10.21.2021

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We continued watching the documentary "The Corporation", and specifically looking at the effects of synthetic chemicals and the turmoil it has caused to the victims. First, we revisited the Monsanto case, where the injections of artificial hormones called rBGH in cows were evoking detrimental health consequences towards children and humans consuming cow milk. It was disgusting to know that the hormones are causing cows to pus into the milk and imagining the contamination occurring inside the manufactured felt horrifying. Since I was curious, I decided to search about the milk me and my family consume, and regarding the corporation website, it was indicated that they prioritize the baby's health and hygiene. They also provide consumers with towels made by the farmers, and I think this move is intended to build trust between farmers and us users. However, I went to one of their orange farms to experience fruit-picking, and from what I saw, the farms were very natural, and located in beautiful, spacious environments, so I can say that the milk we order is safe for the animals. 

Moving, on the video introduced us to the Vietnam case, where during the Vietnam war, local people were exposed to agent orange, a destructive chemical said to be severely cancerous, as for 40 years this chemical has been underground and proliferating. At first, when I heard of chemicals used during the Vietnam war, I envisioned the Banksy painting of the little girl crying while having her hands held by Ronald Mcdonald and Mickey Mouse. However, upon research, I found that this scene was after a Napalm attack, which is an inflammatory gooey substance that sticks to the ground and causes extreme fires that burn and suffocate those around them. Nevertheless, Napalm when burned in high degrees is said to become a carcinogen, and thereby cancerous. Knowing the brutal measures the warring countries took to justify their political ideology is insane and I felt it epitomized humans' nationalistic impulses. But I felt more distraught knowing the aftermath of the war when Vietnam asked the US in court for compensation towards the overwhelming number of Agent Orange victims. This dangerous chemical has caused babies to be born with health defects such as losing eyes, unnatural limbs, and so forth. Compensation for the 50,000 US soldiers being exposed for 3 years was 280 million dollars, but the verdict concluded that Vietnam deserved nothing. The judge reasoned this decision in fear of recurring war by allowing money that would benefit the Vietnamese people. I've shaped their opinion in a way that obviously sounds contradictory, and that's what I felt too. I can't believe that Vietnam hadn't received a single penny for being a set for war - it's totally unfair.

Lastly, we looked at the environment and at the pollution externalities. However, something that struck me during this segment was a line said by an expert, where he said, that "Unless the environmental conditions become a "commodity" in itself, things won't improve". Living in a capitalist society, that was very well summarized and also ingenious, because I got to thinking if we could capitalize on a clean environment, like what we are doing to tax CO2 onto other regions as well (air pollution, water pollution etc...), perhaps businesses will consider improving their situation for a better return. In this way, environmental concerns in businesses can break out of their CSR status and more of a financial factor. 

  

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