Running Head: BUSINESS AS USUAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

Business as usual and environmental issues

Environmental Issues Final Project Essay

Syed Hassan Ali

Section L

Submitted to:

Ma’am Ayesha Ijaz Cheema

1st May 2019

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Table of Contents
Introduction.................................................................................................................................................3
Hazardous Industries...................................................................................................................................3
Environmental concerns in China................................................................................................................3

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Introduction
Environmental issues can be defined as harmful effects which the environment around us has to
deal with as a result of excessive human activities in the form of business related and industrial
related practices. The actions of human beings are also accountable for environmental
degradation besides natural factors, in this report we would like to examine and analyze how
human activity around the world in the form of businesses and various industries are causing
damage to our planets natural environment.

Hazardous Industries
An hazardous industry can be defined as an enterprise engaged in hazardous process which may
cause adverse effects on the health of the people and the environment unless special care is taken
in relation to its raw material, by products, and waste material. Businesses which are involved in
the production of products such as chemical, petroleum fertilizer, leather, and other similar
substances are referred to as hazardous industries and are classified as the businesses causing
environmental damage. According to the Environment Protection Act of 1986 (EPA), any
industry handling 2 or dealing with hazardous substances may be classified under the category of
a hazardous industry. In the present era of globalization, hazardous industries are playing a vital
role in the economic development and the advancement of the well-being of people but
simultaneously they are causing problems related to human life and the environment especially
in developing countries that face problems like environmental pollution and population growth.
As an example, Environmental issues have been rarely considered in many developing countries
like Sudan over decades. Sudan has been a victim of this when it comes to the implementation of
every new business project. To this day new projects continue to occur without any second
thoughts about the environment. Some of the environmental issues faced by Sudan are as
follows:

 Absence of environmental considerations in the development of new projects; and poor

environmental performance at operating sites.
 Oil industry issues like isolation from governance and scrutiny
 Poor quality water being produced
 Oil spill risks from sea transportation.

Environmental concerns in China

When we look at the country with the largest population in the world, China; its policies on
environmental issues and industrial activities have a worldwide effect on environmental
degradation due to its large population and massive industrial practices. China’s recent rapid
economic growth has come at a cost of damage to the environment. Many factors contribute to
this including government intervention, less care for environmental concerns and development,
no public awareness because of which people are suffering in regards to their overall well-being.
China’s current environmental problems are mainly related to their land, industries, dams,
population, water, and air. The cause for all of these environmental issues is only one entity:
businesses. Chinese businesses and the concept of profit maximization is the reason for all of

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these environmental issues because rapid industrialization is the reason why since the mid 1980’s
China has been facing all of these environmental issues. As an example, in the late 1980s; China
lost millions of cultivated land. This trend continued in the late 1990’s. This was due to
deforestation taking place for the benefit of industrialization. Since China wants to rely on more
fossil fuels for industrial production, pollution from these fossil fuel using industries poses a
huge threat to the environment of China. Every day, more and more energy is being wasted and
industries & factories are releasing and dumping industrial waste which impacts the environment
in a highly negative manner. Contaminated substances are constantly dumped in many Chinese
rivers making the water more impure day by day & unhealthier to consume. Mainly, industries
involved in fossil fuel production are responsible for these contaminated substances being
dumped in the rivers of China. Industries are also responsible for dumping wastewater in the
river because of which the sea levels continue to rise. Unless the Chinese government takes some
action to stop this, this trend is bound to continue.
One of the most criticized projects is the Three Gorges Dam project which was criticized
worldwide. This project had a destructive impact on China’s environment resulting in the loss of
the habitats of many species and several endangered species can experience extinction because
of it. This project also encouraged deforestation which will create even more problems since
deforestation will lead to more carbon dioxide entering the atmosphere directly resulting in
climate change & global warming which is one of the most alarming issues of our time not just
for China but for all human beings on earth. Due to the implementation of this project, forests are
decreasing in China day by day. Plus the flow of water will also be damaged. The figure below
shows the problems caused by the implementation of this project.

The figure above shows that for all toxic waste thrown in rivers, air, noise and water pollution
created, and every other environmental issue, industries are responsible in China for the most
part in the form of thousands of companies not caring for the environment and instead treating it
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like a recycling bin in order to create more money and as long as industries don’t have a
realization of the damage they are causing or if the government of not just China but every other
country does not take strict action to stop this madness, then we risk our entire environment
collapsing and reaching its ultimate demise at the hands of global warming. Countries like China
should serve as sources of inspiration and aspiration for countries worldwide when it comes to
preservation of the environment due to the large size of their population Therefore, hopefully we
can take a stand together and fight this capitalist society to ensure change & the stability of our
mother earth.