Greenhouse Gas Emission Scenario - Research Paper Example

Greenhouse Gas Emission Scenario Introduction The increase in the level of Greenhouse Gas emissions both through the activities conducted on the business and commercial front is observed to generate significant impacts on the social, environmental, health and economic parameters along the different global regions. The discussion relating to the emission levels of Greenhouse Gases, their impacts on the business and domestic operations and ways of countering such impacts would be potentially conducted through reflecting on a case of a chemical company like Dow operating in United States. Further general discussions would also be generated relating to the study of the emission levels of greenhouse gases pertaining to United States to help build increasing awareness. About Dow Dow is a chemical company based in United States that focuses on the integration of needed passion and innovation to help generate chemical products needed for development and progress of humanity. The company focuses on the integration of concepts related to chemistry and innovation to help generate sustainable solutions to address the growing problems relating to the demand of clean water sources, generation and conservation of renewable energy sources and also aims in enhancing the productivity related to agricultural activities. Dow is a public limited company listed in the New York Stock Exchange (The Dow Chemical Company, 2014). Greenhouse Gas Emissions Emissions of specific gasses from vehicles, manufacturing, supply chain and logistics operations like Carbon Dioxide, Methane, Nitrous Oxide and other Fluorinated gases that render harm to the earth’s atmosphere by damaging the Ozone layer is identified as Greenhouse Gas Emission. Gasses identified in the above accord are termed as greenhouse gases such that they tend to trap the heat generated by the sun within the earth’s atmosphere thereby contributing to the growth of heat. Greenhouse gases like Carbon Dioxide is emitted to the atmosphere through the burning of different types of fossil fuels like coal, tree and wood products, oil and petroleum resources and also by the conducting of certain chemical reactions. Carbon Dioxide emitted from these different sources is naturally cleared up through the carbon cycle of plant species (Casper, 2010). Similarly, Methane as a greenhouse gas is observed to be emitted in terms of transport conducted based on the use of coal, oil and also based on the use of natural gas resources. Methane is also observed to be generated by the decomposition of natural and organic wastes. Nitrous Oxide gains emission from the activities related to industrial and agricultural front. It is also emitted from the burning of fossil fuels and other waste products. Finally gases relating to Hydroflourocarbons (HFCs) and other Fluorinated gases that are generated from different industrial processes and also from the running of refrigerators and air conditioners. Estimates carried out during 2012 reflect that around 82 percent of the greenhouses gases relate to Carbon Dioxide followed by Methane, Nitrous Oxide and Fluorinated gases (United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2014). The same is reflected in the following diagram. (United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2014) Causes of Emissions of Greenhouse Gas Effect The causes or factors that amount to the emergence of Greenhouse Gas effect in different countries can be enumerated as follows. It is observed that human activities tend to be significantly contributed in the large scale emission of greenhouse gases in developed countries like United States. In United States, the activities are related to the generation of electricity, logistics and transportation activities, real estate activities pertaining to residential and commercial, agricultural activities and also the clearing of forests for generation of arable land (Sedorovich, 2008). Generation of electricity from a large amount of fossil fuels like burning of coal and natural gas and also conducting of transportation activities through use of fossil fuel and petroleum resources tend to contribute to the growth of greenhouse emissions. Production, manufacturing, residential and commercial and also the rearing of livestock, account for the generation of greenhouse gasses in United States. The percentage contribution of each of the above factors to the greenhouse emissions in United States is reflected as follows. (United States Environmental Protection Agency , 2014-a) Trend analysis of the greenhouse emission levels reflect that from 1990 the rise in the emission levels of greenhouse gases is observed to rise by around 5 percent at the end of the 2012 period. The rise in the emission levels of greenhouse gases is observed to gain a little reduction during the 2012 periods compared to that of the 2011 periods owing to change in practices relating to use of carbon fuels like coal and natural gas. Increased switchover to the use of conservational energy sources is observed to largely contribute in the reduction of the greenhouse gas emissions. Moreover, increased focus on the evaluation of carbon footprints generated from the conducting of industrial and commercial operations is also observed to help potentially in the reduction of greenhouse gas emission levels in the region. The trend analysis discussed above is reflected in the following diagrammatic representation. (United States Environmental Protection Agency , 2014-a) Relating to Dow the evaluation of the greenhouse emission levels along the different periods is taken to help contribute in the designing of effective supply chain and logistics operations that would contribute in the potential reduction of greenhouse gases from the production and logistics operations conducted in the company. Similarly, different modes of transport like trains, ships, air and road are blended and prioritized depending on the distance required for the merchandises to travel to help reach the end consumers. Incorporation of different types of transportation and logistics activities is taken to help the management body of Dow in reflecting potential control over the Greenhouse Gas Emission levels. The Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emission levels recorded relating to the different modes of transportation used by the company is reflected as follows. (Weintritt, Fernandes, & Anand, n.d.) The blending of the different types of transports and logistics frameworks effectively contribute in reducing dependency on a single mode like air transport and use of trucks. Planning of the use of transport facilities depending on the distance to be traversed, thus, generates the potential of the company in rightly reducing the emission levels of Greenhouse Gases. Effect of Greenhouse Gas Emissions The impact of emissions of Greenhouse Gases on the natural environment and the human society are observed to be of manifold types. Relating to the natural environment it is observed that the increased emission levels of Greenhouse Gases is taken to enhance the global temperature in an annual fashion which is accounted to be one of the major factors of global warming. Further the rise in the level of global warming is also accounted for the melting down of the glaciers in the Polar Regions such that the same enhances the water level of the seas and oceans thereby amounting to rise of floods. Again the rise in the earth’s temperature is also observed to significantly contribute in the growth of storms and rise of frequent heat waves in different regions around the globe (Bally, 2010). Finally, the rise in the global temperatures is taken to considerably affect the natural habitat of several species around the world thereby becoming the cause of their extinction. On the social front the emergence of global warming is taken to affect the living conditions of the people residing along the northern territories like Canada. Similarly increase in the event of global warming potentially affects the living conditions of the young and the old people along different global regions. Further the increase of global warming is also observed to potentially contribute in the growth of viruses and diseases thereby causing death and decay of larger social communities. Significant rise in temperatures is also observed to be the potential factors causing dehydration and strokes and also help in the rise in different air and water borne diseases. On the economic front the rise in abrupt temperatures and also deterioration of potential weather conditions is taken to affect the growth of tourism and also other recreational activities thereby affecting the revenue gained from such. Similarly rise in water levels in different regions is held to potentially affect the infrastructural strength of the different regions thereby affecting the movement of transport and logistics operations of the business organizations. Likewise, the rise in health hazards relating to different communities is observed to contribute in the rise of health and medicinal costs relating to the different regions (Government of Canada, 2013). Ways of Managing Greenhouse Gas Effect To counter the above impacts relating to rise of greenhouse gas effect leading to global warming conditions, the need to take resort to the use of non-conventional energy sources is reflected to be a significant initiative in both saving the use of natural resources like coal and oil and in reducing the emission levels of GHG. Similarly, both at the domestic and commercial level the use of non-CFC generating gadgets relating to air-conditioners and refrigerators is taken to be used which in turn would contribute in helping counter the reduction of emission levels of Greenhouse Gases and thereby helping in saving the environment (Toriyama, 2005). Relating to the case of Dow it is observed that the company management aims in strategizing its supply chain operations both relating to the tactical and strategic level to generate competitive advantage in terms of reducing operational costs and also in reducing the emission levels of Green House Gases. The change in the supply chain operations that ought to be brought about by the organization is reflected in the following diagram. (Weintritt, Fernandes, & Anand, n.d.) The management of Dow in its bid to reduce the level of Greenhouse Gas emissions is also observed to effectively link its strategic framework with that of the tactical and business objectives such that the same contributes in potentially helping in the reduction of emissions of Greenhouse Gas. Linking of the operational and business objectives with the strategic frameworks rightly contributes in monitoring the level of Greenhouse Gas emissions (The Dow Chemical Company, 2014). Conclusion Emissions of different types of gases like carbon dioxide, nitrogen gases and other fluorinated gases are being continually emitted to the atmosphere in terms of the emission levels from automobiles and other manufacturing and logistics related activities. The continual emissions of gases like carbon dioxide and other harmful nitrogen gases is observed to be detrimental to the social, natural, ecological and economic environment of the different regions. Incidence of global warming spread because of the insurgence of greenhouse gas emissions is held responsible for the spreading of undue havoc in the form of floods, storms and health miseries. The paper reflects on the case of a chemical company based in United States, Dow, such that it reflects on the requirement for changes in the strategic and tactical decisions relating to supply chain so that it aims to contribute in the reduction of GHG emissions. References Bally, L. (2010). Economic Effects of Legislation to Reduce Greenhouse-Gas Emissions. United States : DIANE Publishing. Casper, J. K. (2010). Greenhouse Gases: Worldwide Impacts. United States : Infobase Publishing. Government of Canada. (2013, July 11). Impacts of Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Retrieved September 12, 2014, from http://www.ec.gc.ca/indicateurs-indicators/default.asp?lang=en&n=D4C4DBAB-1 Sedorovich, D. M. (2008). Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Agroecosystems: Simulating Management Effects on Dairy Farm Emissions. United States : ProQuest. The Dow Chemical Company. (2014). About Dow. Retrieved September 12, 2014, from http://www.dow.com/ The Dow Chemical Company. (2014). Environment. Retrieved September 12, 2014, from http://www.dow.com/benelux/en/sustainability/report/dow-in-the-benelux/environment.htm Toriyama, K. (2005). Rice is Life Scientific Perspectives for the 21st Century. United States : Int. Rice Res. Inst. United States Environmental Protection Agency . (2014, August 21). Sources of Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Retrieved September 12, 2014, from http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/ghgemissions/sources.html United States Environmental Protection Agency. (2014, April 15). Overview of Greenhouse Gases. Retrieved September 12, 2014, from http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/ghgemissions/gases.html Weintritt, D., Fernandes, A. K., & Anand, P. (n.d.). DOW Greenhouse Gas Emission Scenario Study1. Retrieved September 12, 2014, from https://www.inkling.com/read/supply-chain-logistics-management-bowersox-4th/cases/case-13-dow-greenhouse-gas Read More