Environment and business have always interacted together and will always continue to do so in the future. However, the way how they interact has constantly changed as the human civilizations developed.

In the past decades, when mankind was inevitably forced to be dominated by environmental influences, the majority of businesses in civilized societies focused on overcoming environmental obstacles which were human weaknesses, coping more effectively to make life more convenient. Utilities such as fertilizers and pesticides to fight pests, heating and cooling systems to overcome bitter cold and the heat, and disposable products to reduce the weight of household labor are idealistic examples of these early artificial objects that interact with the environment.

However, these products and services created and consumed through businesses to overcome the environment have had a fatal impact on the environment, including defoliant damages and ecosystem destructions, ozone depletion due to Freon gas emissions, and soil and marine pollution caused by mass plastic waste.

Only after this irreversible destruction of the environment and the accumulation of massive damage cases were done, mankind finally acknowledged the need for sustainable development of the Earth. For this, the environment once again affected business, but this time, mankind is facing a more critical situation than before when people simply needed to overcome the environment. Instead of overcoming the obstacles nature gave, humans now have to use businesses to preserve nature. 

During the late 20th century, the social responsibility of businesses began to be emphasized, but most of the cases at this time were directly penalizing companies that caused environmental pollution. One notable case was that Erin Brockovich won a water pollution lawsuit against a huge company, PG&E, in 1993.

Without stopping here, with global interest in environmental pollution, companies are now forced to make more active efforts to solve environmental problems in terms of social responsibility. It means that the social atmosphere in which businesses can influence the environment in a good way is being made finally. For example, Starbucks is implementing various policies to reduce disposable products used by its company. While a global company like Starbucks has begun to pay attention to environmental issues in the nature of social responsibility, The company of Patagonia is a good comparable example of being a famous one by getting attention to its specific efforts on the environment. It has raised the "good consumption" movement after promising to make all clothing products recycled by 2025.

Today, when businesses are deployed on a global scale, the environment and business are closely interrelated in which one can no longer unilaterally affect the other. Whether this relationship creates a virtuous cycle or a vicious cycle of co-destruction is ultimately up to us. 

Works cited:

https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2020/5-things-to-know-about-starbucks-new-environmental-sustainability-commitment/

https://www.patagonia.com/our-responsibility-programs.html

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-feb-04-me-erin4-story.html