1. Determine the ethical implications of businesses polluting in a third world country. Explain your rationale.

Third world countries are countries which are often battling with problems such as poverty, famine, pollution, population problems and wars. For these countries it becomes easy to choose poison over poverty making way of getting economic help from developed nations in exchange of the country being used for non ethical business and manufacturing practices that the developed nation itself has banned. Garbage disposal, treating toxic waste, hazardous chemical plants, textiles, smelting are just a few of the operations that a third world country would take up for the developed nations. Countries which have tougher environmental laws and worker safety laws normally end up starting part of their operations in the third world countries (Perkaus, 1995). Companies who have plants in third world countries also manufacture and export goods which might be too hazardous in the developed nation. An example to this is Union Carbine which set up its operation in Bhopal, India. This lead to a catastrophic event referred to the Bhopal Gas Tragedy wherein a number of people were killed due to poisonous gas and effects of which are still seen today in some of the new born. Global players like IBM and Sony have their manufacturing plants in Mexico which have led to creation of severe environmental problems. Some companies which are banned in the developed nations have started vigorously advertising their products in the third world countries. DDTs production and sale is banned in America and Britain for the past three decades but is still sold in the third world countries. Such rampant misuse would lead the third world countries to have major environmental implications such as deforestation, soil erosion, water pollution, extinction among many others.

Tougher environmental laws, an active tough world council for environmental safety is required to govern such cases wherein third world countries are misused. Though many of the third world countries are themselves responsible for allowing companies from developed countries to misuse their environment and put people in jeopardy, they seldom do it by choice but rather compulsion as it makes a way for the government of the third world country to earn some extra money (Perkaus, 1995). Even if such usage is allowed, the developed countries should take up the responsibility for environment cleanup, as the third world countries might not be able to afford such a responsibility. 2. Suggest the reasons a business may conduct operations in a third world country and disregard any standards of pollution control. It is often an easy choice for the business in the developed nations to expand to third world countries, not only making them expand their presence and customer base but also due to other reasons which might be more beneficial in the long run. Capital required to start up operations in a third world country would be less than that of a developed nation making businesses focus on third world countries (Perkaus, 1995). Often these countries are also reeling under financial pressure and a chance to have a business set up its operations wherein money would be injected and population given employment is welcomed with open arms. A cheaper workforce is also a major driving force for businesses to set up their shops in the third world countries. Often the skill set required might not match but the employees can be brought up to speed with regular trainings sessions making them competent enough with their counterparts in the developed nation but less expensive. Laws, such as environmental or workers health and safety laws are often bended to accommodate such businesses as they may lead to more international investments by similar

companies, thus increasing employment and standard of living in the third world countries. Businesses earn huge profits in the third world countries as they often tend to repatriate most of the portion of the revenue to the country of origin, making the need to invest in the third world countries less. However most of these advancements come at the expense of disregarding pollution standards in the third world countries. Businesses often see these countries as a dumping ground rather than a strategic location of importance. This often leads to pollution exports wherein countries export their waste to third world countries rather than process it itself. This is because of the lack of stringent laws for health and safety and environmental protection in these third world countries (Perkaus, 1995). Even if there are some laws to prevent these, often they are broken or bended to accommodate these businesses as they provide economic help to the government of the country. Mexico has been a host to such businesses especially from America wherein lax of stringent laws for environment safety makes it an attractive place for business operations. A survey of 23 such companies sampled, resulted in 17 companies being responsible for significant toxic waste production in Mexico. Even after being accused of toxic waste production and proposing significant health risks to the environment and the population these businesses are let off just with a warning or a petty fine at the most, making them take these third world economies for granted. 3. It has been said that pollution is the price of progress. Assess the connections between economic progress and development, on the one hand, and pollution controls and environmental protection, on the other.

With the increase of industrialization across the globe and the need to enter and expand to different regions for more customer base, less expensive production cost and development, some countries have been exposed to numerous health and safety issues that were not present in the third world countries earlier. As the need to increase the economic value of the country rises, they tend to welcome more and more foreign businesses to setup their manufacturing plants in the country, resulting in employment and an increase in standard of living for its people. However unavailability of tough environment laws, health and safety governance most of these companies tend to exploit their presence by using hazardous materials and dumping toxic waste in the country (Perkaus, 1995). Studies and surveys have showed increase in pollution and related diseases are on a rise on a lot of third world countries where foreign businesses are present. In Africa, lead and mercury exposure to the population is on a constant rise resulting in health issues for the population there. Though the third world countries are in need for the money and the technology capabilities that the foreign businesses bring, they need to understand the long term repercussions that some of these companies might have. Even if the standard of living increases for the population in such countries the cost of living would also increase as more and more people would need to spend on health and safety issues in the future. Tough laws, a sound government and global watchdogs have to be in place to see that these companies and businesses do not exploit the country and its resources in such a way. The price for progress for a country should not result in its citizens being affected by pollution, but unfortunately precedence for progress over pollution, health and safety issues is seen to be a dominant factor in the majority of the third world countries.

4. Support the argument that human beings have a moral right to a livable environment regardless of the country they live in. The United Nations universal declaration of human rights say that a human being, irrespective of the caste, creed, religion, country and culture that he lives in has an equal right to education, civilized treatment and decent living conditions. Living in a healthy society and a livable environment is every human beings right as it makes way for liberty and life without any limitations which are an essential component of the basic natural needs and well being of a human being in general. On one hand everyone has a right for a healthy environment to live in and rely on nature to increase their standard of living, but on the other hand human beings use the same environment that they live in for their personal advantage often at the expense of disregarding the damage they are doing to the ones who are part of that environment (Perkaus, 1995). The need to be myopic rather than thinking of long term repercussions of the decisions that human beings make today should be stopped. Human beings not only have a right to live in a healthy environment but also have an obligation and a responsibility to leave a healthy environment for the future generations to come. Moreover the need to have a cost benefit analysis done on the basis of just money should be avoided (Perkaus, 1995). Though money is useful in meeting our needs and wants, the economic wealth, human wealth and environmental wealth all should be considered as a standard of calculation. 5. Take a position on whether wealthy nations have an obligation to provide poorer nations with, or help them develop, greener industries and sources of energy. Explain your rationale.

Wealthy nations have an obligation to make poorer nations develop greener forms of energy which are sustainable and renewable. Rather than boasting about the amount of aid that a developed country provides it has to take up the responsibility to make sure the poorer nations develop and employ methods and practices which helps its environment. Businesses from these developed countries are increasingly migrating to the third world countries for a cheaper work force and less cost of production (GLUMIN, 2008). However in doing so they tend to create problems for the nations environment by causing pollution and most of the times complete disregard of their moral responsibilities that they were made to follow in their own countries. Rather than seeing third world countries as cheap, inexpensive alternative, the developed nations should see them as partners for a better future and strategic stronghold in the area. They need to provide them the technological capability and the knowhow for them to create energy without leaving a big carbon footprint (GLUMIN, 2008). In doing so not only they gain the confidence of the government and its people in that nation but also make way for them to reciprocate in terms of better infrastructure and government support. 6. Propose a plan for uniform global pollution control standards and how you would enforce them. An overall global pollution control system can be applied only if the standards of its operations are similar across all countries and regions. It should not be so that one thing considered bad for health and safety of the population in one country is being used freely in another country. Global environmental quality standards should be employed to the products that are produced. This standard should be derived from thorough scientific evaluation and should be made mandatory for all to follow (Duch, & Keller, n.d.).

Global emission standards should be employed by all nations. The Kyoto agreement does that to an extent but fails in certain ways as it does not penalize the nation not adhering to the agreement. It is also not complete as there are developed nations which are not a part of the agreement. Micro management is the only way that every country makes sure that all the related companies in the industry follow the standards that are agreed upon. Application of standards should be such that they are not too high to achieve. They should maintain equilibrium in the demands that they make from a company, industry or a country and not make them pay heavily to follow them. They should be made achievable and inexpensive as all countries find it easy to follow them. Making sure that the countries follow permitted norms and standards based upon scientific valuation and calculations is also important in implementing a global standard for pollution control (Duch, & Keller, n.d.). Non adherence of these standards should result in penalty for the company, industry or the country as agreed at the time of agreement. A separate autonomous body should be incorporated to implement and control these measures and practices.

Reference Duch, A.F. & Keller, S. (n.d.). Standards wd. Sustainable sanitation and water management. Retrieved from http://www.sswm.info/category/implementation-tools/waterdistribution/software/command-and-control-tools/standards-wd

GLUMIN. (2008). Promoting Sustainable Industry in the Developing World. Great Lakes

Invitational Confrnce Association. Retrieved from http://glica.org/topics/show/53

Perkaus, J. (1995). EnvironEthics - A Declaration of Interdependence. Retrieved from

http://www.neodot.com/eemscrpt.html