Ford Company

“CROSS CULTURAL MANAGAMENT”
3rd Reflective Essay

Business Ethics

Sandra Hernández de la Coba
1056801

Introduction

From my point of view, one of the most current challenges could be the scientific, economic and environmental issues linked to climate change. The climate change I think that it presents many ethical dimensions to consider that we can link with the different approachesto ethics research described in Gibson’s article.
To know the context in which I will develop my essay I will summarize what is at risk and identify some fundamental ethical questions:

If we see the scale of human activities (6.8 billion people today and 9 billion in 40 years), they are disturbing the global environment and threatens to destabilize the rare climatic conditions which haveenabled humanity to build the civilization we know today. We are gambling with the future of humanity as we can see in physical evidence from across the world, in serious and widely-based scientific analysis and in the historic record. Furthermore we are above the IPPC (the International Plant Protection Convention) which would lead to an average rise in global temperature of around 6°C by 2100 withdevastating consequences. If the society continues on the present path, we run the risk that we will cause irreversible processes which will lead, even earlier, to catastrophic climate change.

Contend

The first ethical question that we must think is if we have the right to continue on the present pattern of consumption-driven growth combined with extensive poverty knowing that this path leadsas expected to the destruction of the life-support systems of the planet with devastating consequences first for the poor and then for all of us.

Second approach is that the climate change is not a linear process. The progression of climate change will not therefore be an orderly and gradual process of warming so that it allows us time for many years to negotiate and to prepare for action.To seek solutions I think in political challenges, but by the time, the threats of climate change are unambiguously clear. For this reason if we wait for political action it will be too late. From my point of view, currently the best way to prevent the devastating consequences of climate changes across the world should start acting with a moral imperative.

The third ethical aspect I wish toraise is that the impacts of climate change, for example: widening desertification, melting of glaciers, changing rainfall patterns, the warming and acidification of the oceans and extreme weather events, are already being experienced today by the poorest and most disadvantaged in our societies. Poor societies are the least able to adapt to changing conditions to preserve their livelihoods andhopes, therefore we should consider the right that who enjoy comparative wealth and security have to pursue their own gratification at the cost of the millions of the poor in developing countries.

Finally, I would like to discuss about our chosen path of measured economic growth, based on the stimulation of demand and consumption with the consequent pollution and waste. We are doing overusing thebiological and physical resources of the planet therefore we can think that the current society is building up massive debts and deep problems to be resolved by future generations.

To try understanding all of these challenges about climate change we should solve a profound moral problem related with our values and behavior which must to change if we are to master the threats of climate change.Also the issue of climate change poses profound ethical issues of human rights and justice in the most immediate and direct ways. It is a consequence of our values and of the social and economic choices which drive the present path of consumption-based economic growth and world development.

As Gibson comments in the article it is necessary to think in a philosophical approach to work out a...