Big Business – Big Decisions
Every day, businesses make decisions with significant consequences affecting the environment, the marketplace, and humanity. These seemingly ‘business as usual’ activities disrupt ecosystems and endanger the livelihood of children, adults, and animals.
For many businesses, the choice to take water from a national forest, even during a drought, or to use child labor to manufacture shoes, or worse still, spill the blood of innocent children to mine for diamonds, is necessary to remain competitive and profitable.
My motivation for writing this article is not to blast corporate giants. The truth of the matter is collectively corporations, and individuals do their share to contribute to the detriment of the earth’s precious resources. Each time we choose to overexploit resources in the name of luxury, comfort, convenience, and greed, we create a disadvantage for future generations. We sap the earth of the essential qualities needed for others to enjoy the same or better quality of life that we enjoy today. Simply stated, that’s unethical and irresponsible.
Our demand for natural resources is increasing, while our supply is dwindling due to our lack of social, economic, and environmental consciousness. Thankfully, more companies are doing an ‘about face’ and entering the race toward complete sustainability. I’ve certainly had my moments of enlightenment.