Recycling and upholding responsibility in a changing world. 

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Automobiles are, in current times, largely the preferred method of daily transportation. Automobiles play a huge role in the supply chain of our local, regional, and national economies. Whether automobiles are for individual use, small-scale, or large-scale sectors, they are catalysts in facilitating business.

 

A common question continuously posed in the automobile consumer industry "Is it time to buy, lease, or sell?"  Well, the answer could be one, or none of the above.

 

Yes, economic circulation is important to maintaining the quality of life that we have built for ourselves over time, but before addressing the economic standpoint, perhaps the environmental basis on which we have built the economic pillars should first be spoken.

 

Is the mass production, distribution, selling and usage of vehicles being executed on a basis while effectuating the best environmentally friendly methods possible? This question correlates directly with the 'ideal' of having a sustainable way to meet needs first (environmental cadre), and then achieving wants (economic cadre). The solution is building an environmentally sustainable base so that if problems do arise, the necessities are covered because wants can always be re-evaluated and achieved through several different systems. 

 

From manufacturers, to end-product consumers, rethinking the reasons behind producing, buying, and selling vehicles is at a point where we can all have a major impact. Of course, positive economic benefits are a motivation that is undeniably strong. From creation of jobs, to producing insanely high profit margins, to addressing the demand of transportation and freedom of transportation, there are no doubt numerous positives to be argued. To realize these possibilities is progressive, but at what cost is it worth? 

 

In relation to what is considered "environmentally friendly", we would all be ashamed if we had to look at our own vehicular consumption habits and their environmental effects in statistical presentation. Therefore, a more balanced question to put forth is, "How can each one of us make a continuous conscious effort to minimize our negative environmental footprint in relation to automobile usage?"

 

Let's look at the supply chain of how cars are produced and come into our grasps. First, there is a vehicular demand that exists, this is the 'pull' that 'pushes' companies to take action. Secondly, material is mined from the earth using large fuel powered machines and shipped in raw form to plants and manufacturers. Third, these manufacturing plants use an abundance of energy to melt down these raw metals and elements and shape them into the forms of car frames & parts.  Once finished, these are usually loaded up into large fuel trucks and shipped to multiple assembly warehouses. Once assembled and quality tested, these finished products are then again shipped to multiple car lots across the world, by trucks, trains, and large boats.

 

Simple questions to address as an individual end-product consumer regarding the decision-making process of buying, leasing, and selling are to ask questions and do our research. Questions such as:

 

• How is the mining and production of raw material affecting the environment, earth, and native habitants (Humans and animals alike)?

 

• How is the consumption and usage of vehicles affecting the environment, earth, and native habitants?

 

• How is the construction and chemical properties of roadways affecting the surrounding environment, earth, and native inhabitants?

 

• How is the mass disposing of outdated and older, broken-down vehicles being managed and/or recycled and at what percentage? What programs already exist, and if they don’t yet exist, is there room to expand?

 

• How are manufacturers, and parts companies taking proactive steps to reclaim, recycle, or environmentally dispose of goods after usage?

 

If the "fuel" of the fuel is financial and economic gain, companies, businesses, and individual consumers alike cannot and should not limit their environmental responsibilities after end-product transactions are made. Their economic influence should finish when they retouch where they started, maintaining a cyclical process; or wait for it…recycling. 

 

From raw material -> finished product -> back to raw material via recycling methods, and so on.

 

It is certain that these recycling places and programs do already exist, but more often than not, it is left to the end-product consumer to put in extra effort and expense to seek out these locations. This results in many cars being abandoned, or left to rust away in rural junkyards, etc. If we put our mark on brand-new finished products, that pride should last until the product is ready to be melted down and recycled. For example, more widely marketed buy-back programs, or yearly sweep & clean of old rundown vehicles that bear respective marks. This minimizes the invasive nature of mass digging and excavation for new raw material.

The main obstacle to re-evaluate is that of potential economic gain. We are naturally marketed toward the finished, new product, because that is where the most economic gain is won. Clearly, as a ‘society’ we believe that value lies within the potential of money earned as a means of exchange, so it is logic to direct efforts towards end-product sales. However, in reality, there is an environmental crisis happening. Currently the economic potential gain is valued more than the environmental losses. 

 

While environmental destruction is happening before our eyes, we are falling victim to our own system. We are falling victims to our desires of 'immediate' convenience without wholly calculating and assessing the risks vs rewards which will surely be a serious inconvenience for later generations, our descendants. Our desires of 'accommodation', 'image', and 'comfort' are shaping our economic actions.

 

In our day, if the demand doesn't exist, we create the demand.  The demand is being constructed and created before the eyes of the masses and we are being sold back-end products of the real "projects". These "projects" are being dubbed as "progress".

For example, in the spectrum of automobiles, a 'project(s)' would be city design, autoroute & highway designs. When we build roads and highways on large-scales, we 'need' a way to transport and drive on them. This is where demand of automobiles enters the economy. If we started to build our cities on a foot scale again, or another sustainable form, in comparison to an automobile reliance, the immediate need for vehicles would severely diminish and the environment would self-replenish.

 

Ride a bicycle every day in an industrial, automobile packed city for a month's duration. The one's exhausting pollution will be unaware of their actions because their automobile filters the air intake, but at the same time emits pollutants that contribute to the ultimate exhaustion of life (good example of negligence). In final, the exposed pedestrian or the exposed cyclist will suffer the worst inhaling a majority of the dangerous bi-product pollution.

 

From an eye to eye perspective, we observe one another as individuals, but looking at a detailed earth from space the human impact can be seen as multiple masses whether it is cities, structures, smog, etc. In any other organism, unnatural foreign masses that spread at a rapid rate would be viewed as invasive threats to the host organism. And the host organism would naturally try to eliminate them.