For Grenadians to pick up an article name "BP Gulf oil leak: Biggest ever, but how bad?" or even a next article name "Geo-Engineering 'Not a Solution' to sea level rising'. They may ask themselves why they should read articles like these and how is it important to them. The reason why they should read articles like these is to become more aware of how an incident like an oil leak in the Gulf which was caused by BP can affect us as Grenadians to a great extent. In addition, it allows us to become aware of how they and the region of the Caribbean can work as one to combat this incident. It is important to read articles like these two because global issues are present in all areas of our lives which are subjects of concern that surpasses national boundaries. It may not seem so at first but global issues are interconnected. It does not only affect just one nation but it affects all. Global issues cannot be solved by only one nation. It will take many countries to deal with the global issues that are found in the two articles combined.
The people of Grenada are living on an island where there is a possibility that the sea levels can rise which can cause the island of Grenada to be submerged. These three main processes that are responsible for this are thermal expansion, the melting of both the glaciers and ice caps and the loss of ice from the Greenland and West Antarctic ice sheets (NERC n.d). Now, when the people of Grenada read the second article name "Geo-engineering 'Not a Solution' to sea level rising, they will learn about the different approaches scientists are using to try to tackle global warming and some of the major concerns and if something is not done sooner than later the effects rising of sea levels will have on us. The aim of this paper is to discuss three global issues on both a local and global level that are associated with manmade environmental concerns demonstrated by the BP oil leak disaster and the rising sea levels caused by global warming. These global issues are the environment, health and regulations. In addition, this paper will provide recommendations to lessen the impact of these concerns. Therefore, we will use different sources such as news articles, web sources, academic articles and also our personal knowledge and experience to achieve this.
The environment is the circumstances or conditions that surround one surroundings (FreeDictionary, 2010). One may asked why should we be concerned about the environment? People should be concerned since we depend on the environment for its natural beauty, for the food chain and the ecosystem and once it is destroyed it will never be the same. The environment is important to us because our entire life support system is dependent on the well being of all the species living on the earth (O Donnell, 2010). Human and wildlife requires food, water, shelter, cover and habitat space that the environment provides, and most importantly it does so at no cost. The environment of any area is what creates and accommodates business ventures.
Each day we hear about environment issues facing us such as pollution, climate change and the destruction of wildlife and other natural habitat and the disappearance of diverse species of animals and plants. Environmental changes can affect the life of human being, and the successful conducting of business; hence its importance. When we destroyed the environment it can have serious implications for businesses both locally and globally such as a loss of revenue especially in the tourism industry, the agricultural industry, global warming in which we will be more prone to severe natural disasters.
The tourism industry is another industry that may be particularly vulnerable to a change in the environment. Grenada is a tourism destination and is highly dependent on the revenues they received it contributes to over twenty five (25%) of the gross domestic product (Grenada Board of Tourism, 2010). When we destroyed both the ecological and marine aspects of the environment it can have severe implications for the tourism industry such as increasing cost, limiting operations and can also cause a down turn in tourism arrival, which would result in loss of jobs.
Pollution and the rate at which the forests are been cut down have been done at an alarming rate. When we pollute the environment, the pollutant becomes part of the environment because it affects all parts of the environment such as the air, water or soil (Alberta Online Encyclopedia, 2010). When the environment is polluted causing a change in the weather patterns, which will led to rising sea levels and cause intense flooding and hotels that are located near the beaches or in low lying area will suffer severe damage. Climate change can damage crops, making them susceptible to infestations while threatening the food supplies and the exportation of some crops. As a result, farmers would then have to spend more money to buy treatments to fight the infestations of crops. Many persons depend on agriculture for a livelihood and would lose all their money they have invested in the land because the crops would not yield as suppose and many would be out of a job. Grenada had a very severe drought this year which led to the importation of ground provisions from neighboring islands like St. Vincent.
Agriculture is considered to be one of the sectors most vulnerable to climate change and also represents a key sector for international trade. Depending on the location, agriculture will also be prone to water scarcity due to loss of glacial meltwater and reduced rainfall or droughts. Which will also affects production in terms of water retention and nutrients in the soil which will have a spill off effect into trade.
If Grenada continues to be environmentally conscious it can attract investment since many businesses considered the quality of the environment such as low levels of pollution and the natural surroundings to be of critical important when considering where to locate.
When we destroy the environment such as the gulf oil leak that took place in April 2010, it has damage the coastal wetland ecosystems such as mangroves which were particularly vulnerable because they are generally within a few feet from the coast. The mangroves which provides habitat for many species such as fish and shrimp, nesting grounds for birds and also serves as a coastal defense to protect local areas from flooding were not spared of the adverse impacts.
When we take care of our environment it can lead to an increased in productivity since many persons would be healthy because of the fresh air and clean water, not many air borne and water borne disease. There can also be more revenues generated for the country when tourists visit their shores to enjoy the natural sceneries and the clean environment which will lead to more job creation, also decrease in the rate of poverty since many persons would be employed which will contribute significantly to the economic growth of Grenada.
We are the one that need to take care of our planet, by making sure that the ecosystems function in harmony to maintain the balance and the health of the planet and of all living organisms (Thellen Environment, 2001). When we pollute the environment we are destroying the freshwater, endangered species and increasing climate change.
We as humans generate a lot of waste, and most of it can be recyclable. We can separate our waste so that most of it can be used as organic manure or be recycled to be used again. The rainforests should be protected because they are valuable habitat they provide homes for different species of animals and plants. They are also important because they provide us with oxygen and help to regulate the world's climate and oxygen.
Each one of us can do something to aid in the slowing down of the damage because we all have a responsibility to our environment. As the population grows and our way of life changes, we must maintained it in a good state so that our future generation would benefit from the natural resources. Stiffer regulations should be implemented to deal with the perpetrators found littering or destroying our environment and also the businesses should increase their corporate social responsibility by selling reusable materials and disposing of their refuse in a proper manner that would not harm the environment.
Health and the spread of infectious disease example the pandemic H1N1 and the worst ever the Black Death or Bubonic Plague (WHO, 2009). Health is a very important issue globally. The potential public health impacts of a pandemic outbreak are immense. The greatest terrorizations of pandemic viruses are the fatality and or hospitalization rate. Back in 1340 to 1350 the Black Death caused worldwide devastation. The deadly disease swept through the entire of Europe causing millions of death, an estimated 50% of the European population. Sadly enough it was not until some centuries after the deadly virus was totally eliminated (WHO, 2009). For this said reason health is considered, and is of such great importance globally.
The risk of a pandemic illness is important enough to value the commitment of time and resources essential to secure the permanence of business functions. Simpler said, with the occurrence pandemic diseases businesses are affected globally and locally. It is therefore the employer's part to endorse quarantine efficiency, social distancing and/or anticipatory hygiene. In the past pandemics have basically taken place in two or three ways, consequently countries experiences vary differently in relation to the levels of disruption in business operations. The different impacts of health on businesses globally are: (1) out of the country incidence upsetting travel and foreign suppliers; (2) some degree of absenteeism of workers, but with the capacity to maintain almost standard operations; and (3) close to total absenteeism of employees, making it hard to keep operations open, next to possible interruption of utilities and quarantine of facility area (Benson & Cook, 2008).
Grenadian business will experience major disruption levels in terms of the amount of interdependence among a business's operations in Grenada and businesses in other parts of the world where the pandemic is mainly expected to start. Many Grenadian businesses are directly a part of, or directly influenced by, the international economy. These businesses either sell to or buy from various locations in multiple countries. If these countries encounter a pandemic that considerably limits their ability to buy Grenadian products or to transport the goods and services that Grenadian businesses have purchased, then the capacity of Grenadian companies and operations to remain open in Grenada will be reduced or in jeopardy.
Another major global issue in business is regulation. Regulation is a legal requirement and guideline that dictate the operation of businesses across a range of countries (Lee & Skrentny, 2010). Regulation can acquire many forms: legal restrictions publicize by government authorities, self-regulation through an industry such as in the course of a trade association, social regulation (e.g. norms), co-regulation and market regulation (Lee & Skrentny, 2010).
Without regulations we have nothing but pandemonium leading to collapse. Having no laws to regulate our daily lives and commercial transactions means no progress, no investments, and most importantly there will be no justice and crime will increase.
Within business, if we do not have regulations then we will have no thoughtfulness. We will have no accountability for the environment, human beings, and wildlife. We would have a free for all system where the environment, human beings, and wildlife are taken advantage of. Vigilante justice will prevail, and there will be no development. Regulations were the pivotal aspect of both financial institutions and financial markets which were sadly lacking and lead to the collapse and tragedy to financial clientele within the economic sector (Johnson & Neave, 2008). So the financial crisis was evidently as a result of regulations; thus its importance and thoughtfulness worldwide.
So from the above example one can evidently conclude that regulation do impact on business globally and even more so on business here in Grenada. Even if regulation is a vital tool in dealing with the troubles of contemporary industrial economy, most have placed serious burdens on businesses subject to them. Cost of compliance by way of regulations has forced some businesses to shutdown. Regulations have also erected a difficult barrier to entry for new firms. At the same time, others have clashed with others, placing businesses in situations of having to infringe one or the other. In addition, the financial yoke obligatory by the filing of forms, the employing of staff to fill out forms, and the expenditure of changes in ways of operation required by several regulations have for the most part surely added to price rises (Younis, Barhem, Hamidi, Inungu, Prater, & Okeefe, 2009).
Grenadian business will therefore encounter increase in cost or even forced closure as a result of compliance with certain regulation. Companies in Grenada that are anticipating doing international business may be hindered due to regulation; likewise the opposite is very true resulting in protection for small business in Grenada on a whole. Regulation can also create unethical behavior among Grenadian businesses. Last through regulation, businesses in Grenada may face experience a great deal of inflation. For example Value Added Tax (VAT) was implemented in Grenada as a requirement of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The consequences of its implementation included all of the above mentioned impacts of regulation. Evidently the implementation of the VAT was to best serve the interest of the IMF not the Grenadian people or business whose livelihood is at stake.
Rightly so health and regulation are major global issues in business. Both these issues are linked. The occurrence of one more than likely would have been stimulated by the occurrence of the other. Most of the time when there is a health crisis it would have been as a result of regulation. Similarly regulation would have been either lifted or reform as a result to deal with a health issue. The Black Death the worst pandemic disease ever to struck humanity back in 1348 to 1350 (WHO, 2009), very much depicts the linked between health and regulation. According to the world health organization the pandemic virus which started in Central Asia spread throughout the entire continent almost killing half the entire population (75-150 million deaths). Why the disease was allowed to spread and caused such devastating destruction in that great magnitude? Simply, the relevant authorities at the time in charged neglected to properly put key regulations in place to handle or deal with the occurrence of any pandemic viruses.
Are health and regulation together important globally and even here in Grenada, certainly. These two global issues in business, health and regulation if not viewed with a certain level of consideration will produce serious repercussions that are immeasurable. Also as previously analyzed both health and regulation have adverse affects on businesses and their operations here in Grenada and even more so worldwide.
Going into the future one might infer that all is loss as it relates to these two global issues. Mainly due to the fact that we would have been plagued by health and regulation issues for so long and yet much is not being done to combat them. However there are solutions that will assist with the resolving of these global issues. They are:
In terms of health:
Governmental should build upon this existing frame work in developing new regulations in response to an emerging disease threat.
When drafting a pandemic preparation plan, employers should include procedures for handling employees who are sick in the workplace and the implementation of health and hygiene measures, such as remote work strategies and crisis management procedures, to promote social distancing and cut down on transmission risks.
Employers should consider adopting a communicable disease policy and procedures as one of the first planning measures to implement in advance of any potential pandemic.
Companies also should consider addressing their employee travel policies regarding foreign travel.
In terms of regulation:
Established the true source for regulation it stem from: should regulation be implemented from the top and be expected to work its way down and attain effective compliance or should regulation take its root from the very lowest level involved and work its way to the higher level creating understanding and wide spread compliance as it progress to the top. The latter being the more effective and sustainable solution.
Regulatory impact statement: this requires each agency to evaluate, before promulgating a major regulation its cost and benefits.
Achieve balance with regulation: too little regulation against too much of it
Deregulation and reliance on legislation: In the long run, this approach appears to be the least burdensome and most effective alternative.
Reform regulations: it increases the fairness and effectiveness of the regulatory process by requiring agencies to examine carefully the economic and non-economic effects of all major rules before their adoption
International institutions (WHO, World Bank, IMF etc.), Governments, Regulatory Bodies, and Health care providers should come together as one entire unit and use their various resources to combat the major implications of health and regulation that are prevalent in the world today. Do not Just Wing It. Make an impact; allocate more of their resources towards improving health and regulation first locally, then regionally and ultimately globally. But however in doing so it is critical that these international institutions (WHO, World Bank, IMF etc.), act in the interest of the people and businesses affected by these global issues and not in the interest of their personal profitability or financial gains. For it is only in acting in the former manner any real solution to combat these global issues would have been attained.
In order to demonstrate the importance of the three global issues health, the environment and regulations we illustrated the impacts it would have on businesses both locally and globally. The environment is very important for the survival of any business because all aspects of any business depend on it. Health can affect businesses both locally and globally negatively businesses would have difficulty in keeping their operations opened because when workers are sick they will stay from the job which will cause absenteeism. There will also be a major interruption in terms of thee amount of interdependence among business operations in Grenada and businesses in other parts of the world where the pandemic is expected to start. Without proper regulations many businesses would fail because of inflation, unethical behavior and the cost of compliance. We believe that health, environment and regulations are dependent on each other they are all needed to ensure the successful operating of any business whether locally or globally.
