Sunday, May 18, 2008

What went wrong !!! Accountability Chain ?

Whom to blame? It is difficult task. It is like accusing some one of unintentional crime. Most of the actions taken in history towards any betterment, which are now resulting into the miseries of millions, were mostly unintentional. Our scientific advancements were seen as the assistance for the ease of mankind. Ease in commuting, ease of connectivity, ease of quick cure. All these ease are no doubt has improved the life style but repercussions of these processes were ooften neglected.

Let’s take an example of product.

We are now very much affected by the Hydrocarbon based air pollution. Carbon mono oxide is killing both us and environment around us. Suppose an alternative fuel made up of water and few chemicals is invented by some scientist in some corner of world. The company that is financing the research of this project took the formula, and dwell upon the possibility of the manufacturing of the alternative fuel, which it founds quite feasible and profitable. As that company is already in the petrochemical business, it boasts this invention as the cure from the carbon based pollution, and promotes the product as Carbon free fuel. It takes the permission of the government which is going to fight elections. Government takes the mileage out of this by alluring voters. Product stores were opened and shelves were filled with several variants of the product. Millions of engines that can run on this technology were manufactured. Billions were job created across the supply chain of the new product. People started the use of new fuel. And it was no doubt Carbon free fuel. Environment is clean. Everybody is happy. The Company that has produced this Fuel is posting profits quarter by quarter. Its share price increases like any thing. This is end of any present product Accountability Chain. Any new product is taken by the manufacturer up to this level only in current business concept. It is end of supply chain.

Now starts the real accountability chain. When that fuel is used, people find a decline in the performance of the vehicle in next two or three years. After four years engines were affected badly, so people started changing their vehicles to get rid of the poor performances. Those vehicles were sold to economically weaker class in suburban areas. And in next few years there were billions of vehicles lying their at countryside. Till here nobody has looked into the problem. Then in next few years Engines performance worsen so much that they can not be used at all. Here starts the dismantling of the parts of these vehicles. And when engines were opened the fuel has made hell of the internal parts. A poisonous layer of the chemical deposited over that. These trillions of parts were then disposed in some rural areas where rules are not followed that stringently. At these places nobody is bothered about what waste management technology is followed. And some expert here suggests that it is better to dispose them in water otherwise it can harm the humans. And the nearby pious river is filled with these poisonous components of the engines. Here nobody is bothered about the aftereffect of this disposal.

Here starts the next cruel step. Out of ignorance that harmful chemical layer on those components that were thrown reacted with water and produced even dangerous chemical. Nobody is bothered about this chemical reaction. And next few years the river was made dumping place of the harmful chemicals. Slowly slowly, it killed several species of river. And then one fine day a local NGO/UN representative finds that MILLY fish does not exist anymore. The river is so polluted that if any water is extracted it can kill humans. So from this is how getting rid of carbon out of air pollution resulted into the extinction of MILLY fish and end of one river.

So I believe now it is clear that Accountability Chain is more important than just Supply chain. Supply chain reaches just up to customer while accountability chain reaches up to the Last effect of every ingredient used in the making of that product. It will ensure what went wrong. This is just product aspect. There are psychological, moral and Social aspects also related to the accountability chain.

What went wrong !!! The Problem

Probably this has been the most successful and the most devastating centuries mankind history has ever seen. And this contrast symbolizes one of the aspects of philosophy that says that "One has to pay the price of everything". In this case devastation of Ozone layer, pollution of sea, global warming, hurricanes and pervasive wars have been the price of our ever reaching technology progression, Industrial growth, Consumerism and flood of waste filled in the market.

Planning... !!!
Perhaps the poor planning has been at the core of the present miserable situation of the human mankind. If I am planning to make some product without considering the after effects of it’s by products, or the impact of the product on the humans, or the after math of the waste that it will produce I am at wrong end. The Off-shelve management of the product must not be left to the governments to tackle. It is the responsibility of the product maker to move ahead and take the responsibilities of his actions.(Please Refer fig:1)

But there is no agency that is looking into the aftermath of the product. It is upto the producer to take into consideration all this. And when business is run for business, who will look into the welfare of the society or environment. Cost trade off is always taken at the side of producer. Goverment is another handicap entity in the whole lot. You can well imagine the power of UN and its role in preventing any war in this last century. Product is produced from the brain of some original thinker (However he is never/least given the credit). This person is left then and there. Then in some manufacturing plant starts the game of second handers and profit makers. Here people and raw material that are their nascent stage are exploited. And then emerges the product to be consumed. Product is used by the consumers who are addicted of serving their senses. They too are not aware of the after effects of the usage of the product. as the life cycle of the product ends, it is thrown into the basket of society, where no body wants to keep the baby so this is utter responsibility of society to take care of the waste and the aftereffects of the waste. And when whole world starts crying.....everybody is ready with their diplomats, reporters and politicians to lament over the issue.

What Next ?

Bottom line....

"Existence is intangible so that the everything related to it. Dreams are result of unconscious mind, why to be conscious all the time then? Love is difficult to be understood, it’s not for mediocre like me. Relationships are binding force for an individual, but I am still free. Money can not buy you happiness, then why to accumulate dollars. Change is the only constant thing then why to prick the status-quo? Come along with me to feel the enlightenment"….Unknown...