One Earth

When I read up on corporate responsibility, most text agrees that pollution and other impact on the environment are no longer considered externalities. As the human population grows to be more informed of our natural environment, we begin to be more responsible over the land we call home. This is more prevalent in developed countries where the industrial phase is at its optimal, unlike developing countries where boosting its economy is their priority. We have to take a circular thinking approach, where linear thinking has to be review over and over to refine the process. When the country decides on boosting the economy and go all out to do it, however when they take the circular approach, they would realize that there are externalities affected, and bring those into consideration.

Sustainability is a worldwide issue, and it is not only reserved for the developed countries. At the rate of human development, it would need 3 to 5 Earth to sustain human activity (source from readings). We only have 1 Earth. The Earth and its inhabitant does not depend on Humans to survive, we depend on them. [video on Life without People] There are several ways in which the government can do its part to enforce some regulations (like the IPP Toolbox) to help sustain the environment, but it would be up to each and every individual organization to adhere to the rules. I believe that education is the most important investment in our time as resources are depleting. When the new generation of people take over, they would be armed with corporate responsibility, and sustaining the environment that we live in. When you teach something very detailed and long enough, the brain will register it and actions will be carried out. See Entry #5 on how memory works by repetition

It is interesting that Japan had always remained the top spot in Asia as a developed country and a technological hub. Previously western countries have always seen themselves superior to Asian countries, until Japan broke the psychological barrier by defeating the Russian in 1903. One of our readings on the “Advantages of Backwardness” by Adam Szirmai from the United Nation University gave an insight on how developing countries have an advantage over their neighbours who are innovation leaders. In class, we discussed on how industrialization by countries like Japan and Korea followed by Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia swept through Asia in different phases or waves. I feel that although backward countries gain from getting knowledge from developed countries without going through the trouble of huge investments, they still don’t stand to gain as much. The reason why it seems alright to be backward now is because the developed countries do not use their advance technologies against the backward countries, like how the conquistador used against the Native Americans. Being the forefront of innovation allows the countries to first use the technology and sell it to other countries, which they would make a break even or even more money they had invested in the first place. Backwardness will always be following, going to whatever direction the leaders pull them to and unable to lead on their own, thus either keeping up or face “elimination” in the economic race. So although being backward gives you some advantages, the benefits of being in the forefront are much more.

One the topic of “should developed countries provide lower class with green technology”, my view is a definite yes. Developed countries should provide the developing countries with green technology so that they have the option to use it or not. If the developing countries can compare from a range of technology they have and if find that the green tech is viable, they can apply it. Looking at the big picture of sustainability, no one gain or lose economically when green tech is given away “for free”, the whole Earth and its inhabitants stand to gain. However the situation is overly ideal (just like communism) and would work if we live in Utopia where free green technology researchers get funding. A solution I would suggest is that every country participating in the Shared Green Technology Program will have to contribute a certain amount from their GDP, and the fund would be used for research and development. Those countries in the program will stand to gain the technology.