Corporate Social Responsibility (Environmental Science) Essay

Corporate Social Responsibility (Environmental Science) - Essay Example It has been reported that in the last 30 years, nearly 1/3 of world's natural resources have been lost because of corporations' industrial activities. (Friends of earth) The aim of the social responsibility is to effect a higher and higher standard of living while at the same maintaining the profitability of the corporation (Hopkins) Therefore corporate social responsibility involves community, environment, ethics, human rights, responsibility in the market, vision and values, and workforce. We are immediately concerned with the environment. This involves management decision making in respect of production processes that minimise negative impacts on the environment and the costs. Environmental problems have been with us for quite a long time as a result of interaction between man and nature. In modern times, scale of the problems is unique arising from two aspects. One, rapid expansion of the world population and second ever-increasing consumption of energy and material per person in addition to the past-accumulated damage. Environment encompasses all components of our surroundings i.e. the air we breathe, the habitat we dwell in and the food and drinks we take. The energy of milk we drink originates from grass and crops driving force behind which is the solar energy, converted to chemical energy by photosynthesis. In effect the ecology around us has to be preserved. In ecologic point of view, all are interconnected i.e. the waste produced by man pollutes meadows and returned to the mankind by food chain. Different organisms i.e. man and cow compete for the same resources (crops) and one organism (man) acts as predator for another (cow). Environmental care d oes not stop at the national boundaries. Air circulation and river flows having no boundaries and migration of people and animals and large scale import and export of food, impact the environment. Pollution is the direct cause of environmental damage. The pollution may be defined as "addition by man of any substance (solid, gas or liquid) or energy to parts of the ecosystem that ultimately harm or damage man" (Boeker, Grondelle) Global warming and Ozone layer Depletion Global warming is the most dangerous threat to our environment. It occurs due to heat-trapping gases that are sent to atmosphere from our industries (factories), cars and homes. The gases sent up form a blanket forcing more heat to stay trapped near the earth's surface. More heat produces more energy in the atmosphere resulting in extreme weather conditions like droughts, storms and floods. Elsner James, Professor Florida State University on researching the past 135 years of records of Atlantic Sea surface and air temperatures, found a direct link to the intensities of hurricanes and many hurricane researchers affirm that the intensity increased 10 years ago could last for the next 25 to 40 years. (Loney Jim) Another phenomenon now coming under control after two decades of remedial measures is Ozone layer depletion, though it will be by 2049 when the 1980 levels will be restored. (Reuters) Ozone layer being part of the