Examine the Claim That Our Environment Is Ruined by Greed. Essay

Words: 1351
Pages: 6

Examine the claim that our environment is ruined by greed.

As societies begin to transform and people in many parts of the world grow in affluence, many start to view the pursuit of material goods as a worthy goal. Consumers of today have ever-changing preferences in all aspects and are almost never content with what they possess currently, always searching for another more technologically advanced gadget, or more fashionable handbag. People's desires for more are seemingly insatiable. Wants are more than often deemed as needs and this habit of man can only mean trouble for our environment. The more we crave for what is beyond necessity, the more our environment is degraded to quench our thirst. The production of our "needs" devours the
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As countries slowly begin to encourage more environmentally friendly practices using policies such as carbon emissions trading and laying down more stringent environmental regulations, firms are motivated by their greed to discover greener methods in order to increase their profits. Many companies now paint their products with solvent-based paints. By switching to water-based paints, these businesses not only eliminate toxic wastes in their production but also speed up the time taken to get their product to the market and avoid long term liabilities associated with toxic waste disposal. Solvent-based paint is only one of many environmentally friendly methods that have been discovered which not only reduce the amount of damage done to the environment but also benefitted profit driven firms. Hence, in the pursuit of more profits, many firms have switched to cheaper and greener methods of production, reducing the destruction of our environment. Thus it is not true that our environment is ruined by greed.

Furthermore, firms can capitalize on the trend of consumers wanting to purchase environmentally friendly products so as to earn more profit. According to recent research conducted in America, 15 percent of consumers routinely pay more for green products and another 15 percent seek green products if they do not cost more. This will lead to more firms taking the time and money to develop such green products to entice