SCI 362: Simulation And Environmental Justice Issues

Simulation Paper

For SCI/362 January 4, 2013

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Proper management of environmental resources is a concern faced by everyone living on the planet. Technological and industrial advances have continued to put the fragile environment at risk. Most industry sectors continue to increase the organization’s environmental exposure. Organizations and individuals have an ethical responsibility to ensure proper management of surrounding natural resources for both the present and future generations. In this paper, I will compare the relationship between the simulation and environmental justice including identifying key stakeholders and describe the philosophy and priorities of these stakeholders. The main focus of the environmental justice issue in this simulation is regarding the Prunus Africana, a tree that grows in the Aberdares Mountains in the eastern highlands of Kenya. The Prunus Africana grows up to 30 meters tall after a 20-year growth cycle. The Prunus Africana is the only African variety of more than 200 species and is the only plant useful for manufacture of drugs for prostate issues.
Colney & Pitts, a California-based pharmaceutical company, would like to set up a
manufacturing plant near the Aberdares mountain ranges to produce medicines for prostate diseases. Other profitable opportunities exist from the tree’s timber, considered an excellent hardy wood for lumber manufacturing and building. Already occupying these mountain ranges is the Kikuyu tribe. Prior research has uncovered the use of the Prunus Africana by these tribe members to cure “old man’s disease,” otherwise known as prostatitis and genitourinary disorders. Colney & Pitts’ primary market is the manufacturing of natural remedies, thus leading to the desire to set up a manufacturing site within this environmental enclave (University of Phoenix, 2012). When considering the environmental justice issue presented in the simulation, one must consider and identify the key stakeholders. This includes the Kikuyu tribe, Colney & Pitts and affiliates, males suffering from prostate-related diseases, lumber companies, Eco Smile, and the International Center for Ethno Botanical Research. These groups and organizations have a direct stake and connection to each other. The Kikuyu tribe has the strongest vested interest in this issue. This tribe has lived peacefully for centuries. The Colney & Pitts venture will disrupt the tribal people’s lives and way of living, causing change that would take a long time to implement and become familiar with. Though Colney & Pitts offers the immediate opportunity to create jobs, it is difficult to know what the outcome will be long term. If the tribe is relocated, the tribe may eventually become obsolete through the normal process of civilization development. This tribe uses their surroundings for food, medicine, and entertainment. Colney & Pitts has offered to train tribal folk; giving them jobs could be beneficial in helping the tribal people move into the more current century. However, the Kikubu may find other lifestyle changes as a result of the loss of this important tree. Development and production implemented by Colney & Pitts could disrupt other environmental components such as other trees, plants, and animal habitats. For example, perhaps there are particular plants that grow within the shade of the Prunus Africana. Additionally, when concerning employing members of this tribe, there may be dress codes and other requirements that the tribal members have to overcome. The Kikubu tribe has much at stake in terms of adjusting to a way of life much different from what the tribe is currently familiar with.
Colney & Pitts is an organization looking to grow in profitability through development and growth of natural remedy medicines. The company’s philosophy is to grow the business through an ethical, environmentally unobtrusive approach. However, Colney & Pitts has many challenges to consider. Company decision makers may believe that offering the Kikuyu tribe job opportunities with training will add value to both the company and to the Kikuyu individuals. However, there is no guarantee that the tribe will be able to grasp the workplace concepts passed to them. These tribal individuals have humble backgrounds with no formal education or educational building blocks to help them achieve the results that Colney & Pitts is most likely looking for. It would take years of training in basic workplace concepts, such as teamwork and other skills that would in the end become very costly. Additionally, there is no guarantee that the Kikuyu tribe would abandon his or her work, leaving it up to the company to find new employees to train and do the work. Colney & Pitts will also have to employ expertise in land development to continue the growth and management of future Prunus Africana. The company’s expertise is probably more on the extraction and production side versus developing and managing future resource growth. A nonprofit organization, International Center for Ethno Botanical Research (ICER) is an organization dedicated to the growth and sustainability of the ecosystem and tribal advancement of eastern highlands of Kenya. ICER opposes the Colney & Pitts initiative on the grounds that continued deforestation is contributing to soil erosion, disruptions to tribal settlements, and destroying the natural vegetation within the surrounding area. ICER’s philosophy is to protect the environment and the tribal settlements. As ICER is a nonprofit organization, the organization is not of the philosophy to grow revenue as is Colney & Pitts. ICER does not stand to benefit from the Colney & Pitts initiative, thus these two stakeholders have conflicting priorities.
EcoSmiles is a different conservationist organization also dedicated to the protection of the local ecosystem in the Kenya forests.
EcoSmiles’ primary mission is to challenge any project initiatives that could harm the delicate ecosystem of these forests. Once EcoSmiles’ understands that a government agency is involved, EcoSmiles puts together a proposal of conditions for Colney & Pitts to follow, including sustainable harvesting of the trees. Though EcoSmiles’ main priority is protecting the environment, EcoSmiles is successful in also assisting with developing a reasonable balance between the Colney & Pitts and environmental and tribal initiatives. This helps balance the priorities of the various stakeholders while minimizing tensions among the
groups.
Of all these shareholders, the Kikuyu tribe is the one facing the bulk of any environmental justice issues. As a culture with a simple lifestyle of hunting and gathering, a corporation may easily come in and take advantage of this unsophisticated tribe. Colney & Pitts has the conflicting priority of growing the product base, thus growing revenue for higher profitability for the company’s direct shareholders. Though Colney & Pitts may try to incorporate an ethics environmental policy, the ultimate goal of growing revenue will influence how successful they are with balancing both priorities. This concern is why organizations, such as ICER and EcoSmiles, play an important role in portraying the voice that helps protect the environments and people who may be affected by such corporate initiatives. The result of this simulation was that even though each group had a unique set of benefits to be achieved, the individual stakeholders found a balance that was acceptable to each group.
References

University of Phoenix (2012). Managing Environmental Issues Simulation.

Retrieved February 2, 2013 from University of Phoenix, Resource, Simulation,

https://portal.phoenix.edu/classroom/coursematerials/sci_362/20130108/OSIRIS:43747036