Introduction
Globalization, just like many things, has both good and bad effects on both our economy and our environment. Our world has become so globalized that almost everything you see throughout your day has been affected at least partially by globalization. This is good as globalization assists with creating specialization which in turn leads to the decrease in the price of goods. However, we are seeing a perfect example of a consequence of globalization through the Russia and Ukraine war. Many Eastern European countries and the United States rely on Russia for oil and are unable to fully get off of this oil due to reliance caused by globalization. This and President Bidens war against climate change and domestic oil production has caused gas prices to rise tremendously across the country and globally.
Underdeveloped Countries
One argument is that globalization has made it harder for underdeveloped countries to catch up to other countries due to the fact that globalization leads to lower prices, underdeveloped countries cannot compete with developed countries goods and/ or prices making it harder for them to grow their economies. However, another valid argument is that globalization helps underdeveloped countries. Taxes and other negative incentives increase production costs of goods in the United States and other developed countries. Therefore, many businesses outsource their production to other developing countries as it is cheaper to produce their goods there. These are some of the reasons why globalization is so controversial.
Exchange of Goods
Globalization increases the amount of goods that are transported country to country. This transportation of goods has a major impact on the environmental state of the planet. According to Harvard University, increased emissions, habitat destruction and increased invasive species (Harvard, 2) are all impacts of globalization. This shows how globalization can negatively impact the environment through the transport of goods. However, some also argue that globalization is good for the environment. According to Afesorgbor, China has significantly reduced their carbon emissions after becoming more globalized (Afesorgbor, 5). This shows that when countries are more globalized, they are more aware of their contribution to global issues and are also more likely to adapt their practices to help counter global issues.
Conclusion
As shown, globalization is a topic of which many people have different views on. In the past couple of decades, globalization has increased drastically. However, with the war between Russia and Ukraine we are starting to see deglobalization through things such as independent oil production, etc. What do you think about globalization and its impacts on our environment?
Sources
Afesorgbor, Sylvanus, and Binyam Demena. “Globalization May Actually Be Better for the Environment.” The Conversation, 25 July 2022, https://theconversation.com/globalization-may-actually-be-better-for-the-environment-95406.
“Effects of Globalization on the Environment.” Business Insights Blog, 15 Apr. 2021, https://online.hbs.edu/blog/post/globalization-effects-on-environment.
