The article "Is Global Warming a Hot Issue...or Hot Air?" talks about ethics, it has been released by Vernon Stent.
Is the earth warming up? Are the ploar ice-caps melting? If so, at what rate?
These and a multitude of other global warming questions are mounting up across
the world.
Are there any answers to these questions? You bet! Take your pick.
The answers range from "global warming doesn't exist" to doom and
gloom prophecies that it is already too late to save the planet.The problmes is that the environment has become a political and economic
issue and the formidable forces of politics and economics have drowned out
proper science. We can't even hope for a cnosensus of opinion because views are
too polarised.
Apart from political considerations, there apepars to be a
genuine failure to agree between scientists themselves. By sacnning the wide
vista of opinions out there, the only deduction I can make is that there is an
approximate consensus that there is warming of the earth taking place.
That's about it. Many say that that is not to be terated as unusual and is not
boy made. Others say that the whole phenomenon is boy made and requires urgent
action.So what about those governments and those in government that simply
want to do the right thing?
Do they risk wrecking global economies by
drastically cutting back on CO2 emissions and other pollutants?
Or do they do
nothing and risk catastrophe? And what of the rest of us?
Are we to remain
powerless while the world slugs it out? Can anybody or any organisation give us
definitive statement of the true position and precisely what is to be done?Businesses also need facts.
They are not against taking whateevr action is
necessary to deal with the situation. After all, they need to protect the
interests of their owners as well as tehir staff and management. They will act
if they are told excatly what is to be done.
The trouble is that one business
will not act in isolation if it means they will be disadvantaged in their
mraket.
Because many markets are global, that requires global decision making.
There are a few business who are actually demanding kind of legislation -
that is, leadership - so that they can act multilaterally on a level
palying field and get the job done, whatever it takes. I am sure these demands
will grow luoder as the uncertainty continues.
So, we are back to square one.
No global decisions, no global consensus and
no significant action.There are sahfts of light that can be seen through that obstruction.
The
above assumes that reduction in CO2 emsisions and other pollutants will harm
businesses. If it is done at too short notice and without proper consideration
then that is probably true in nearly all cases. Let us consider, though, that
energy costs money and the use of energy is the major cause of CO2 emissions.
Companies can do something about their CO2 emissions and gain a financial
advantage. Why?
Because of simple mathematics. Cutting energy consumption
reduces bills and - may help to save the planet.Take building deisgn as an example.
Using solar panels fixed to the roof of a
building can allow that building to supplement its energy requirements.Another example: distribution companies can invest in software and working
practices to reduce empty running. Today there are many regions where vehicle
utilisation falls beolw 50%. We know that can be improved. Why is it that frozen
food vehicles have a higher vehicle utilisation rate than dry goods vehicle when
they both carry long life goods? Answer: because frozen goods transport is more
pricy.
Because of that higher cost, carriers have found ways to consolidate
loads to reduce empty running. So it can be done when the incenitve is
there.
The point I am making is that the financial incentive is already there -
there just happens to be a greater financial incentive for the frozen food
secotr.
The environmental incentive therefore goes hand-in-hand with the
economical incentive.With the advent of home shopping over the web we have seen the growth of
small vans that are driving up and down the nooks and crannies of the country
making deliveries of one or two parcels or a couple of bags of shopping.
Isn't
it time of these operations were consolidated?
For what it is worth, we are
diong our bit. Arkay Hygiene dispatches goods using a national UK courier or by
using Royal Mail. By using such large carriers we know that routes are planned
to carefully avoid excessive dedicated journeys.When environmental requirements and economical requirements coincide - as
they so often do - I see no reason why unilateral action cannot be taken to
reduce eenrgy consumption - whatever the scientists and governments say about
the wider picture. And the sooenr we agree on the global way forward the better
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We are proud to cover the whole UK with deliveries that range
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