At present, society needs to analyze the situation we face with respect to both renewable and non-renewable resources, since, as is well known, non-renewable resources are those that are formed very slowly and are not formed in a way. natural in the environment, such as oil, coal, natural gas, etc. Based on the perspective of society, resources are not renewable when their consumption rate exceeds the replacement or recovery rate, for example fossil fuels, which are formed very slowly, which means that when used, These cannot be regenerated, in addition to the fact that this type of material produces waste that poses serious problems of contamination through toxic gases, radioactivity, etc.
Thus, humanity is facing an ecological crisis of great magnitude, due to the fact that endless activities carried out by human beings have caused the biodiversity that surrounds us to gradually deteriorate. There are various types of environmental impacts, but fundamentally they can be classified, according to their origin, into those caused by:
- The use of natural resources, whether renewable, such as forestry or fishing; or non-renewable, such as oil or coal extraction Pollution. All projects that produce any waste (dangerous or not), emit gases into the atmosphere or discharge liquids into the environment. Occupation of the territory. Projects that, by occupying a territory, modify the natural conditions by actions such as clearing, soil compaction and others.
Problems such as the hole in the ozone layer, the increase in greenhouse gases, the loss of biodiversity, the depletion of both renewable and non-renewable resources, the cutting down of large areas of jungles and forests, the excessive exploitation of marine resources, among others. Therefore, although in some way it is impossible to revoke these damages, it is possible to minimize the environmental impact on our surroundings through strategic measures.
Among the main causes of these phenomena, we can mention the CFC (chlorofluoro-carbide1) emissions, which were produced essentially in industrialized countries and their most severe effects are perceived and will be perceived in the areas closest to the poles; the amount of greenhouse gas emissions correlates to a large extent with the level of development of countries, which do not have to be the most affected by drastic changes in the climate or by rising sea levels, etc.
Existe además una lucha por la apropiación de los recursos, hoy en día, recientes guerras ilustran de forma dramática e inhumana de la adicción al petróleo del sistema económico actual; pero cabe mencionar que también el agua dulce es un bien progresivamente más escaso y, por tanto, cada vez más estratégico. Por lo que de la misma forma existe una lucha por la apropiación de las cuotas de pesca, los bosques, las semillas, la biodiversidad en animales y plantas, etc.
It is sad to observe that most of society recognizes the existence of the large number of environmental problems and the conflicts that derive from them, however, not enough is done to achieve a good identification and analysis of their causes, thus as well as the creation of possible solutions to face the consequences. In some way it is considered evident that the ecological crisis is a sociable consequence in relation to the dynamics of the economic system. And it is that the economy is not understood as what it is, a subsystem within the global ecological system, but as a whole that must govern all aspects.
Making that in this sense natural resources and even people, do not come to be seen more than as resources to increase production, consumption and, finally, profits. Moving from an economy at the service of well-being, to a logic in which citizens and the environment should be at the service of the economy, for example, cases of prestigious multinational companies that produce their products with the use of child labor or the fact of practicing excessive fishing in certain marine areas, which undoubtedly entails great immediate benefits for the fisherman, but in the medium and long term it can represent the disappearance of species in the area, completely affecting an entire food chain.
The way in which the economy grows is remarkable, but the destruction of the environment grows more, because all activity will always represent several dimensions, giving way to innumerable repercussions that can be generated both in the long term and in the short term, on Everything, because the consequences of many economic activities are not limited only to those who decide to carry them out, but affect third parties, which may be unknown even from other continents, from other cultures.
The environmental impacts of an economy are one of the clearest examples: the pollution that affects third parties that neither emit gases because they do not have a car, nor do they sell or consume; depletion of resources due to waste that will affect future generations who will not have these resources, etc. Practically all the environmental impacts mean a cost, whether explicit or not, which society as a whole has to face without corresponding, damaging the quality of life, the pockets of homes, etc.
As a nation, we have a great advantage, since Mexico is a very rich country in terms of natural resources, although sadly the vast majority of society is unable to observe and value all that wealth that is around it, as well as the great potential for great development. Likewise, there is a wide range of technological advances that allow the generation of renewable energies, such as wind and solar, which are considered as a feasible solution for the benefit of various sectors, to mention an example, for the industrial sector, this type of energies give the opportunity to contribute to a great saving of energy, improvement in the quality of technology and infrastructure,more efficient production processes and at the same time become an attractive market for nations that care about the conservation of the environment and social welfare.
Throughout history, a great change has been witnessed in various daily aspects, we can analyze from very complex cases to situations that may be considered irrelevant, however, lately the changes are more notable and are appearing faster, for example It is the basic products for human consumption, food, which are of vital importance, where the cultivation of corn in Mexico can be mentioned, a product that has aroused great interest, since it was in 2008 when the tax reduction process was concluded tariff for imports of grain from the United States and Canada, agreed in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
This deepened the controversy about the impact that said tax relief had on the national agricultural sector, which made it necessary to expand the information on the conditions in which the productive and commercial activities of corn were carried out in Mexico and the world. Consequently, due to changes with respect to the behavior of production, imports and exports, as well as national prices of products, it can be observed that a social impact has also been generated that has resulted in the increase price, income level and the market for corn.
As is well known, in recent years ethanol began to be implemented as an alternative fuel in the international market, which is produced from the fermentation of sugars found in products such as corn, wheat, sugar cane, beetroot, among others. In the main places where this bioenergetic is produced in Latin American countries through the fermentation of sugar cane, and in the United States through corn, wheat or soybeans.
It is for this reason that various analysts have come to the conclusion that the demand for greater production of biofuels derived from corn in the world, mainly in the United States, has led to a high increase in the price of corn in the international context and that of the tortilla in Mexico. It is worth mentioning that only in the United States, the trend of greater demand for ethanol has led to the allocation of a quarter of the total corn crop for the production of this alternative fuel. This country, which is paradoxically one of the major oil producers, must import around 60% of this hydrocarbon in order to supply its huge industrial and automotive sector.
However, this situation does not end there, since the growing demand for corn in the world is not only due to the need to produce bioenergetics, since part of the harvest is also for agricultural and industrial use (such as the production of textiles in Japan), which will make the availability of this grain in foreign trade decrease even more, a situation that would greatly affect Mexico, adding the close relationship that it has with the United States country in the economic aspect, is In other words, the increase in domestic corn prices is a reflection of international prices determined mainly by the United States.
Another factor that can also influence the greater demand for corn in the international context has been the consumption of this grain more and more. China has produced almost a billion gallons of ethanol, while India generated half a million gallons, albeit from sugar cane. Likewise, France, the most advanced country in the European Union promoting the use of ethanol, produced close to 200 million gallons of this biofuel through beets and wheat. Approximately, world ethanol production has only displaced around 2% of total gasoline consumption, so the market for this bioenergy represents strong growth potential, which in turn would translate into higher demand for corn which unfortunately it would push the price higher,directly affecting the international inflationary level.
Analyzing another relevant product, we can find oil that is a strategic product for Mexico, since it is the fundamental basis of its economy, public finances, industry, technological development, trade balance, and an important factor in its relations with the globalized world, in particular with the United States. But, even more, it has been a determining element for the consolidation of Mexico as a national state and as a country with an emerging economy, with a medium level of development.
For ideologues and political analysts, it is and has been a fundamental topic of discussion whether or not oil has been a beneficial element for the country's development. But in any case, what is clear is that oil has been decisive in the life of Mexico since the first decades of the 20th century, because we require energy to grow and to increase our quality of life, being 90% of the Primary energy consumed from hydrocarbons.
Oil spills and their derivatives are one of the main destructive agents of aquatic ecosystems. The hydrocarbons, many of them highly toxic, damage an infinity of living beings, an effect that is reflected in the processes of the food chains, since from the plankton to the fish, an accumulation of toxins begins until a Predator or a super-predator, such as man may well be, they get to consume said fish, which causes these toxic agents to enter their bodies.
Most of these cases are the result of negligence by oil transportation companies that use ships in very poor condition and that do not meet the minimum safety requirements to avoid accidents. Likewise, the sinking of large supertankers causes oil slicks with almost always fatal consequences for marine life. The Mexican nation for a long time, until now, has total dependence on oil, so it is necessary to start developing strategies to improve the situation of oil infrastructures, in order not to put our waters at risk, from the flora to fauna.
Taking into account, the large amount of damage and alterations that are generated due to human intervention within natural processes, it is considered that in order to confront this situation, one must go hand in hand with ethics, in order to put in practice principles that allow creating greater environmental value, such as ecological literacy, having enough knowledge about the possible scenarios of decision making in order to choose the best option, using intuition to collaborate with nature and discover at his side the secrets of sustainability, as well as an ethics of the integration of time to respect the past, together with the present and the future, analyzing what we want to leave to future generations.
Applying the ecological principle of thinking globally and acting locally would address the serious problem of environmental degradation, since for example, tropical forests control the flow of water and protect watersheds for farmers who grow food for more than one billion people. people, regulate the climate and produce oxygen, supply hardwoods and fuelwood, are home to villages, and host unexplored genetic resources.
That is the beauty of the great correlation that exists in each element present in the environment, where different beings are present and their conservation is necessary for the maintenance of the balance of the biological cycles, which each generation has found at the moment of birth and it will leave at the time of death for the generational change, that is, it must be considered that the planet is not the property of any generation. So it is time for humanity to embrace a new ethic, and for each individual to have the intelligence and courage to face himself and admit his own responsibility for the situation of each living creature.
Environmental education is a tool that must be implemented more and more, since its main function is to ensure that everyone knows how important the environment is and what it can contribute to prevent its deterioration, so it is essential that the the way ecosystems function and current problems. The school can be one of the best spaces to learn to clarify the value system that is hidden behind an environmental intervention. Hence, in the case of schools, environmental education should not be a device for the transmission of predetermined values; The objective of environmental education, in relation to the issue of values, in our opinion, is to allow the educational community to advance in the construction of behaviors,criteria and behaviors towards the sustainability of a given society, without losing sight of the planet as a whole. So that at the moment of having this knowledge the feeling of protectionism arises, however, the awareness process is very slow, since this type of teaching is limited to being taught in schools and not in all places, so it is necessary make adults be part of environmental education so that the entire population as a whole can collaborate in the conservation of nature.so it is necessary to make adults be part of environmental education so that the entire population as a whole can collaborate in the conservation of nature.so it is necessary to make adults be part of environmental education so that the entire population as a whole can collaborate in the conservation of nature.
Based on the need to promote the environmental movement, various agencies and development plans have emerged to minimize these contingencies, for example, as a result of the enormous deterioration of the environment suffered by our planet in the last half of the 20th century, the first Conservation groups, which over the years expanded to become in some countries a citizen movement that has managed to unite and political parties, called GREEN, such as the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), campaigns with strong advertising support that generate controversies carried out by Greenpeace for the protection of a wide range of species found to be threatened,The Brundtland report (UN in 1987) defined sustainable development or sustainable development as one that manages to satisfy current needs without compromising the possibilities for future generations to do so, fighting against environmental imbalances.
Undoubtedly, these types of organizations are important, as they constitute the spearhead of the conservation movement, being mostly the first to denounce the numerous attacks that nature suffers, in addition to serving as forums where new alternatives are discussed and presented to the growing problems facing the planet.
Movement to which a large number of companies have joined today, calling themselves Socially Responsible Companies, which translates into the commitment to a new way of managing and doing business, in which the company ensures that its operations are sustainable in the economic, the social and the environmental, recognizing the interests of the different groups with which it relates and seeking the preservation of the environment and the sustainability of future generations.
Focusing on a business vision that integrates respect for people, ethical values, the community and the environment with the management of the company itself, regardless of the products or services it offers, the sector to which it belongs, its size or nationality, which means that the awareness of said problem is becoming more and more noticeable, with the purpose of having greater control over the exploitation of resources, as well as in the management of waste. Therefore, in various legislations, various regulatory measures have been created, such as the use of packaging and containers that do not harm the planet, either by manufacturing products that reduce their environmental effects compared to their competitors,as well as in companies that have a strong commitment to reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
There are various alternatives that companies can implement, among which we can mention: the promotion of the development and diffusion of technologies that are harmless to the environment, which is a long-term objective for companies and must address both administrative and management functions. organization research. These environmentally friendly technologies are those that protect the environment, are less polluting, use all resources more sustainably, recycle their products and waste, and dispose of residual waste more acceptably than those technologies they now replace.. Environmentally friendly technologies are not individual technologies, but a system as a whole that includes training, procedures, goods, services and equipment,as well as organizational and administrative processes, which make it possible to reduce the use of finite resources and use existing resources more efficiently. The storage, treatment and disposal of waste is productive in financial, environmental and social terms, since it generates less waste and waste. Therefore, avoiding the environmental impact through pollution prevention and the design of ecological products increases the efficiency and, above all, the competitiveness of the company and can also lead to new business opportunities. In a factory, technology improvement can be achieved with four basic principles:which allow reducing the use of finite resources and using existing resources more efficiently. The storage, treatment and disposal of waste is productive in financial, environmental and social terms, since it generates less waste and waste. Therefore, avoiding the environmental impact through pollution prevention and the design of ecological products increases the efficiency and, above all, the competitiveness of the company and can also lead to new business opportunities. In a factory, technology improvement can be achieved with four basic principles:which allow reducing the use of finite resources and using existing resources more efficiently. The storage, treatment and disposal of waste is productive in financial, environmental and social terms, since it generates less waste and waste. Therefore, avoiding the environmental impact through pollution prevention and the design of ecological products increases the efficiency and, above all, the competitiveness of the company and can also lead to new business opportunities. In a factory, technology improvement can be achieved with four basic principles:Therefore, avoiding the environmental impact through pollution prevention and the design of ecological products increases the efficiency and, above all, the competitiveness of the company and can also lead to new business opportunities. In a factory, technology improvement can be achieved with four basic principles:Therefore, avoiding the environmental impact through pollution prevention and the design of ecological products increases the efficiency and, above all, the competitiveness of the company and can also lead to new business opportunities. In a factory, technology improvement can be achieved with four basic principles:
- Changing manufacturing processes or techniques: Making advanced changes that require research and development, rather than making simple modifications Changing materials: For example, using less industrialized materials that are less toxic Making changes to products: For example, changing solvents by water-based paints. Reuse materials: Separating, treating and recovering useful materials from waste.
Environmental pollution shows that the current economic and commercial system represents a threat to the stock of many non-renewable natural resources, so it is necessary to take measures by governments in conjunction with societies and organizations in favor of biodiversity, to promote legislation according to the situation we are currently facing, becoming aware of the importance of caring for the environment in order to change certain patterns of life that generate irrevocable environmental consequences, mainly for the new generations.
There are an infinity of causes that impact the price of raw materials, however, among these the following stand out:
- Adverse climatic conditions that are currently suffered worldwide, which affects the normal cycle of crops known to man, since the percentage of fertile land is decreasing every time, which generates poor conditions for producers. that generates a notable volatility in prices due to the manipulation that can be exercised in the demand.Due to the close relationship that exists between Mexico and the United States, the greater impact of the price increase in this country will directly affect the Mexican nation in increasing its internal production costs.
It must be considered that the planet is no longer an inexhaustible source of resources and that its exploitation must be considered in the medium-term future and not focus only on the present. Therefore, it is essential to practice a global policy and approach in matters such as deforestation, the destruction of the ozone layer and waste treatment.
Bibliography
- http://www.cinu.mx/www.cemefi.org/esr/http://www.semarnat.gob.mx/Enciclopedia Master of the Student: Volume 6 - Ethics, Social behavior and Ecology; Thema Equipo Editorial, SA
