Introduction
In the modern world, societies expect a business organization that operates within the regions to be accountable for the impacts associated with their practices in the given environment. The act of being responsible is no longer considered a business activity but rather a demand driven by customers. Tesla is a manufacturing company that releases carbon into the atmosphere. Its products such as cars emit a small amount of green gas in the environment as well despite being electric-based machines. The organization and its consumers are geared towards reducing the carbon footprint issue.
Carbon Footprint Problem
Carbon footprint refers to the overall amount of carbon released by the respective company into the atmosphere. Tesla emits green gases into the environment during the manufacturing of car batteries which require more energy. The firm obtains the needed power from coal which burns to produce carbon dioxide gas. Electric vehicles discharge tailpipe emissions which are less compared to the ones using fossil fuels. The carbon footprint has several impacts on both local and global communities. Tesla organization is committed to minimizing carbon released into the environment.
Effects of Carbon Footprint on Community and Organization
The problem of carbon footprint is a major threat to both the community and the business organization. The issue influences climate change resulting in unpredictable weather patterns thus affecting the food production and supply in society. Similarly, the accumulation of heat on the earth’s surface is causing the glaciers and polar ice to melt hence raising the sea level which is a danger to the coastal communities (Islam et al., 2021). In the case of an organization, carbon emissions negatively impact the well-being of employees by causing respiratory illnesses and making them less productive. In addition, the management is forced to undertake financial approaches to reduce the effects of the issue leading to more expenditure.
Effects of Carbon Footprint on Local, National, or Global Communities
The impact of carbon footprint is a concern to both the local, national, and global communities. The accumulation of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere increases the chances of breathing carbon particles. Currently, multiple cases of lung cancer are directly linked to carbon emissions. Moreover, the local societies are more likely to experience high temperatures due to trapped heat waves. Similarly, areas near manufacturing companies are experiencing acidic rains that corrode the properties. In addition, the carbon emission is preventing the reflection of solar energy back to the surface. The situation is causing a significant heat wave that is affecting various places across the country. Global warming has made most global communities experience raving drought and famine due to poor climatic conditions.
Possible Solutions
Tesla Company has fundamental strategies to enable it to curb the impact of the carbon footprint associated with its business practices. Currently, the firm is covering its manufacturing rooftops with solar panels to provide adequate clean energy. Similarly, it is producing efficient electronic vehicles such as Model 3 that reduce carbon emissions (Helmers et al., 2020). The organization has localized its production sites and supply chain. The approach allows it to reduce the transportation of various parts of the materials needed to make the products leading to low emission of green gases (“Electric cars, Solar & Clean Energy | Tesla,” n.d.).In addition, the car batteries are recycled thus lowering the production process. Tesla is further aiming at making cathode materials in-house to avoid sourcing them from outside companies. The practices are geared toward promoting a sustainable energy system that eliminates carbon.
Advantages and Limitations of Proposed Solutions
The possible solutions to minimize the impact of carbon footprint in Tesla have significant positive and negative effects. For instance, using solar energy to drive manufacturing machines lowers carbon emissions however, the supplied energy is limited. Similarly, electronic vehicles reduce green gases but they are expensive to produce making their prices higher. Setting supply chains and production points in the same location enables the company to limit transportation but localizing them spreads the impacts of carbon footprint to different regions.
Costs, Efficiencies, and Effectiveness
The company is facing cost-related aspects such as the price of acquiring the relevant machinery to facilitate the manufacturing of electronic vehicles. Furthermore, the needed technologies which include Tesla Robotaxis are expensive. The company’s practices and strategies have proven to be efficient. For instance, the manufacturing of charged cars is essential in lowering carbon impact on the environment. In addition, installing solar panels on the rooftop of its building is an effective and reliable technique for achieving a sustainable clean energy supply. Moreover, the need to shift to the in-house production of Tesla cells will require the company to have a significant amount to invest in the needed machines to enhance the process.
Recommended Solution
Based on the high demand for more energy to facilitate the manufacturing process in Tesla, the firm should adopt the use of nuclear power. This form of energy produces a significant amount of clean energy unlike the coal used by most manufacturers (Mahmood et al., 2020). By using nuclear power, Tesla will be acting on its mission which entails transitioning the world to a more sustainable energy source. Relying on nuclear will save the planet from over 470 million tons of carbon footprints. Since small quantities produce more energy, it will be easier for Tesla to manufacture more products (Mahmood et al., 2020). Furthermore, by applying Orano technologies, nuclear fuel can be recycled to produce additional power.
Sustainability
Sustainability is a critical concern that firms consider before adopting a strategy. Even though nuclear mined from uranium ore are non-renewable, Tesla has the potential of obtaining renewable and sustainable nuclear power from the seawater (Guo et al., 2021). In addition, using fast reactors to fuse the atoms will be essential in ensuring the energy is available for future use. When Tesla opts for such a source of power, the company will increase its profit since the money spent on coal will remain unused (Shabbir & Wisdom, 2020). Similarly, clean energy will promote a safe working environment for workers and customers making them satisfied with the firm’s operations.
Conclusion
Tesla Company aims to create sustainable energy. By choosing to use nuclear power, the manufacturer will be able to meet its mission and vision objective. Nuclear reactions produce more energy with less carbon being emitted into the atmosphere. Furthermore, when the firm sources the reactors from seawater, it will be able to maintain its sustainability which is essential for the growth of the business. Duke Energy Company in the US is known for generating electricity from nuclear energy (Alqahtani & Patiño-Echeverri, 2019). By adopting this approach, Tesla will create a safe environment necessary for the well-being of employees and its esteemed customers.
References
Alqahtani, B. J., & Patiño-Echeverri, D. (2019). Combined effects of policies to increase energy efficiency and distributed solar generation: A case study of the Carolinas. Energy Policy, 134, 110936.
Electric cars, Solar & Clean Energy | Tesla. (n.d.).
Guo, H., Mei, P., Xiao, J., Huang, X., Ishag, A., & Sun, Y. (2021). Carbon materials for extraction of uranium from seawater. Chemosphere, 278, 130411.
Helmers, E., Dietz, J., & Weiss, M. (2020). Sensitivity analysis in the life-cycle assessment of electric vs. combustion engine cars under approximate real-world conditions. Sustainability, 12(3), 1241.
Islam, M. M., Alharthi, M., & Murad, M. W. (2021). The effects of carbon emissions, rainfall, temperature, inflation, population, and unemployment on economic growth in Saudi Arabia: An ARDL investigation. Plos one, 16(4).
Mahmood, N., Wang, Z., & Zhang, B. (2020). The role of nuclear energy in the correction of environmental pollution: Evidence from Pakistan. Nuclear Engineering and Technology, 52(6), 1327-1333.
Shabbir, M. S., & Wisdom, O. (2020). The relationship between corporate social responsibility, environmental investments and financial performance: Evidence from manufacturing companies. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 27(32), 39946-39957.