Protecting the Natural Environment in China Through Green Marketing - Essay Example

Richard Brown/8:00 AM Protecting the Natural Environment in China through Green Marketing as an Environmental Management Tool Introduction For businesses to meet their day-to-day needs without incapacitating the ability of future generations in meeting their own needs, they should exhibit sustainable development, which entails human life quality improvement even as they live within the carrying capacity of supporting ecosystems. Natural environment protections in addition to natural resources’ conservation are two main issues in sustainable development. Failure of the government, production firms as well as individuals to preserve natural resources thereby protecting natural environment culminate into severe crises. Of major concern is environmental degradation in China, which has become so severe, resulting in stark aftermaths domestically as well as internationally. Considering that this environmental degradation ensues from China’s massive production, is there anything that the government, production firms and Chinese citizens can do to alleviate this problem? China, in pursuit of little gains, has for a long time overlooked the great benefits of protecting the natural environment, which the country can easily attain by applying Environmental Management tools, particularly ‘Green Marketing’. The problem of pollution in China has shattered all precedents just as the speed and scale of her rise as an economic power is unequalled in history. According to China’s Ministry of Health, public health is reeling and due to pollution, cancer has become China’s number one death cause. Hundreds of thousands of deaths in China every year result from ambient air pollution alone. Often, Chinese cities are wrapped in a noxious gray shroud and of her five hundred and sixty million city dwellers; only one percent breathes air that the European Union deems safe. Environmental wretchedness, which some countries might regard as catastrophic can seem ordinary in China. Examples include children sickened or killed by such local pollution forms as lead poisoning, an algal red tides-swamped coastline in such a way that large ocean sections do not sustain marine life any longer in addition to industrial cities where people seldom see the sun. China is choking on her own achievement and despite her economy having posted double-digit growth rates succession, this growth emanates from a wobbling growth of heavy urbanization and industry, calling for massive energy inputs almost all of which the country obtains from coal, which is the most readily accessible and dirtiest source of energy (Kahn & Yardley 1). In fact, of all China’s energy needs, coal supplies seventy percent and over half of it is used for power generation in power plants – the country’s rainfall composition is a clear reflection of the way she relies on coal combustion for electrical energy generation, over and above heating and cooking at homes. Generally, coal has high sulphur content and it is normally burnt in small stoves or furnaces devoid of pollution controls (Peterson & Ivars 3). In China, coal is predominantly the major acid rain precursors’ emitter, particularly Sulphur dioxide gas. Nitrogen dioxide is another acid gas produced when a mixture of air and fuel becomes hot as in the emissions that come from internal combustion in transportation trucks’ engines, those of commuter cars, sport-utility vehicles and industrial equipment. These two compounds, despite having little effect in low doses, can cause devastating consequences to air in cities with numerous automobiles and factories. Production/business activities, either directly or indirectly, affects the natural environment in numerous ways. While some business/production activities affect the environment through dirt, others affect it through being wasteful and through pollution. Worse still, other production activities are ‘silent destroyers’. One of the ways through which business/production activities affect the natural environment is emissions to air. In industries or in production/businesses, energy is used for driving machinery/engines, transportation of goods and business travel, among others. During these processes, there is the emission of carbon dioxide and other oxides of sulphur and nitrogen and their particulates into the air, which result into air pollution, acidic precipitation and climatic alterations (Sainsbury 1). Other sources of emissions to air include refrigeration of products in transit and on sale and air conditioning that leads to climatic change and ozone layer depletion; and industrial manufacture of own-brand products that leads to emission of carbon dioxide and other volatile organic compounds thereby causing climatic changes. There is also the sale of fuel to customers, which leads to emission of sulphur and nitrogen oxides that react and cause acid rain; agricultural production, which leads to emission of methane gas thereby causing climate change; and organic waste to landfill sites, which produces methane, a climate change causative agent. Others include agricultural activities such as the use of chemicals in farms; use of portable water in cleaning stores, production halls, vehicles, toilets and other surfaces – this water requires energy for supply leading to the emission of acid rain-causing gases, among others (Sainsbury 1). Green Marketing is one of the Environmental Management tools that the Chinese government, business/production companies and the populace in general should apply in order to decrease negative environmental impacts. According to Herbigandsons.com, Green Marketing refers to the marketing of services and products that are environmental friendly and that make their marketers ‘environmentally responsible’. Green marketing began in Europe in the early 1980s when companies began the sale of ‘green products’ such as new types of disposable diapers, batteries, aerosols, detergents among other environmental friendly products. This kind of manufacturing quickly spread and soon reached other parts of the world, with Europe leading the way. In Italy for example, Fiat, one of the first European lead-free fuel car manufacturers, leads the world in ‘Green’ cars. Beginning 1970s, Fiat has been recycling eighty percent of its factory waste (Herbigandsons.com 10&11). Green marketing, compared with the traditional marketing, has two features. To start with, it is the higher stage of marketing and the unavoidable development propensity. Green marketing pursues social efficiency, the economic efficiency in addition to the ecology advantage; it emphasizes the protection of the environment and considers sustainable development as the core. Secondly, carrying out green marketing takes long and therefore, the enterprise cannot be defined as the only strength. The application of green marketing requires multi-strengths, particularly in the early stage. Green marketing’s characteristics and implication has determined that its development must obtain backing from four strengths, which make up a dynamical system, impelling its development. These four strengths include the enterprise, the customer, the government in addition to environmental protection non-government organization respectively (Hai-e 1149). A product or a package is considered Green if it is less toxic, if it is made of recyclable materials, if it contains reusable materials and if it is more durable. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission dispensed a set of advertising guidelines known as Guides for the Use of Environmental Claims, which define a green product as one that has less raw material and high-recycled content such as aluminium cans; remanufacturing capability; low energy consumption during production, use and/or disposal; and non-toxic material/non-polluting manufacture such as de-inking solvents. The guidelines also define a green product as one that has minimal packaging if any; refillability/reuse when possible; no unnecessary animal testing and no impact on protected species; disassembly system/post-consumer collection; long useful life; and upgrading capabilities (Herbigandsons.com 2). According to The Union of concerned Scientists, China gets her electricity from fossil fuels’ combustion, which is a major cause of acid rain and global climate change. Green marketing provides more environmental friendly energy sources. Going green necessitates taking measures that aid in the conservation of the natural environment. It provides humanity with various choices that help them keep away from leaving environmentally harmful footprints in their everyday activities. Such choices include making adjustments on their mobility by using public transportation instead of personal cars, using trains instead of flying, reduced carbon dioxide and sulphur dioxide emission by using other energy sources in place of oil, biking and walking, using renewable energy such as wind energy, solar power, geothermal energy, bio energy and hydroelectric power. Given the high fuel prices and worst smog conditions leading to environmental pollution in China, going green is a significant consideration. The Chinese government is lately working hand in hand with manufacturers in an endeavour to reduce the emission levels of gases that harm the environment and other acid rain-causing pollutants. For instance, Shanghai GM is taking up a strategy for green marketing for China to embrace the fact that state-of-the-art fuel-efficient technologies such as low emission car are deemed significant. The green marketing program by Shanhgai GM involves ensuring that two of their systems have the most excellent fuel-economy ratings in their class, ensuring the use of water-based paints in the production of all of their products, as well as ensuring that all of them meet the emissions standards by Euro-4. This program will run up to the year 2012 (Just-auto.com 1-3). Although some companies in China have began paying attention to green marketing from service, production, consumer needs, marketing, packaging, advertising, pricing and other green transformation aspects; a great number of companies are still not applying it. It is important to note that alone, the government and manufacturers cannot bring a solution to the problem. Individuals too have a great role to play and they can take many small steps in assisting in the reduction of nitrogen oxide, sulphur among other harmful gases in the air. Their biggest contribution in this matter is energy conservation. Conclusion The need for the Chinese government, production firms as well as individual citizens to embrace the responsibility of protecting the natural environment for the sake of the country’s future generations can never be overstated. ‘Green Marketing’ is an invaluable Environmental Management tool. It is the country’s answer to not only a cleaner and sustainable energy system but also sustainable development. Works Cited Hai-e, Li. Current Situation and Movement of Green Marketing in China – Analyze its Resources and Performance. 2010. Web. Herbigandsons.com. Chapter 14: Green Marketing. n.d. Web. Just-auto.com. China: GM adopts green marketing strategy. 2008. Web. Kahn. Joseph., Yardley, Jim. As China Roars, Pollution Reaches Deadly Extremes. 2007. Web. Peterson & Ivars. Acid Rain in China. 1978. Web. Sainsbury, J. Corporate Responsibility Report: Performance in Detail: Environment: Effects register. 2005. Web. Union of concerned Scientists. Buy Green Power. 2009. Web. Read More