Poverty and Pollution

Ethical implications of businesses polluting in a third world country

Countries of the world that are poor and less developed fall under the class of third world countries. Some of the countries that have been categorized under this class are in Africa continent, Asia continent, Latin America and Eastern Europe. In most third word countries pollution goes freely and unchecked, that is why most rich and developed countries would prefer to establish their plants and businesses in these countries. Some international firms, which deal in chemical production, find their establishments in third world countries since they are dismissed as dangerous to human life in their mother countries due to their effluents to the environment. It therefore raises concern for the ethical implications in these countries (third world countries) to be addressed in view of that. The foreign businesses from first world countries in these third world countries need to be operated in responsible manners; that their impact on the negative side is less pronounced. Therefore, ethical implications should be well adopted to help to the growth and better running environments of such businesses. Whenever appropriating some particular business practices debates is inevitable, hence it is always good to avoid those practices that implicate the natives in the negative way (Ferrell, Fraedrich & Ferrell, 2009).

Foreign businesses should work not cause harm on people, plants and animals, but rather work realizing that care should be taken on them. Irresponsible disposals are likely to create a bad impression to the third world countries, which may hamper the future expansions of such businesses. Such businesses are operated up to extends of ruining the locals like polluting of water and the air simply because they not harming any of their first world native or environment. This is carelessness and a serious insinuation to the locals. The exploitation of natural resources in the third countries should not be to disadvantage of the natives but should be to the advantage of both parties. Whenever foreign companies invest in Third World countries, they take advantage of cheaply available natural resources to feed their industries. This is a way of creating poverty on the already existing industries in these countries. Despite the fact that the foreign firms create employment, some take advantage of unskilled personnel to exploit them to the advantage of their firms and their own foreign employees. On the other hand, if they pay handsome salaries they fetch some of the best local workers to the disadvantage of the local firms or businesses. Moreover, the existence of foreign businesses in these countries adversely distorts local cultures through the introduction of their foreign cultural atmosphere. There is a need for international organizations to keep an eye to business standards in these countries to make sure that moral and ethical values of the natives are adhered to; for better working environment of the investors and that of the natives. This will make sure that such businesses do not put them away for the sake of making profits but rather improve and help in developing economies of the host countries.

Reasons a business may conduct operations in third word country

Most developed and wealth countries prefer to operate their businesses in third world countries for the sake of making profits and building up revenues for their mother businesses way back in their countries. They are promised of cheap labor, low taxations, and cheap raw materials like agricultural products for their industries. The governments of most third word countries are slack on some impacts like local market competition of their products from the foreign products, hence these firms/businesses corrupt their way in the local markets. Some few principals in the government will let these foreign firms enter into the market just from a small token, a considerable case being that of Union Carbine, a manufacture of chemicals, that was sent away from USA and found establishments in Bhopal, India simply because of manufacturing products that were not allowed in the US. . Investors from first world countries easily adapt the moral and cultural principles of some of the third world countries. Therefore, it becomes easier for them to establish and expand their businesses. This is the reason as to why these firms always rush to countries in Africa, China, and Brazil to make start ups of their businesses.

Pollution is the price of progress

Pollution to the environment is said to be the price paid due to growth of production firms and growth of evolution of human nature while at the same time the increasing economic developments are associated with increased pollution (Sokhi, Molina, 2011). Pollutions to the environment have become a menace and a thing of concern to most third world countries. The desire of growth and progress has led to more pollutions being mentioned in many third world countries. The poor handling and disposal of industrial waste has cost the lives of many in these countries. The access of clean water to people and animals is in some countries is a nightmare, simply because of pollution. Inhaling clean air from the atmosphere some how turns to be a privilege in some third world countries-simply because of poisonous gases which are emitted from industries to the atmosphere. That is why mortality rates are so high due to diseases related to polluted air and water. Governments of such countries have hence invested much in creation of health facilities and medicine, an additional financial obligation to the government.

There is a strong link between economic progress and development, and pollution controls and environmental protection. For better economic developments and progress, better business choice should be taken into account. Therefore, businesses will have a focus of moving steps forward with less negative impacts to the environment and people in the environs. Costs of cleaning the environment and fines of pollution will be cut down. To this effect better environmental protection, policies should be put into practice to avoid such inconveniences, which may hamper the development, progress and profit making of businesses and development of the economy at large. Therefore, it should not be made obvious that pollution is the price for progress because every human being, animals, and plants are entitled to clean environments. Therefore, developed countries should not take advantage of economic situations in third world countries to invest in businesses that have negative impacts to the natives. Rather these first world countries should take it as a challenge to assist in the economic growth and protection of environments of third word countries. Irrespective of the political and economic differences in first world and third world countries there is a strong need for environmental and moral protection but not to their destruction and exhaustion of the natural resources. The environmental watch dog United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP), should thus sharpen its crawls, and put sanctions to the third world polluters.

People have a moral right to a livable environment

Human beings should not be discriminated of their race, tribe color or the country of origin with regard to environmental living standards. Every human being has a right to the access of better and clean environment for better health and facilitation of growth and progress of economy; and not only through the access of clean drinking water and air but also protected by policies which inhibit dumping of toxic waste products (Desjardins 2012). First world countries should therefore not put discriminative agendas when establishing there businesses; businesses which they establish should follow the same pollution codes just like in their mother country for better non polluted environment in third world countries. The moral rights of people of third world countries should not be violated since they deserve better living environmental conditions for better results and satisfaction not only to the natives but also to their (third world countries) businesses. Respect to the moral rights of these people is accompanied to a positive response to the endeavors of the investors, which encourages their business expansion and better working conditions, despite the fact that in these countries (third world) the war on poverty, provision of basic needs like food clothing and shelter are still predominant.

The Role of the Wealthy Nations

Because of political and economic inequality between the first word and third world countries, there is strong desire for the first world countries to give a hand in the development of greener industries and sources of energy. Third world countries are in strong war with their ever-increasing populations, wars, poor health, killer diseases like HIV and Aids and food, and so the struggle for developing greener industries and sources of energy still poses another challenge. Third world countries due to their poverty therefore need donations and funds from the first world countries, World Bank, and private donors to build and develop greener industries, which could produce products that are competitive in the global markets. Furthermore most third world countries are former colonies of these first world countries who contributed heavily on the exploitation of their resources for the development of their industries back in mother countries; therefore they have an obligation of giving a hand to them in terms of donations and other relevant support to develop their industries.

Technology is also very low in these countries and so need to borrow from the developed and wealthier nations. Due to globalization, there a need to face the global market with products that are competitive, therefore this calls for adopting new and modern technologies. The wealth nations should also open up avenues for research in new technologies by the third world countries to help them uplift there technology standards. Most third world countries rely on sources of energy, which are not well tapped. Therefore, there is no enough energy for both domestic and industrial use. Wealth nations have the obligation of helping them in coming up with greener industries and new sources of energy, which can sustain their industries without interruptions. There is plenty of solar and wind energy (renewable forms of energy) which goes unutilized in most parts of third world countries and therefore wealthier nations need to intervene to give a hand in developing them. in developing countries there is lack of democracy, so corrupt leaders greed for power and dictatorship continue to ruin the country by suppressing their subjects; hence a strong need to have the intervention of the wealth nations avert such systems to give way for conducive and stable environment for foreign investors and developers. Within the course of their development, third world countries should not forget measures of protecting and improving their environments, so the wealthier nations should not contribute to adding pollution in these countries but they should be at the forefront to encourage them build industries, which adhere to environmental policies of protecting the environment and curbing pollution.

Plan for uniform global pollution control standards

A uniform global pollution control standards needs to be established to check and develop levels of emissions and ensure that production firms do not go behold the said and established limits. If they do so, then levies should be charged on the laid down standards. Every international firm (Brux. 2010) should uphold such standards. The governing body to the control of pollution should instruct producing firms to stop or regulate to minimal levels of pollutants to the environment. Many carbon products are emitted in hundred of tones every day to the atmosphere by automobiles and industries, therefore ways of fitting devices or apparatus that cut down these emissions should be adapted (Brux, 2010). Other considerable measures are coming up with permits, which regulate pollution and pollution fees. However these two may vary with global market regions and so bearing responsibilities on emissions by businesses/companies to the environment may sound much favorable than adapting them. The working option may be laying heavy levies on companies, which violate these regulations so that they (companies) may come up with unconventional businesses that focus on reducing the levies. Enforcing the controls means issuing permits to every player company/firm with reference to the rough estimates of emissions the business releases to the surroundings.

References

Brux, M. J. (2010). Economic Issues & Policy. New York: Cengage Learning.

Shaw, H. W. (2011). Business Ethics. New York: Cengage Learning.

Ferrell, O. C., Fraedrich, J. & Ferrell, L. (2009). Business Ethics: Ethical decision making and cases: 2009 update. New York: Cengage Learning.