Innovation_and_Sustainability_Sci_207

Innovation and Sustainability SCI 207 September 26, 2011 Innovation and Sustainability Innovation is the way of the human race. Humans are constantly trying to figure out new ways to change production and consumption of material resources. Throughout this paper, the author will discuss consumption of material resources, production of material resources and the efforts that must be considered about production and consumption habits in order to sustain the global population'  Humans have two consumption habits that are related to material resources. These resources are leather and oil. Animal skin is the basis of leather. Leather is useful in making shoes and clothing for humans. It is used for many other things as well. Leather can be used for upholstery of a car or for furniture. It can also be used for motorcycle saddle bags and seats. A natural material resource that humans use is oil. Man can convert oil to make plastic which then makes the material man-made. Humans must drill for oil, because it is located under the earth’s surface. Man must drill and place pipes down the hole to pump the oil to earth’s surface for use. Humans use oil to make plastic and also to produce gasoline, which helps keep our industrial and commercial world moving. The human race depends on these resources in order to meet their needs. Natural resources help humans to make the items used in daily living. These items include gasoline, soap, cleaning products, clothing, et cetera. The production of new material items our natural resources result in sales of the finished product. “According to the law of Demand, as the price of resource rises, the quantity demanded falls. As the price falls, the quantity demanded of a resource increases” (Family Life Management). Cosmetics, facial and bathroom tissue, cleaning and personal hygiene products are all consumer goods. These products often include statements on their packaging that include “biodegradable”, “environmentally safe”, “ozone friendly”, or “recyclable”. This is a tricky area. What exactly how are these quasi-scientific words defined' According to the Baloney detection list, the use of these words on the packaging is completely useless. Scientists need to a lot of testing to find out if a product is biodegradable or environmentally safe. It is highly unlikely that each product has had the proper testing by the proper scientists. These terms end up being an advertising gimmick (Family Life Management). According to Family Life Management (n.d), “To consume means to use, expend or destroy. The US has often been characterized as a consumer society, as are many nations these days. This refers to the productive capacities and the market forces that have made life comfortable for the average person in this society, but at the cost of the environment, and safety of the future of this planet. There is little sensitivity to nature and little realization of the need for conservation, recycling, etc. for the sake of convenience and immediate gratification.” The Federal Trade Commission, with the help of the Environmental Protection Agency, set forth guidelines for advertisers to follow. These guidelines were created to ensure that advertisers do not mislead any consumers with environmental marketing. There should be specific information given on any packaging with environmental claims that should be evaluated closely, when it comes to advertising and product labels. One of the biggest points to determine is whether the environmental claim is geared towards the product itself, the packaging, or both the product and the packaging (Federal Trade Commission, 1999). Companies are trying to get consumers to buy their products by using slogans that are eco-friendly. There are phrases on the advertisements and the packaging that are appealing to consumers trying to save the planet. These claims are not always substantiated by authorities. The author has pointed out that humans use oil and leather to make other consumer products. The cautions that must be made when purchasing these productions are related to advertising gimmicks. It is vitally important to the human race that we start to pay attention to what is biodegradable and environmentally safe before the planet, the human race’s home, is destroyed and the human race is extinct. References Family Life Management. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.uakron.edu/hefe/flm/flm.htm Federal Trade Commission. (1999, April). Sorting Out 'Green' Advertising Claims. Retrieved from Federal Trade Commission Web site: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/general/gen02.shtm