014). This means that it is cheaper to buy new products than to have it repaired, such as the smartphone, laptop or electronic devices (Knight 2014). In generally, smartphone would design for short time and we will buy a new one when the old one is broken or out of style (Shaw et al. 2009, p385). But that will caused pollution to environment and the waste of resource (Knight 2014). Base on the view of protect environment the design built in obsolesce is unreasonable (Shaw et al. 2013, p319).
Then I will expound the issues of re-use and recycling. Most products are not designed for reuse and not all corporations are encouraging the re-use of products (Shaw et al. 2009, p385). For example, drink manufacturers don’t encourage the return of their plastic or glass bottles and they do not take back their end products (Shaw et al. 2009, p385). For recycling, the emphasis on recycling is on low value products such as paper or aluminum bottles and there is less emphasis on recycling of high value products- electronics (Shaw et al. 2009, p386). Especially, the high value products such as old smartphone or laptop will caused e-waste and how to deal with the e-waste also as a big problem (Shaw et al. 2009, p385). So just pay attention on recycling of low value products is not enough, we need do more to push the recycling of high value products (Shaw et al. 2009, p384).
Now I will explain the environment issue of waste management. The European Union Waste Framework Directive provides the legislative framework for the collection, transport, recovery and disposal of waste, and includes a common definition of waste (GOV UK 2014). The directive requires all member states to take the necessary measures to ensure waste is recovered or disposed of without endangering human health or causing harm to the environment and includes permitting, registration and inspection requirements (GOV UK 2014). But have some industry wastes are not tested by authorities, especially in Australia or American (Grace & Cohen 2005, p151-152). So some country have weak to no regulation on waste management (GOV UK 2014). Hazardous waste regulations stipulate hazardous waste is essentially wasted that contains hazardous properties which if mismanaged has the potential to cause greater harm to the environment and human health than non-hazardous (GOV UK 2014). As a result, strict controls apply from the point of its production, to its movement, management, and recovery or disposal (GOV UK 2014). Hazardous industrial waste become to fertilizer that will be used in agriculture which is less regulatory, then follow the food chain the hazardous materials will cause the human ill or dead (Grace & Cohen 2005, p151-152).
The last on is explaining about the issues of use of toxic materials. When pest management activities include the use of pesticides, pesticides that are low in human toxicity and have minimal effects on non-target species and the environment should be used (Grace & Cohen 2005, p386). Selected pesticides should be packaged in safe containers, clearly labeled for safe and proper use, and manufactured by a licensed entity (Grace & Cohen 2005, p387). Hazardous materials will transfer to our food chain and made us unhealthy and farmers are focus to used unnatural materials to ensure the products are good. For example, pesticides are used to produce large spotless apples, so the European Union regulation that said that apples below 55mm in diameter cannot be sold as apples (Grace & Cohen 2005, p387). The most hazardous materials, including fertilizers, acids state where oil and gas injection wells had failed and polluted aquifers. And that hazardous material is used in fracking that damages the environment and contaminates water tables (Grace & Cohen 2005, p386-387).
Then I will illustrate the ethical consideration by principles. The precautionary principle is where the activity raises threats of harm to the environment or human health, precautionary measures should be taken even if some cause and effect relationships are not fully established scientifically (Grace & Cohen 2005, p151). In other words, if you not sure the technology will get bad or good influence to environment, not do it (Grace & Cohen 2005, p151)! For example, changes in the approach to hazardous air pollutants in the 1990 US Clean Air Act Amendments embody the precautionary principle. Until then, control of individual air pollutants in this category depended on a risk-based approach in which the burden of proof was on the US Environmental Protection Agency to demonstrate that environmental levels of the air pollutant were likely to produce adverse effects (Grace & Cohen 2005, p151).
We need to follow the principle of just saving (Knight 2014). Just saving principle is talking about the generation should shoulder their share for preserving a just society and just use what we required (Grace & Cohen 2005, p147-149). Rawls show us that we just use what we need and save more resource for future generation in order to the world should be left in no worse condition than a generation finds it (Grace & Cohen 2005, p147-149).

Now I will explain the

References
Grace, D & Cohen, S 2005, Business Ethics: Problems and Case, 3rd edition, Oxford University Press, Melbourne.
GOV UK 2014, Waste Legislation and Regulations, accessed 02/11/2014, https://ww w.gov.uk/waste-legislation-and-regulations
Knight, K 2014, Topic 11: Environment Ethic, Comm101 Principle of Responsible Commerce, Faculty of commerce, Inti International College Subang.
Pollutionissues n.d , Industry, accessed 02/11/2014 http://www. pollutionissues.com/Ho-Li/Industry.html
Shaw, WH, Barry, V, Issa, T & Catley, B 2013, Moral Issues in Business, 2nd Asia-Pacific edn, Cengage Learning, Melbourne.
Shaw, WH, Barry, V & Sansbury, G 2009, Moral Issues in Business, Cengage Learning, Melbourne.
US EPA 2014, Climate Change Is Happening, accessed 03/11/2014, http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/basics/
USGS 2014, The World’s Water, accessed 02/11/2014, http://water.usgs.gov/edu/earthwh erewater.html

References: Grace, D & Cohen, S 2005, Business Ethics: Problems and Case, 3rd edition, Oxford University Press, Melbourne. GOV UK 2014, Waste Legislation and Regulations, accessed 02/11/2014, https://ww w.gov.uk/waste-legislation-and-regulations Knight, K 2014, Topic 11: Environment Ethic, Comm101 Principle of Responsible Commerce, Faculty of commerce, Inti International College Subang. Pollutionissues n.d , Industry, accessed 02/11/2014 http://www. pollutionissues.com/Ho-Li/Industry.html Shaw, WH, Barry, V, Issa, T & Catley, B 2013, Moral Issues in Business, 2nd Asia-Pacific edn, Cengage Learning, Melbourne. Shaw, WH, Barry, V & Sansbury, G 2009, Moral Issues in Business, Cengage Learning, Melbourne. US EPA 2014, Climate Change Is Happening, accessed 03/11/2014, http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/basics/ USGS 2014, The World’s Water, accessed 02/11/2014, http://water.usgs.gov/edu/earthwh erewater.html