Different businesses have different advantages to us; from access to goods and services to creation of employment opportunities. However, do we ever look at their effects on the environment?

Most of us live the moment forgetting the future. Provided we get what we want today we become satisfied and let the future take care of itself as we commonly say. 

Interesting enough, this future we are careless about, it’s us to feel its heat. Not the heat generated from Mars but one  resulting from our actions.

The impact of a business on the environment should be looked at in terms of today. What happened before has gone with  effects felt acting as a lesson thus the current standards set for any operator. The future on the other hand is dependent on today explaining why today must be treated with caution.

A company that has been emitting carbon to the air or a business that has been littering the market and is claiming to have reduced their pollution rate is only less positive and not positive to the environment as they do not meet the minimum requirements by the environmental body.

The requirements by the environment regulators should not be lowered. Every business and industry must meet those standards to operate. Any that doesn’t should have their licenses revoked or be dealt with as environmental laws state. 

Below describes why some business pollute the environment:

For example, most businesses will have their main goal of operation as making profit. This has to be achieved no matter what. Whether their production releases more carbon in the air, their wastes end up in the water bodies or result in more plastic materials in the country they care not.

This should never be the case. Environmental regulators such as the National Environment Management Authority((NEMA) license businesses having considered the impact of their proposed or ongoing operation on the environment.

 However, these business personells breach the terms of operation in their quest for more profit and end up engaging in actions bringing more harm to the environment. 

This is partially not the fault of NEMA. They may not be aware for some time hence the need of the common person to report via NEMA’s email or social media accounts. However, it is still their fault as they should continually monitor operation of already licensed operators to deal with defaulters if any.

Most countries have imposed a ban on plastic materials and charge fines for those polluting the environment.

However, many just choose to be ignorant maybe to see if the Government is serious on subjecting them to pay the fine or because of the don’t care attitude on them.

The common person unfortunately also cares less stating that it is the role of the Government and environmental institutions who license business operators to monitor their functions and act accordingly. 

Yes , this is true but let us not forget that protection of the environment is a collective responsibility. The government needs us and we need them. We need to take the responsibility by first being responsible for our actions and help the Government identify these defiant business operators.

#letusactnow