The video "story of stuff 2009" tell us about how production and economy effects earth and information from the video will be used in this essay. The planet we live in gives us a lot of goods and raw materials but overusing these sources to get the raw materials will deplete the earth slowly which makes us look like parasites. Producing goods from raw materials cause pollution and other problems that will be mentioned in this essay and this is killing our planet. Also the economy can have ups and downs depending on the rate of production using the raw materials extracted.
Introduction
Before producing and manufacturing the products we need to extract the raw materials from earth, this process means that we take out the material needed from this planet to then take it to a company or factory to start the production process. Extracting harms the earth as we need machinery and man power to work for the extraction and that causes pollution from machines and damage to the nature because we move a natural thing out of its place. Moreover, the cost for such a process is costly as companies pay workers for the job and then expect to obtain high profits after receiving the raw materials and then using them to produce goods then sell them.
Extraction
Furthermore, the second part of the process is production which is building and creating the items and products to sell them in the markets. This process creates plenty of wasted materials during the production of products as well as emitting toxic fumes like carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide from the factories that are running to build the products. Labor is needed for the production process which means skilled workers are needed and so money is being spend on the machinery as well as the worker's salaries which must be regulated so profits won't be lost therefore it is a big issue for companies because they can affect the economy greatly.
Production
Next on the list is distribution "the creation of value or wealth by producing goods and services" (which is the spreading and supplying the markets to be able to sell to the consumers. A lot of work is also put to this because of transporting methods that cost a lot and also takes time. Contracts must be made with other companies and markets around the world to send and receive products in either large quantities or by the consumer's order. Also, the products are sold cheaply so people can buy the products quickly, this is a negative thing because it doesn't seem to be fair to the workers that worked hard to produce the products but they don't get a lot from it.
Consumption
Consumption is "the process in which the substance of a thing is completely destroyed, used up, or incorporated or transformed into something else" it's a very important part of the system because it's what keeps the world moving on. People buy things to use them, to help them in their life but from the video we know that in the USA products only last six months and then they have to be thrown away and so people will buy it again, also companies make new advertisements about a newer version of the previous product which also makes consumers buy the new product although there isn't a big difference between the old and new product except for the look and that is another way companies get high profits from consumers, to brain wash them.
Disposal
after using the products and the product's life ends you will have to dispose of them which mean throwing the used product away. Disposal of waste can be recycled, incinerated or buried in a landfill. The recycling process is very expensive and not every material can be recycled which doesn't give us many choices so we have to burn or bury the waste products, this produces air pollution and areas on earth will not be inhabitable. Countries are now trying to manage recycling products to reduce the emissions of toxic gases and its working fine although other products can't be recycled and forced to be disposed of completely however some people take these products and try to make them useful again or sold as scarp material to build new products but not in high quality and standards.
Consumption in the UAE
Moreover, here in the UAE people has high income and so people tend to buy expensive products without caring about the outcome. an example of negative consumption is when people here buy a newer version of the same phone and throw away the old one although the difference between the two phones isn't big, furthermore, people here buy expensive cars or cars that are not fuel efficient but they don't care as long as they can afford the car and the petrol prices remain low. These examples show us how we cause a lot of waste on earth and hurt our planet, people here are not aware of the consequences of destroying our planet because they didn't get hurt from it yet.
Conclusion
I therefore conclude that from the information I got from the video 'story of stuff' and from other external sources from the internet, I see that we are killing our planet slowly. People are still unaware of what might happen next although we see signs that our planet is suffering, for example global warming and another example is that oil and other natural raw materials are becoming harder to find hence why countries attack each other to take their sources of raw material, awareness should be spread out and people must contribute to heal our planet. Sooner or later, we will have to recognize that the Earth has rights, too, to live without pollution. "What mankind must know is that human beings cannot live without Mother Earth, but the planet can live without humans. Evo Morales."
References
Energy in the United Arab Emirates - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (2013, May 15). Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved May 26, 2013, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_in_the_United_Arab_Emirates
Leonard, A. (2009, April 22). Story of Stuff (2007, OFFICIAL Version) - YouTube. YouTube. Retrieved May 26, 2013, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GorqroigqM
Morales, E. (2013, January 1). Pollution Quotes - BrainyQuote. Famous Quotes at BrainyQuote. Retrieved May 27, 2013, from http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/pollution.html
Natural resource - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (2013, May 26). Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved May 27, 2013, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_resource
Overconsumption - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (2013, May 9). Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved May 26, 2013, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overconsumption
Rekacewicz, P. (n.d.). Raw materials consumption in the United States | GRID-Arendal - Maps & Graphics library. GRID-Arendal - Home. Retrieved May 26, 2013, from http://www.grida.no/graphicslib/detail/raw-materials-consumption-in-the-united-states_f18d
UAE is the world̢۪s top water consumer - Emirates 24/7. (2011, December 18). Breaking News, UAE, GCC, Middle East, World News and Headlines - Emirates 24/7. Retrieved May 26, 2013, from http://www.emirates247.com/news/emirates/uae-is-the-world-s-top-water-consumer-2011-12-18-1.433289
What is consumption? definition and meaning. (2013, January 1). BusinessDictionary.com - Online Business Dictionary. Retrieved May 27, 2013, from http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/consumption.html
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