Essay on Uncovering the Consequences of What We Buy and Make: Daniel Goleman's Ecological Intelligence

Introduction

Daniel Goleman is regarded as one of the best-selling authors of emotional, primal, and now ecological intelligence. In his book on ecological intelligence, he reveals the consequences of what we buy and make as well as how we can drive significant changes to save our planet. Ecological intelligence is the ability of adaptation to an ecological niche (Goleman, 2010). The author argues that we dive down to view coral reefs without realizing that ingredients in our sunscreen feed viruses that kill the reefs. We also shop for shampoos with industrial chemicals that contaminate our environment and threaten our health. Therefore, ecological intelligence by Goleman reveals why most of the products labeled "green" lead to an ecological crisis. The book aims at providing insights on the ecology damage and crisis of the world we are living in.

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Themes of Ecological Damage

The accuracy of ecological damage emerges from the various acts of shipping, disposal, manufacturing and packaging certain products. Therefore, he focused his book on the idea of radical transparency concerning the production and the origin processes of the goods we shop. His argument is about the environmental costs of such goods since the preferences would change to create more sustainable consumption that is ecology friendly. The book highlights some of the interesting examples of what market pressure can do when the public is well informed. But the reality of the matter is that we are far from the information considered as necessary, and it would require a lot of activism to learn about such critical facts since companies withhold it (Goleman, 2010). Therefore, I believe that if such critical information is realized, people will shop differently in an ecology friendly manner.

The book enables people to learn about health, environment, and entrepreneurship. It also brings the concept of ecology, which means understanding different organisms and their ecosystem as well as the concept of intelligence, which is regarded as the capacity to learn and deal effectively with the environment (Yang & Jiang, 2018). Furthermore, the book has more known concepts to us such as the life cycle assessment, which evaluates the connection between different products and how they relate to the environment. Hence, it is evident that Goleman provides insight into product manufacture and how they impact our ecology.

Additionally, Ecologists argue that the natural systems of nature operate in different ways. At the macro level, there are biochemical cycles, such as the flow of carbon, which is hard to measure. Besides, in the ecosystem, there are forest balances that are intertwined with the interplay of insects, animals, and bacteria down to the soil (Edwards, 2015). Thus, in the ecosystems, there are a lot of perceptions that are of great significance for individuals to understand ecological intelligence. Conversely, the ecological threats we face today require a new sensibility to recognize the interconnection between nature's system and human activity and the subtle relations between the two intersections. Awakening of these new facts may lead to a shift of most perceptions and assumptions, which may drive changes in commerce as well as our behaviors and actions.

Critical assessments of The Book's Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths

Goleman argues that there exists a lot of complexity to the ecosystem that most people don't know about. For instance, he proclaims that recycling is not the best for the environment since it is detrimental to human health and consumes a lot of energy. Instead, he advocates that we, as humans, should be concerned with the socio-sphere, biosphere, and geosphere (Edwards, 2015). He offers a measurement for environmental impact through the life cycle assessment that enables us to assess any manufactured item from the components it has as well as its processes of production. The life cycle assessment also impacts nature from the production of an item until its disposal.

Another fact that makes me like this book is that it complicates the responsibilities of various stakeholders such as corporations, consumers, manufacturers, and activists. Goleman makes a case that each demographic group has a role to play in the sustainability of the ecology (Edwards, 2015). He further suggests three collective ecologic goals for each demographic group. These three goals include knowing your impacts, favoring improvements and finally sharing what you learn.

Weaknesses

The only weakness that I feel in the text is that Goleman thinks that if everyone knew the social environment costs of what they purchase, they might consume differently. I fell that this thinking by Goleman is somehow odd because people always mind about the cost and quality of products (Yang & Jiang, 2018). Secondly, Goleman seems to focus all his analysis Global north, which suggests he focuses on the rich. He thinks that everyone has equal access to consumption of resources without considering facts such as financial stability, urban and rural divides as well as social-economic status.

Conclusion and Recommendations

Ecological intelligence is a proactive book that examines different topics on environmental studies, economics, business, and psychology. The book enhances professional planning across the above fields. The book provides insights on why consumers are clueless about the choices they make, and it also explores edges in technology to enable a consumer to make better decisions in the future. Finally, through the book the information provides radical transparency in the community. The society should embrace better practices for the ecosystem.

References

Edwards, A. R. (2015). The heart of sustainability: restoring ecological balance from the inside out. New Society Publishers. Retrieved from https://books.google.co.ke/books?id=AbelCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA118&dq=Ecological+Intelligence&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjw5eTA-YTlAhVKxYUKHQBZA4wQ6AEIPTAD#v=onepage&q=Ecological%20Intelligence&f=false

Goleman, D. (2010). Ecological intelligence: the hidden impacts of what we buy. New York: Broadway Books. Retrieved from http://www.pertanika.upm.edu.my/Pertanika%20PAPERS/JSSH%20Vol.%2025%20(S)%20Sep.%202017/18%20JSSH(S)-0523-2017-4thProof.pdf

Yang, X., & Jiang, S. (Eds.). (2018). Challenges Towards Ecological Sustainability in China: An Interdisciplinary Perspective. Springer. Retrieved from https://books.google.co.ke/books?id=q3B_DwAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=Ecology+and+Environment&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj2uPuU-4TlAhUSLBoKHT9SAQIQ6AEIOTAD#v=onepage&q=Ecology%20and%20Environment&f=false