Let’s talk about purchasing and trying to be ‘Green’. Trying to be environmentally conscious has been a hot topic of discussion on a local, political and global scale over the past few years. Global Warming, whether due to human air pollution or not, seems to be real enough. Forests are being cut down at an unprecedented rate and waterways, including the ocean, continue to be effected by large amounts of trash. Obviously purchasing products from American manufacturing companies offers Americans jobs, business opportunities and financial strength. One of the other major benefits of purchasing from American manufacturing companies is the impact on the environment.
The United States does have strict limits for businesses and restrictions for contamination of ground water and air pollutants. Certainly the products being made outside the US have the manufacturing benefit of low energy cost burning coal and low workers wages at the expense of the environment. For example, China is burning coal at such a rate and without filters that mercury is being detected in the air from mountain ranges in Colorado.
Aside from cheap energy and the huge amounts of pollutants being released into the air everyday there is also the issue of shipping these products from China to the United States. A large cargo ship can carry 15,000 storage containers. It is reported that up to 10,000 storage containers go missing each year into the ocean. These containers carrying all kinds of plastics, wood, lead based paint, cars, chemicals and other materials are falling into the sea, 10,000 containers per year is a huge number considering the number of products that can fit in a single 40ft container can reach hundreds of thousands. Each container at the bottom of the ocean affecting the environment in ways we do not understand yet. The amount of material being left in the ocean is a little known fact and certainly not publicized by companies or political figures but should be recognized by consumers.
There is also the issue of our money continuing to invest in oil rich countries in the Middle East and elsewhere. A typical round trip for a cargo ship is around 55 days. The larger ships can use 190 Tonnes of fuel a day which equates to 1392 barrels of oil per day per ship. One round trip by a cargo ship can use 76,560 barrels of oil. A conservative estimate would suggest 240 million Tonnes of fuel oil per year (about 1.57 billion barrels a year, or 4.3 million barrels a day) is consumed as bunker fuel on ships. Cargo ships also typically use the dirtiest fuel which contains high amounts of sulfur which can lead to other environmental concerns. Ballast water and waste water are also issues as the large ships discard their wastewater just offshore before moving to port and ballast water in cargo ships is proving to have harmful effects on fresh water in the Great Lakes region. All of these issues lend reasons why Americans should purchase American products made from American manufacturing companies and workers. The global economy is a complex issue and not easily evaluated from one perspective. It is in our best interest as American consumers to understand what purchasing overseas products entails besides saving a couple dollars. Given the information we know it is important to purchase American products for the sake American jobs, the financial strength of the country and the overall environmental benefits it will has on earth. Made In USA Warehouse