While attempting to find an objective article about how we should treat our environment, I realized how difficult it was to accomplish this seemingly simple task. There is a plentiful amount of articles about the environment that are available, but few that presented information from a totally unbiased perspective. However, after a little bit of digging, I found one here that provides different points of view.

Background

We still do not have complete knowledge about how our fragile environment works, but what we do know is that for the past twenty years, our country has been rapidly industrializing. Although this is good for some reasons, such as the fact that it lessens the amount of laborious jobs in fields, it does bring several negative effects, like air and water pollution. Many of these harmful impacts are irreversible, so the best approach is prevention rather  than waiting until their needs to be intervention. The article also states that there is a need for not only government involvement and incentives, but individual awareness and action. Using China as an example, we are able to see the harmful effects of pollution in water, soil, and air. Because China is highly industrialized, there is always a risk that factories may release harmful chemicals that can lessen soil fertility. Also, China’s government has come up with a system to reward people who purchase a green car and to “desulphorize” power plants that use coal.

Response

This article is calling for us to better protect our environment by joining together, “government, business, nongovernment organizations and individuals to act with better laws and regulations, better implementation and better behavior of our individuals.” I agree that we need to takes steps towards making our environment healthier, and reduce the negative effects that we are causing. I think that it is especially important for countries like the U.S. and China that are rapidly industrializing to take steps towards the prevention of harmful environmental impacts and begin the implementation of more environmentally-friendly behavior.

Corporations on the Environment

After researching about an objective view on the subject of environmental treatment, I decided to look at another article that presented a different view about this. I found an article about corporations and their effects on the environment as a whole. Although it clearly leaned towards the idea that many corporations are causing negative effects on the environment, it still provided lot’s of valuable information and drew some eye-opening parallels between politics, consumerism, and environmental impacts. It talks about how political systems can seriously impact how corporations treat the environment based on what regulations and laws are put in place and enforced. A major problem that was discussed was when the U.N. created a project in order to get corporate collaboration and sponsorships in development projects while supporting the welfare of the environment. Unfortunately, companies were able to repair their image without actually fixing environmental problems, and it fell under harsh criticism. Although major corporations bring many positives to our lives,  “There are countless examples where corporate involvement in various issues could contribute to environmental problems as a result.” This article made me question if people are not as informed as they should be about what some corporations may be getting away with in terms of negative environmental impacts.

Reflection

Reading these two articles has made me think about all of the things that I can do to make a difference in the environment. It can be as simple as trying to drive less. The first and most important step is to simply try to make changes, whether they be big or small.  I believe that because our Earth is so fragile, it is imperative that we preserve it and prevent negative effects on the environment as much as possible. Taking steps to raise awareness and even getting the government involved to enforce regulations (in particular with Corporations that are causing harmful environmental discrepancies) is what is really going to help make a difference. Because we all live on the same earth, and we only have so many non-renewable resources, we should treat it as such with respect and caution. Personally I don’t think that means we need to stop industrializing or make other drastic changes, but instead we need to use more caution and try to look for more environmentally-friendly alternatives.