2009 – 4th Grade 4th Place Winner.

Sarah De Martini, California.

Greed

Greed can have a positive or negative impact on society. A positive example is that greed can motivate people to work or go to school. Another example is that jobs and services are created by people who start businesses to make money. Greed is also positive when it causes people to make progress in technology, science, medicine, buildings, roads and cities.
There are also many bad ways that greed affects society, such as hurting people or the environment. A way of hurting people is when businesses raise the prices of things that people need so they can make more money. Also, businesses use commercials to influence people to buy things they don’t need. Another way is when greedy people spend all their time making money that they have no free time for their loved ones.
A way of hurting the environment is when greed causes people to waste natural resources or take away an animal’s habitat just to make money. Greedy businesses may pollute the environment when they make certain things and throw out their trash in an irresponsible way.
I think that greed has a greater impact on society than giving because it causes people and businesses to do things that they might not normally do. Good greed can have a positive impact while bad greed can have a negative impact on society.

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