The Ecological Dimension of Globalization
The environment has exposed the true impact of humans on the earth. There have been various responses to the changing environment. Some responses place blame on the developed countries for their “living large” lifestyles and their overconsumption of natural resources, but the question is then raised, without developed countries where would society be? With the help of environmental movements and monetary resources, it is possible to have developed countries while lessening the ecological effects on the environment. Joan Martinez-Alier, the author of The Environmentalism of the Poor: Its Origins and Spread, refers to this idea as “The Gospel of Eco-Efficiency.” When comparing and contrasting the differences between environmentalism of the poor and environmentalism of developed countries, it is apparent that more attention needs to be given to improving undeveloped countries ecological conditions.
Alier defines “The Gospel of Eco-Efficiency” in her journal more specifically as the idea, “the richer a society becomes the more it can afford to be concerned with the environment and the more it will invest in environmental protection” (Alier). Alier critiques this idea by claiming that developed countries, such as the United States, do not understand the value of land and therefore will not support as much as needed because it is not their direct source of livelihood, as it is in third world and undeveloped countries.
The causes of
Globalization’s impact on sustainable prosperity is examined in the source. It does this by asking a question. Also examined is the impact on all people and this would include both developing nations as well as developed nations. The source is also somewhat leading the reader to question the extent of the impact, which implies that there is a positive impact on sustainable prosperity. Also the fact that it states, “for all people” implies that all people benefit. While globalization may contribute to sustainability to a limited extent or in certain circumstances, on the whole, globalization degrades rather than builds sustainable prosperity. This will be explored through looking at globalization’s systems and forces, specifically consumerism, the media and transnational corporations.
Instead of focusing on the individual, “ecological economics invites us to picture ourselves not as isolated individuals but as housemates” (McFague 132). This model has two goals striving for sustainability and distributive justice which will allow for the earth’s resources to be sustained for future generations. McFague feels that the ecological economic system will provide an efficient system that will suit and support the needs of the world.
“Many current discussions about sustainability focus on the ways in which human activity...can be maintained in the future without exhausting all of our current resources… there has been a close correlation between the growth of human society and environmental degradation - as communities grow, the environment often declines” (603).
In contrast, Guha compares deep ecology to the German environmental movement known as the Green program. He states that the Green has realised that the American economy has a direct negative effect on the Third World. This is due to the industrialization, militarization and the American history of subordination beginning with colonization. This has lead to a distorted distribution of resources in the world and as a result has increased the lower class population. The Green responds to this issue with the theory of a “no growth economy” through a re-evaluation of the consumerist ethic concerning self-limitation.
She reviews the history of environmental progress. In the 1980s there was political movements and changes in environmental activism. However, with the emergence of neoliberal capitalism, there has been an escalation in environmental destruction (increase in greenhouse gas emissions). The first part of the book, she critiques free market fundamentalism, conservative politics and climate change denial, corporate opposition to regulation, the conflict between international trade agreements and renewable energy, the global outsourcing
It cannot be denied that, in at least some areas, the invention and progression of technology has benefitted the human race. With the growing industrialization of the world in the last centuries the lives of many people have been made easier. But, this growth of technology is not without its consequences and people are not without their concerns. While industrialization has had its benefits, the environmental cost of this progress is immense, and the impact it has on nature can be hard to swallow. It may seem like talk of the environment is something to be left to scientists or activists specializing in that particular field, but they are
The occurrence of globalization, sustainable development, and the ecological footprint are all seemingly connected in today’s environmental capacities. To further understand these environmental processes, one must divulge into these individual environmental concepts to properly understand their facilitations. Furthermore, according to professor Vamvakas “a major theme of Sustainable development is the alternative to the destruction of the world environment by the economic imperative of globalization” (Vamvakas, 2014).
Global sustainability is multi-faceted topic and is very complex. However, at its essence, global sustainability is defined as using your resources wisely today to give your children a better life tomorrow. It is the balance between using enough to develop right now but leaving enough for future generations. For example, if we were only looking at preserving the environment and not developing it, we might use none of the resources and leave them to be. But the problem with that is that then there is no resources for us to use. On the other hand, if we were just looking to develop the land, we would use all of our resources, but then there would be no more left for the future. Thus, I want our
The decline of the environment due to natural and human exertion is known as the degradation of the environment. The natural weather occurrences such as heavy rain, flooding, storms, earthquakes, volcanoes etc. are not administered under human control. These meteorological phenomenon’s wreak devastation on the environment from time to time causing the land to become unsuitable to cultivate. On this subject matter, the human population does not contain the power to stop the wrath of Mother Nature. Rather, we are forced to sit back and watch. Nevertheless, humans engage in a crucial role towards the degradation of the environment in which we live in. Unavoidably, the degradation of the environment is a rising and utmost worldwide subject. I accept that the root cause to environmental degradation is the excessive use of resources on our land utilized by the processes under capitalism. As Jensen wrote in Endgame, “The global industrial economy is the engine for massive environmental degradation and massive human and (nonhuman) impoverishment.
For many years, people have satisfied their needs, without showing any concerns or awareness about the care of our planet, the way we treat our environment is described by some, like murder. Thus, it is natural to ask ourselves if the environment should be protected because and only because human livelihoods depend upon it or the opposite, that us, humans, exist only because of our planet, and that we should do all our best to save the air we breathe, the ground we live on, the entire environment that surrounds us. First of all the study will begin by what the environment is through time, then it will show the obvious relationship
Green living, a practice that promotes the conservation and wise use of natural resources, has become a topic of discussion for people around the world. Many people are discussing whether conservation should be required of all citizens. It is no surprise that our environment has become a major concern for people around the world. Factors like global warming, deforestation and pollution play a major role in harming our environment. While the representatives of organizations are trying their best to make everyone take an active role in reducing the harmful effects of the environment, it is not ideal for the U.S government to use ‘force’ to establish something impossible. Moreover, if this problem can be resolved in an effective way, then we can take
Globalization is important to understand in order to determine what worked in the past and can be successful again in the future. Our many cultures, ideals and growing technology form together to create an extremely global world. We use products that were made on the other side of the world, and are taxed on practically everything. Whether the effects of our global society is good or bad, there’s no doubt that the world is constantly changing and impacting our livelihoods, so we must adapt accordingly in order to succeed.
The poverty-environmental linkage has several dimensions. From an economic growth perspective; rapid economic growth is often seen as the key foundation for achieving poverty reduction. There is a lot empirical evidence in support of this assertion. Therefore while the linkage between economic growth and poverty reduction is generally obvious, the relationship between economic growth and degradation of the environment or and improvement in the environment remains ambiguous or unclear. One part of the poverty-environment hypothesis suggests that economic growth is needed to break the poverty-environment downward
Globalization is the proximate and multidimensional set of political, economic, social, and technological integration around the globe. The increasing interconnectedness among countries can be seen through the prism of globalization. Essentially, the lives of people living in distant cities like Bangalore and Silicon Valley are brought closer as a result of this phenomenon. Drivers of this adjacent include; the expansion of trade, technological exchange, labor movement and investments (Stearns 2017). The discourse of globalization encompasses several multidisciplinary themes. The paper, however, concentrates on the economic factors, “which, entails the closer economic integration of countries of the world through increased flow of goods, services, capital and even labor.” (Stiglitz 2007: 4). The paper focuses on economic globalization and elucidates whether the globalization has reduced poverty and inequality or had reproduced the reversed implications. Meanwhile, the paper reveals if the developing world has benefited from the set. This seems to be the central question that policymakers, development economists, and politicians have been grappling with for years. The paper is presented in three parts. Part one reflects on the historical context of the problem statement. The second part compiles literature and juxtaposes with cases to corroborate the globalization-poverty-inequality triangle. Finally, the conclusion represents the author’s viewpoint on the
Environmental issues have been a cause of a lot of debate in the recent past. Governments and nongovernmental organizations have been in constant consultations on how to help protect the environment. Apparently, as a result of man’s many actions, the natural environment is getting torn apart so quickly that the coming generations will not enjoy this kind of environment, unless a