Impact of Globalization on Environment
- The environmental impact of globalisation is the change that it
has brought to the environment due to the massive consumption of
natural resources, and the pollution brought about by
TNCs.Developing countries are also guilty of ignoring the
environment in their countries because of the need of TNC
investment.
- The result of this is that the enviroment has degraded due to
deforestation, due to the need for land. This has resulted in huge
areas of rainforest being cleared, like in indonesia and brazil.The
clearing of rainforest, due to illegal burning has also resulted in
other environmental hazards like the smoke haze which regularly
affects the nation surrounding it whenever large burning has
occured.
- Another result of globalisation is global warming. This is
caused by the clearing of rainforest and the increase of greenhouse
gases from industrialisation and transport.This means that the
temperature of our planet is rising as the increase in greenhouse
gas traps more heat. This has the potential to cause severe change
in our climate.
- Globalisation has rapidly worsen the condition of the
environment around the world. The advent of global warming means
that globalisation could have world-wide environmental effects in
the near future if nothing is done to solve the problem. The recent
burning of Australian forests have resulted in loss of precious
flora and fauna.
However, globalisation also means that the public can be
educated about environmental management much more easily than in
the past, due to the internet and other modern media that
globalisation has created.This increased awareness has resulted in
movements around the world to adopt policies of sustainable
growth.
Globalization has also helped in increasing awareness about
environment protection and economic growth in the following ways
:
- Due to Globalization scale and composition of economic activity
changes- consumption increases activity allowing for more widely
dispersed externalities.
- Income- increases creating more resources for environmental
protection.
- Techniques change as technologies are able to extract more from
nature but can also become cleaner.
- Global Interactions facilitate exchange of environmental
knowledge and best practices.
- Environmental consciousness increases with emergence of global
environmental networks and civil movements.
- Globalization facilitates the spread of existing technologies-
the emergence of new technology - green tech
- Globalization helps spread a homogenization of consumption--
driven aspiration.
- Globalization makes it increasingly difficult for states to
rely only on national regulation to ensure the well being of their
citizens and their environment.
- Growing demand/ need for global regulation using these for
bettering environmental performance.
- Globalization facilitates the involvement of a growing
diversity of participants and their coalitions in addressing
environmental threats, including market and civil society
actors.
- The nature of environmental challenges requires the
incorporation of environmental governance into other areas trade,
investment, health thus resulting in qualitative economic
growth.
- Environmental standards influence patterns of trade and
investment nationally and internationally.
Positive Effects of Globalization on Economic Growth
- It has resulted in increase in integration, specialization,
standardization and efficiency.
- Increased FDI
- Greater Economic Growth
- Reduced product costs and speed to market.
- Increased innovation/product quality.
- Reduce external political tensions.
- Political power to the people.
- Reduced corruption.
- Increased communication/awareness/knowledge.
- Innovation and Idea exchange has improved.
- Increased business opportunity.
- Jobs in developing countries have increased.
Negative Effects of Globalization
- Environmental Degradation.
- Reduced employment (developed).
- Reduced wages.
- Increased economic disparity.
- Economic vulnerability.
- Undermine small business.
- Exploitation of labor/resources/markets.
- Economic disruption of labor force.
- Competition erodes profit margins.
- Cultural erosion.
- Reduced power of governments.
- Economic inequality.
- Increased corruption and temptation for money has
increased.
To conclude Globalization has both positive and negative
impacts. On one side it has degraded the environment and created
problems like deforestation, pollution , disturbed ecogical balance
but at the same time it has created awareness among people to
protect and conserve environment for the future generations. Trade
and investment patterns have been impacted due to Globalization.
People and techniques have become more aware in creating fuel
efficient products that cause less pollution.Globalization had
resulted in economic growth and raised a concern for quality of
life.