ISSUE MEMO ASSIGNMENT
.
HOW THE LIFECYCLE OF RUBBER SHOES AFFECTS THE
ECOSYSTEM/BIOSPHERE.
The ecosystem/biosphere is a core planetary boundary, one of the earth’s life
supporting systems and has potential to change trajectory of the Earth and endanger
humanity. This includes different plants and animal species, microorganisms that also
depend on the planet to survive. A lot of food crops depend on insect pollination, forests
are natural habitats for wildlife and also help in carbon absorption to reduce impact on
the climate.
Increasing demand for rubber is causing widespread deforestation to grow
rubber mainly in Southeast Asia with warmer tropical climates where biodiversity thrives.
Deforestation is a crucial issue in society as it affects climate change which in turn
affects survival of the biosphere. The destruction of forests is displacing wildlife and
native species, causing soil erosion and degradation.
Lifecycle sketch
Rubber shoes directly impact the ecosystem during the growth of natural rubber and
the disposal in landfills. Growth of rubber on a largescale involves deforestation which
leads to loss of forests and different plant and animal species, their habitats,
displacement of wildlife. There is also loss of farmland, land grabbing from indigenous
people that they depend on for their livelihoods. These people can’t hunt because of
animal displacement, limited land for food production, domestic animals don’t have
grazing land (Business Insider 2022). Artificial fertilizers to increase growth endanger
the different insects and animals, pollute the soil and underground water thus killing off
lifeforms that survive in these areas. Loss of forests and biomass from different species
causes soil erosion and degradation. As for disposal of rubber shoes in landfills, this
creates non-biodegradable waste that releases chemicals into the soil and underground
water killing of microorganisms and other life forms leading to soil degradation and
making that land inhabitable (Regeneretive Rubber Initiative 2023).
Other stages indirectly impact the ecosystem through climate change impacts due to
greenhouse gas emitted at the manufacture, distribution and use stages. Adverse
weather like droughts and heat waves endanger survival of different plants and animals.
Washing rubber at the manufacture and use stages releases chemicals to water and
when disposed off in other waterbodies, it can endanger marine life as well.
An organisation should prioritize the areas where it has the biggest and direct impact
on the ecosystem and areas where its easy to make a change. It should improve rubber
growing and reduce waste because these areas expose it to reputational damage,
governmental regulations, activism from farmers and indigenous people, retaliation from
environmental bodies and activists due to unsustainable growth and production
practices. It easy to make changes in rubber growth for example mixed cropping which
preserves biodiversity and shoe waste leaves a big impact on the environment.
Therefore, prioritising these areas increases credibility of the organisation.
Some key next steps include mixed cropping to reduce deforestation, land grabbing,
reduces need for fertilizers and pesticides (Mark tool 2023). Respecting indigenous land
rights especially asking for consent on whether to take some of the land that caters for
their livelihoods or not to take any of it. They can also produce recyclable rubber for the
shoes to reduce waste, deforestation and reduce effects of manufacturing rubber (Mark
tool 2023).
REFERENCES.
Regeneretive Rubber Initiative (2023). The problem with rubber. REGENERATIVE
RUBBER INITIATIVE. Retrieved from https://www.regenerativerubber.org/the-problemwith-rubber
Mark tool (2023). The Environmental Impact of Rubber Manufacturing. MARK TOOL &
RUBBER. Retrieved from https://www.marktool.com/the-environmental-impact-ofrubber-manufacturing/
Business Insider (2022). The Dark Truth About Rubber| True Cost. Business Insider.
Retrieved from https://youtu.be/0sIwZYLpXPM?si=fN2Oh1FmLuI5TB7Q