Environmental Risks
I think the greatest risk to the environment is global warming. This is because it worsens a lot of types of disasters such as heat waves, drought, floods, storms, and diseases, among others. High temperatures cause the melting of glaciers which leads to a rise in the sea level, leading to wetland flooding, destructive erosion, contamination of agricultural soil aquifer, and loss of habitat for plants, fish, and birds. It also leads to the spread of water-borne diseases, which might cause the death of people if not treated on time (Prüss & Neira, 2016). A rise in temperatures also makes air pollution worse by increasing ground-level ozone, which is created when pollution from sources such as vehicles and factories reacts to heat and sunlight. An increase in air pollution is risky, and it causes an increase in the rates of hospital admission as well as death rates.
To encourage environmentally friendly policies and practices in companies and businesses, firms should be advised to use products that discourage reliance on natural resources like solar hot water systems and tanks of rainwater, among others. Manufacturers should also be encouraged to recycle materials supplied to the companies, such as using furniture made from recycled rubber and office supplies which are from recycled plastics. The business manager should also consider their activities like holding conference calls to reduce air travel instead of having inter-state meetings. Apart from that, awareness training will also be of importance to the employees (Davies, 2014). This will enable them to understand the effects of contamination and will also make them learn how to practice environmentally friendly activities for their good. This education also provides them with information on how to take care of the environment, like the importance of disposing of waste in the right place. With these practices, there will be a significant reduction in pollution as well as the preservation of natural resources.
References
Davies, J. C. (2014). Comparing environmental risks: tools for setting government priorities. Routledge.
Prüss-Üstün, A., & Neira, M. (2016). Preventing disease through healthy environments: a global assessment of the burden of disease from environmental risks. World Health Organization.
