The Environment and Environmental Issues
The environment is always changing. Resultantly, environmental issues have emerged as major issues of our time, despite the efforts of economists, policymakers and the business community to ignore them. Therefore, it is of the essence to be aware of the various problems that surround the environment since it directly affects human beings. Notably, the problems of the environment are rooted in the economic system, which, with its materialist values and short-term prospects, is destabilizing the world today (Harper, Harper, "Snowden, 2017).
Natural Disasters and Weather Patterns
There has been an influx of several natural disasters, cooling and warming periods, as well as different weather patterns that have essentially been caused by a change in the environment. Across the globe, people are combating various environmental problems that have been brought about by various human activities carried out. In Indonesia for instance, the factories that have settled there have created a significant problem regarding various environmental issues.
Pollution in Indonesia
The first environmental problem that the people of Indonesia face is pollution. Essentially, many companies have opened up factories in the country because of the cheap labor offered by the natives. Resultantly, these companies utilize this country as an avenue of acquiring cheap labor in the factories for the purpose of minimizing costs and increasing profits. However, this has created significant environmental problems that threaten the wellbeing of the country’s environment. Specifically, these industries emit poisonous fumes that are toxic. These fumes are created by the burning of fossil fuels that are used to provide energy for the functioning of these factories. Air pollution in the form of toxic fumes affects the health of the Indonesian community in various ways. Essentially, it leads to the development of respiratory problems such as asthma, bronchitis, as well as decreased lung function.
Forest Degradation and Its Impact
Additionally, people of Indonesia are facing forest degradation. Because of the lumbering industry, the country has seen the destruction of its forests as individuals scramble to have a share of the profits of this lucrative industry. However, this has led to several environmental concerns. Specifically, trees help prevent erosions as well as clearing the air by taking in carbon dioxide and emitting oxygen. Cutting down the country’s forests thus leaves the community at risk of various environmental concerns as it affects the entire ecosystem. This also disrupts river ecosystems as well as the water cycle. Loss of forests will result in the erosion of sediments into the country’s rivers, which in turn will affect the health of the natives. The third environmental concern is water pollution from the many industries across the country. This water is utilized by the community for their daily needs and thus polluting their water sources will lead to serious health-related problems.
Solutions at the Corporate Level
However, there are several steps that can be taken at the corporate level to reduce the impact of environmental problems. For instance, the country can introduce policies that will help prevent forest degradation and thus safeguard the country’s forest. In turn, this will ensure that the water cycle is not disrupted thus minimize health problems associated with this. Additionally, the country can also prohibit industries from using fossil fuels that endanger the environment by introducing new policies that govern how they function. Furthermore, they can start planting more trees and clearing the polluted rivers as an initiative and incentive that is meant to safeguard their ecosystem. This will ensure that the environment is safeguarded and that any health related problem is ultimately eliminated.
References
Harper, C., Harper, C. L., " Snowden, M. (2017). Environment and society: Human perspectives on environmental issues. Routledge.
