Chemistry Assignment/ Civic Engagement

Public Concern

The matter of public interest is the environmental pollution caused by the globalization of business operations. Since there are improved transportation and communications, different companies have expanded their operations to a global scale, especially through outsourcing. However, some of the multinational companies have not observed environmental sustainability in their operations. Environmental sustainability in business operations aims to reduce pollution of the environment as well as reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere (Sodhi & Tang, 2018, p.884). Nevertheless, relaxed environmental laws in some of the countries have contributed to increased atmospheric pollution, especially through the outsourcing of goods from other countries. Therefore, this issue is of public interest since it focuses on how environmental pollution can be reduced amidst globalization of business operations.

Civic Scientific Knowledge

The civic scientific knowledge that relates to the identified issue is environmental protection. The physical environment is a delicate setting that needs proper care to sustain different plants and animal species as well as support the future generation. Therefore, it is the mandate of everyone to promote and encourage activities that would contribute to environmental sustainability. A study by Bahadir (2016, p.166) indicated that countries such as China and India were linked with high levels of greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere. Besides, increased CO2 emissions were associated with the transportation of outsourced goods from other countries to the U.S. (Bahadir, 2016, p.166). This indicates how outsourcing of goods and services from multinational organizations contributes to environmental pollution.

Understanding Environmental Pollution

The above analysis has helped in understanding the context of environmental pollution. Although environmental activists have focused on domestic industries as contributing to increased CO2 emissions, less attention has been given to multinational business operations. The research by Bahadir (2016, p.167) has indicated that some countries could be indirectly contributing to greenhouse gas emissions. For example, if a company in the U.S. outsources goods from China to reduce its operating costs, the burden would be shifted to the organization in China. Their production would emit similar amounts of CO2 that would otherwise be produced by the company in the U.S. Therefore, environmental protection should be an issue that should be addressed on a global scale (Bahadir, 2016, p.166). Also, multinational businesses need to implement environmentally friendly practices to reduce their environmental blueprint.

Environmental Protection

To reduce the incidences of environmental pollution through outsourcing, there should be guidelines that would advance the utilization of items delivered within a specific area (Matthew et al., 2017, p.18). Furthermore, these policies should extend to encouraging the consumption of products that have been produced by organizations observing environmental regulations. For example, multinational companies should be encouraged to partner with organizations that use renewable sources of energy in manufacturing. Regulations like those would encourage multinational organizations to revise their operation policies to include environmentally friendly production. Similarly, the companies involved in outsourcing would comply with global environmental regulations to captivate additional customers.

Moreover, the organizations that outsource products ought to consider introducing measures that would curb environmental pollution. This includes recycling of materials such as plastics and steel to reduce the amount that would otherwise be outsourced (Gurtu, Searcy, and Jaber, 2016, p.96). Such production processes should be conducted from the countries that have stricter environmental laws. This would greatly reduce dependence on the outsourced goods an also encourage the local production. Consequently, the production of goods in a regulated environment would greatly reduce emissions into the atmosphere and promote environmental protection.

References

Bahadir, M.E., 2016. Analysis of the environmental effects of international outsourcing: a study of the iron casting industry. Sci Res Essays, 11(16), pp.160-173.

Gurtu, A., Searcy, C., and Jaber, M.Y., 2016. Effects of offshore outsourcing on a nation. Sustainable Production and Consumption, 7, pp.94-105. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spc.2016.06.001 (Accessed: 31 May 2020).

Matthew, A., E.L.L.I.O.T.T., R.R., Toshihiro, O.K.U.B.O. and ZHANG, L., 2017. The Pollution Outsourcing Hypothesis: An empirical test for Japan. Available at: https://www.rieti.go.jp/jp/publications/dp/17e096.pdf (Accessed: 31 May 2020).

Sodhi, M.S., and Tang, C.S., 2018. Corporate social sustainability in supply chains: a thematic analysis of the literature. International Journal of Production Research, 56(1-2), pp.882-901. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/00207543.2017.1388934 (Accessed: 31 May 2020).