Environmental Problems after Globalization
Deforestation
Due to increased population, more land needed to be dedicated to agriculture, requiring people to cut trees down to get more land
Desertification
When fertile land becomes desert-like due to deforestation, harmful agricultural techniques
Decline in Air Quality
- Great Smog of 1952 in London: emissions from burning coal created a poisonous smog killed 10K-20K people
Causes of these Environmental Problems
Globalization and Industrialization
- As industry spread, especially in developing countries, standard of living improved for some but at the expense of the environment
Population Growth and Urbanization
- More people → more people to feed → increase in strain on environment to provide food
- City dwellers produce more waste than their rural counterparts
- Leading to strain on resources like water
Major Effects of Environmental Problems
Strain on Fresh Water
- More and more fresh water is being devoted to growing more crops
- However the population of the world keeps on growing
- Access to clean water is also limited for developing countries
- Example of resource depletion
Climate Change
- Rise of industrialization have been releasing pollutants in the air
- Carbon dioxide is released in the air and gets trapped in the atmosphere
- In 1997, the Kyoto Protocol was established, an international agreement to reduce carbon emissions
- Developed nations expected to reduce emissions more than developing nations
- However there are also skeptics who believe climate change isn’t actually happening