In terms of gross domestic product, the effects of globalization on the economy are beneficial. However, economic gain is not what most critics of globalization concern themselves with. Rather, the by-products of this economic gain are the effects that create the most unease. While economic progress thrives, the resources used in the process are all but forgotten. As discussed by Najam et al. and Theodore Panayotou, environment has long been involved in international debate as it is inextricably linked to trade, globalization and government. Globalization can work both for and against environmental concerns. By tying countries together in the realization that we all share a single world, globalization can influence countries to work together and hold each other accountable for environmental improvement. Unfortunately, this is not often the outcome and in a consumer-driven economy, it is easy to overlook the impact that each person’s actions make. Turning a blind eye to the problems that have arisen from globalization is the easiest way to deal with the struggles faced in other countries due to our greed. If we wish for conditions to improve world-wide, it is essential that each person realize how much of an impact we make.
Worker rights are a perfect example of a by-product of globalization. While products are being sold at a much larger profit margin and companies are making more money than ever, the workers that make the product are being paid a fraction of what their labor is worth. This system is only made possible through globalization. Since each country is resposible for the rights of its labor force, countries with the lowest standards are highly sought after by large foreign corporations for potential factory development. This effect has been termed “the race to the bottom.”
The race to the bottom is seen with environmental concerns as well. It is seen in the rapid exploitation of natural resources as well as with movement of highly-polluting industries. These two industries perfectly exemplify how globalization has made it possible for many industries to avoid regulations rather than change their practices to accommodate them.
Exploitation of natural resources is a perfect example of the race to the bottom. Exploitation of natural resources can bring rapid wealth; however, these resources need to be readily available. Most well-developed countries have restrictions in place to protect resources and monitor their use. These restrictions are put in place to ensure sustainability and push companies to change their practices in environmentally-friendly ways. While these regulations are well-intentioned, they simply encourage companies to find a different location from which they can easily acquire necessary resources in order to profit from them. The place of choice is usually a less-developed country with little to no protection of their resources and resource use.
Cheap exploitation has become a focus for many globalized corporations as well as governments themselves. Natural resources are being depleted at an alarming rate and while most countries claim to have environmental protection and sustainability as a priority, their actions often speak otherwise. The Arctic ownership debate provides a perfect example of such action because even more perfect than a third world country for natural resource exploitation is an unclaimed country, for this is a place where absolutely no restrictions exist and no regulatory governments have control. This is exactly the case in the Arctic.
The Arctic debate doesn’t focus on how to reduce ice cap melting which would, along with many other beneficial effects, save many native people, ensure proper ocean currents, and prevent water level increases. Nor is this international conversation in an effort to aid species included on the endangered species list to protect their future in the Arctic. Rather this discussion focuses on the value of the Arctic’s natural resources and the income that these resources may produce upon our endless overuse of them.
The developed countries surrounding the Arctic (Canada, Russia, the United States, Norway and Denmark-Greenland) began an ongoing dispute over ownership of the Arctic and its resources. These countries purchased the most advanced exploratory equipment and employed the most knowledgeable individuals to navigate and map the Arctic. All of this money and effort was put forth to claim the largest portion of the Arctic as possible. Claiming the Arctic wasn’t done to ensure its protection and sustain its natural beauty; rather the Arctic had little value to these countries other than the value of its resources. The Arctic is sought after simply for its oil and mineral wealth. The goal of the countries involved in the dispute is to exploit the land for its valuable contents while completely disregarding the indigenous people, native wildlife and the environment that support them both. There are already many environmental concerns in the Arctic, yet little to no attention or time was spent on trying to resolve those problems.
The Arctic debate revealed a sad truth. While we would like to believe the myth that only misguided corporations are engaging in this unchecked exploitation, that is simply not the case. As the Arctic debate clearly shows, the government that we rely on to make proper regulations to ensure a stable future is equally as involved in this process of exploitation.
Natural resource exploitation is a serious problem. Most nonrenewable natural resources are expected to be completely depleted within the next few decades. This is largely due to the fact that any natural resource that is found in third world countries and is desired by well-developed countries will be taken regardless of the cost to get it or the negative impact their actions may have on native humans, animals, and environment.
Overuse of natural resources is a growing problem and a clear example of the race to the bottom effect. However, this effect is also seen with highly-polluting industries. Recently, there has been much emphasis placed on pollution reduction. Evidence of global warming, ozone depletion, species extinctions, polluted waterways, pollution-related disease and deformities, etc. have been rapidly surfacing as more research is being done to explore the effects of pollution. All of these effects of pollution have served to bring public awareness and regulatory changes. These regulatory changes focused on changing the ways in which industries manufacture goods and monitor their pollutant outputs with the intent to discourage highly-polluting processes. In some cases this works, unfortunately it was founds that industry leaders were more willing to spend their time and effort on finding ways around these regulations rather than finding ways to fix their problems. Again, in an effort to avoid regulations, companies sought out areas where their pollution can go unchecked because the sad reality is that the easiest way around these regulations is to simply build factories elsewhere.
One of the most highly-polluting industries in the world is the continually-expanding cement industry concentrated in China. The best way to introduce the impact that the cement industry has is to describe the process by which it is made. Written out, the chemical reaction of limestone during heating is pretty simple: CaCO3 + heat > CaO + CO2. But to fully understand the impact that this process has, let’s analyze each of the reaction’s components.
First is the limestone. Limestone, a limited natural resource, must be mined from the surrounding environment and shipped to the processing facility. Once at the mill, heat generated by the burning of fossil fuels must be added to the limestone. The calcium oxide that is produced is ground into a very fine powder. The dust that is released when the ingredients are repeatedly ground creates serious air quality problems that pose human and wildlife health risks. Finally, and most importantly, CO2 emissions are immense throughout the process. The gaseous byproducts resulting directly from the chemical reaction as well as the byproducts of fossil fuel use for heating are very rich in CO2. The rapid production rate of cement means that the production of CO2 is also very rapid. In addition to the byproducts resulting directly from the production of cement, the initial ingredients for cement as well as the cement itself is transported using petrol/oil vehicles. The immense production of CO2 and the use of petrol/oil engines throughout the acquisition, production and distribution processes clearly demonstrates that concrete production equates to a massive contribution to global CO2 production. This process wouldn’t survive in countries with more stringent pollution restrictions. However, due to China’s lower regulatory standards, it goes largely unchecked. These are exactly the types of industry that need to be monitored.
While globalization enables more industries to expand to foreign locations where they can be less regulated, it can also provide a means through which world-wide regulation can become a reality. Although this type of action has yet to make a significant impact on pollution reduction, small steps in the right direction have begun.
Many of the larger environmental problems seem to be out of the hands of the general public, however, it is important to keep the root of these problems in mind. In today’s world, consumption is the basis for large industries and these industries are often times the key culprit for environmental exploitation.
Getting involved with environmental issues isn’t difficult and it is becoming exceedingly important if we wish for future generations to have it as good as we do. There are many environmental concerns beyond those discussed here. Environmental issues surround us; we hear about them in the news, we see ads about them at the grocery store or on commuter buses, they have even become a common part of everyday conversation. In fact, most of us have probably been exposed to them so often that we have become desensitized to the issues. We must start taking these ads to heart and finding ways that we can help solve the problems. Even if each of us picks two or three environmental issues that we feel strongly about and work on those few problems, we have still made a difference. We need to realize that every bit really does count in the long run.
That’s not to say that we all need to stop driving or give up electricity; there are many small sacrifices that each person can make. These small contributions to the problems that matter most will quickly add up if the public works together. Just as the environmental problems surround us, the solutions are not difficult to find either.
The first step to making a positive impact on the environment is to identify problems that you think need to be solved. A simple way to investigate ways to get involved it to visit the EPA’s “my environment” site. This website offers plenty of environmental information for any zip code. From this information, it is easy to see what local problems need to be solved. Next, it is time to learn simple ways that you can help. Information on simple solutions can be found everywhere. A couple of the best resources or guides on how each person can help are the website for Wire and Twine’s “50 Ways to Help the Planet,” and, for global warming in particular, the CNN Time article titled “The Global Warming Survival Guide.”
Local environment improvement, if practiced globally will make a significant impact on the globe. However, industry must also be held responsible. While we can’t stop globalization and its effect on the environment, we can choose governmental leaders that will fight for change in environmental standards and we can also choose which companies thrive in the world’s market. Since consumerism is what these industries depend on to survive, it the best way to help bring awareness and change to these global problems. Getting involved in environmental improvement is easy and can take many forms. From making local change by working on your individual impact to making global change via voting and consumer awareness, we can make significant improvement in the future of the environment.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Monday, April 19, 2010
We Can All Help!
Regardless of where you live, what you do for a living, what your beliefs are or even what your hobbies are, everyone has an impact on the environment everday. Environmental issues are common to the entire world. Since these problems are so widespread and affect so many people, unfortunately it makes us, as individuals, feel less responsible. Since the problem is so pervasive it is difficult to think that your own individual actions can make a difference. This is exactly the problem, and this is where the public is wrong.
We tend to blame other countries or the government for all the environmental problems not being solved when in reality, it would be impossible for the government to make any significant change without the public doing anything. The government can only make so much headway on these issues without any public action. If we truly want the environment to be sustained and able to support future generations as it has our own, we can’t rely completely on the government while ignoring any role we could possibly play. We have just as much of a responsibility to the environment as any government does. If we expect the government to fight for environmental protection, we must be willing to fight as well.
Environmental issues surround us; we hear about them in the news, or see ads about them at the grocery store or on commuter buses. In fact, most of us have probably been exposed to them so often that we have become desensitized to the issues. We must start taking these ads to heart and finding ways that we can help solve the problems. Even if each of us picks two or three environmental issues that we feel strongly about and just work on those, we have still made a difference. We need to realize that every bit really does count in the long run.
Let’s not go overboard though. I’m not saying that we all need to stop driving or give up electricity; there are many small sacrifices that each person can make. These small contributions to the problems that matter most will quickly add up if the public works together. Just as the environmental problems surround us, the solutions are not difficult to find either.
To start, each person needs to identify problems that they think need to be solved. If you are unsure of how to go about finding relevant topics, I would highly recommend that you visit the EPA’s my environment site. This website offers plenty of environmental information for any zip code and is by far my favorite tool for learning about the issues closest to me.
Once you have identified an issue that you care about, it is time to see how you can help. Information in simple solutions can be found everywhere, even a simple google search can provide you with plenty of ways to help. Some of my favorite resources or guides on how each person can help are the website for Sustainable Environment for Quality of Life (SEQL), Wire and Twine’s “50 Ways to Help the Planet,” and, for global warming in particular, the CNN Time article titled “The Global Warming Survival Guide.” SEQL offers simple solutions by topic and gives plenty of options that can fit with any lifestyle. Wire and Twines site is similar to SEQL but offers a more basic layout. Finally the CNN Time article offers varied solutions to global warming depending on how commited you plan to be.
Getting involved with environmental issues isn’t difficult and it is becoming exceedingly important if we wish for future generations to have it as good as we do.
Click HERE to open the feedback tool.
We tend to blame other countries or the government for all the environmental problems not being solved when in reality, it would be impossible for the government to make any significant change without the public doing anything. The government can only make so much headway on these issues without any public action. If we truly want the environment to be sustained and able to support future generations as it has our own, we can’t rely completely on the government while ignoring any role we could possibly play. We have just as much of a responsibility to the environment as any government does. If we expect the government to fight for environmental protection, we must be willing to fight as well.
Environmental issues surround us; we hear about them in the news, or see ads about them at the grocery store or on commuter buses. In fact, most of us have probably been exposed to them so often that we have become desensitized to the issues. We must start taking these ads to heart and finding ways that we can help solve the problems. Even if each of us picks two or three environmental issues that we feel strongly about and just work on those, we have still made a difference. We need to realize that every bit really does count in the long run.
Let’s not go overboard though. I’m not saying that we all need to stop driving or give up electricity; there are many small sacrifices that each person can make. These small contributions to the problems that matter most will quickly add up if the public works together. Just as the environmental problems surround us, the solutions are not difficult to find either.
To start, each person needs to identify problems that they think need to be solved. If you are unsure of how to go about finding relevant topics, I would highly recommend that you visit the EPA’s my environment site. This website offers plenty of environmental information for any zip code and is by far my favorite tool for learning about the issues closest to me.
Once you have identified an issue that you care about, it is time to see how you can help. Information in simple solutions can be found everywhere, even a simple google search can provide you with plenty of ways to help. Some of my favorite resources or guides on how each person can help are the website for Sustainable Environment for Quality of Life (SEQL), Wire and Twine’s “50 Ways to Help the Planet,” and, for global warming in particular, the CNN Time article titled “The Global Warming Survival Guide.” SEQL offers simple solutions by topic and gives plenty of options that can fit with any lifestyle. Wire and Twines site is similar to SEQL but offers a more basic layout. Finally the CNN Time article offers varied solutions to global warming depending on how commited you plan to be.
Getting involved with environmental issues isn’t difficult and it is becoming exceedingly important if we wish for future generations to have it as good as we do.
Click HERE to open the feedback tool.
Friday, April 9, 2010
Sources
1.
Globalization and the Environment
This site offers a very diverse and comprehensive aplication of globalization’s effect on the environment. It covers diverse topics including CO2 and other gases, pesticides/herbicides, global distillation of toxic chemical applications, pressure on natural resources, vulnerable to epidemics due to travel, and invasive species. However, it remains realistic in that no solution will be applicable everywhere; both environment and human cultures are very diverse.
The site calls everyone to action. It states that every family should instill environmental knowledge to the youth. This knowledge was once a practice or tradition in many societies due to its importance to farming and should be brought back. To aid families in doing this, the site offers guidelines on what should be taught about the environment and our responsibilities to protect it.
2.
“After the Ice: Life, Death, and Geopolitics in the New Arctic” by Alun Anderson.
This book offers a very in-depth view on the Arctic and the endless debates that surround it. The minute and largely unknown details about what has been going on in the Arctic that this book offered were very intriguing. I found the section that covers the ownership of the artic to be particularly interesting after watching the movie that dealt with water ownership.
3.
Environment and Globalization: Five Propositions
This is a paper written for environmental leaders meeting in Kenya at the Global Ministerial Environmental Forum. It discusses how not only is environment impacted by globalization but globalization also is impacted by the environment. This two-way linkage is discussed in great detail through the “five propositions.” These propositions are exploitation of limited natural resources, globalization’s impact on the most vulnerable (often in third world countries) ecosystems and societies, too rapid of expansion with limited ecological space, consumption, finally, global environment and global market will become dependent on each other.
4.
San Diego Zoo and Polar Bears International
This video provided great supplemental information to researching the Arctic. This video gave an overview of polar bears in the Arctic and describes the struggle that they are facing. It also gives information on what organizations are trying to help them and how the public can get involved. I personally was interested in the statement that “if polar bears aren’t doing so well, it’s a good indication that the rest of the Arctic isn’t doing so well.” This canary in a coal mine remark really brought to life the struggle that the Arctic as a whole is going through.
5.
BBC World News America: Arctic Meltdown
After reading Anderson’s book, I thought this video provided a fairly accurate summary of the major motives in the Arctic ownership debate. This video offered a great general overview of the fossil fuel incentives that countries have for claiming ownership over the Arctic. As well as providing a summary of the incentives behind claiming land, this video did a great job in explaining the ice melting rates and mechanisms. Also included in the ice-melt information, they did a great job of explaining possible implications of it.
6.
Consumer trends in organic foods
This was another supplementary website. Although it doesn’t relate directly to environmental globalization, I felt there were definite parallels. Therefore, I felt that this website was a brief overview of the organic food industry. This is a governmental website and, thus, very reliable. Also, being a governmental website, it is written in a way that is understandable to all audiences.
7.
Globalization and Environment
This is a working paper written at Harvard University. I thought this paper put a very interesting new twist on some previous beliefs I held about how globalization and environment are and should be related. This article argued that the closer environment is related to global trade policies, the better off it would be. This stands in stark contrast to proposition #5 of the paper entitled “Environment and Globalization: Five Propositions”
8.
Globalization and Environmental Protection: a Global Governance Perspective
This article offers a differing perspective from most of the other articles listed. This article explores the logic behind the global action. It argues that in some cases, global action isn't the key. Rather, local action needs to be put as a priority. This can be linked to another article listed on here that explains that since every environment is different and every culture is different, there is no single univesal solution to any global environmental issue.
9.
How long will it last?
A picture is worth a thousand words. Although there is often text accompanying this image, I felt that the image itself would speak louder than any description one could use for it. I really liked this image because it makes a much greater impact than reading one statistic after another. This image really made me realize the reality and the desperate situation that our natural resource supply is in. In addition to giving a visual representation of the amount of time that many commonly used resources have left, it also shows what each of those resources are used for. Just as the polar bear video brought the Arctic’s struggle to life, the visual depiction of many everyday products being gone within a short period of time really brings the exploitation of natural resources to life. Other issues depicted are also alarming, such as how little of our resources are actually recycled and how large our population is. Again, although this has no written explanation accompanying it, it is one of my favorite resources.
10.
World’s Natural Resource Depletion Forecast
Just as above, I purposely chose to not display this resource with any writing. This graph shows the terrible situation that our natural resources are in. This provides a very clear timeline which give the viewers a sense of urgency. This is exactly the type and form of information that can engage the general population and move them to take action which is what this nation and world desperately needs.
11.
Globalization and Environmental Protection: a Global Governance Perspective
This article discusses the two-way linkage between environment and globalization. It explains that while, in some cases, the environment can be helped by globalization via global action and rapid spread of new ideas. However, on the other hand, globalization can often open the doors for exploitation to any part of the world.
12.
Environment & Globalization
This is an article put out by the University of Iowa Center for International Finance and Development. The reason I like this article was because it gave a clear and concise definition of what we all know as the “race to the bottom.” This article explains that if we chose to develop the underdeveloped countries cheaply, the will be forced to under regulate their development to keep up. This will cause standards to be continually set lower and lower, what has been coined as the race to the bottom. In a more environmental perspective, this race to the bottom has serious implications in resource depletion: whoever can utilize the most resources now will have the greatest immediate payoff, regardless of the future.
13.
Cement Industry Is at Center of Climate Change Debate
This article gave a good overview of the why the cement industry has come under close scrutiny. I really liked this article because it simplified the reasoning enough for anyone to understand. It also describes China’s significant role in this industry. Something that really caught my eye in this article is the lack of recycling for cement. Since it is such a commonly-used compound that has many problems in production, I couldn’t figure out why a way of recycling it hasn’t been found yet.
14.
How cement is made
This video is a very in-depth explanation of how cement is made. This provided much insight into how this process could cause concern. After learning what exactly were the sources of problems, this video brought the whole process together.
15.
World cement production
This site gave graphs that clearly showed China’s leading role in global cement production. This site shows not only how much cement China produces compared to the rest of the world, but also how rapidly the industry is expanding in China compared to other nations.
Click HERE to open the feedback tool.
Globalization and the Environment
This site offers a very diverse and comprehensive aplication of globalization’s effect on the environment. It covers diverse topics including CO2 and other gases, pesticides/herbicides, global distillation of toxic chemical applications, pressure on natural resources, vulnerable to epidemics due to travel, and invasive species. However, it remains realistic in that no solution will be applicable everywhere; both environment and human cultures are very diverse.
The site calls everyone to action. It states that every family should instill environmental knowledge to the youth. This knowledge was once a practice or tradition in many societies due to its importance to farming and should be brought back. To aid families in doing this, the site offers guidelines on what should be taught about the environment and our responsibilities to protect it.
2.
“After the Ice: Life, Death, and Geopolitics in the New Arctic” by Alun Anderson.
This book offers a very in-depth view on the Arctic and the endless debates that surround it. The minute and largely unknown details about what has been going on in the Arctic that this book offered were very intriguing. I found the section that covers the ownership of the artic to be particularly interesting after watching the movie that dealt with water ownership.
3.
Environment and Globalization: Five Propositions
This is a paper written for environmental leaders meeting in Kenya at the Global Ministerial Environmental Forum. It discusses how not only is environment impacted by globalization but globalization also is impacted by the environment. This two-way linkage is discussed in great detail through the “five propositions.” These propositions are exploitation of limited natural resources, globalization’s impact on the most vulnerable (often in third world countries) ecosystems and societies, too rapid of expansion with limited ecological space, consumption, finally, global environment and global market will become dependent on each other.
4.
San Diego Zoo and Polar Bears International
This video provided great supplemental information to researching the Arctic. This video gave an overview of polar bears in the Arctic and describes the struggle that they are facing. It also gives information on what organizations are trying to help them and how the public can get involved. I personally was interested in the statement that “if polar bears aren’t doing so well, it’s a good indication that the rest of the Arctic isn’t doing so well.” This canary in a coal mine remark really brought to life the struggle that the Arctic as a whole is going through.
5.
BBC World News America: Arctic Meltdown
After reading Anderson’s book, I thought this video provided a fairly accurate summary of the major motives in the Arctic ownership debate. This video offered a great general overview of the fossil fuel incentives that countries have for claiming ownership over the Arctic. As well as providing a summary of the incentives behind claiming land, this video did a great job in explaining the ice melting rates and mechanisms. Also included in the ice-melt information, they did a great job of explaining possible implications of it.
6.
Consumer trends in organic foods
This was another supplementary website. Although it doesn’t relate directly to environmental globalization, I felt there were definite parallels. Therefore, I felt that this website was a brief overview of the organic food industry. This is a governmental website and, thus, very reliable. Also, being a governmental website, it is written in a way that is understandable to all audiences.
7.
Globalization and Environment
This is a working paper written at Harvard University. I thought this paper put a very interesting new twist on some previous beliefs I held about how globalization and environment are and should be related. This article argued that the closer environment is related to global trade policies, the better off it would be. This stands in stark contrast to proposition #5 of the paper entitled “Environment and Globalization: Five Propositions”
8.
Globalization and Environmental Protection: a Global Governance Perspective
This article offers a differing perspective from most of the other articles listed. This article explores the logic behind the global action. It argues that in some cases, global action isn't the key. Rather, local action needs to be put as a priority. This can be linked to another article listed on here that explains that since every environment is different and every culture is different, there is no single univesal solution to any global environmental issue.
9.
How long will it last?
A picture is worth a thousand words. Although there is often text accompanying this image, I felt that the image itself would speak louder than any description one could use for it. I really liked this image because it makes a much greater impact than reading one statistic after another. This image really made me realize the reality and the desperate situation that our natural resource supply is in. In addition to giving a visual representation of the amount of time that many commonly used resources have left, it also shows what each of those resources are used for. Just as the polar bear video brought the Arctic’s struggle to life, the visual depiction of many everyday products being gone within a short period of time really brings the exploitation of natural resources to life. Other issues depicted are also alarming, such as how little of our resources are actually recycled and how large our population is. Again, although this has no written explanation accompanying it, it is one of my favorite resources.
10.
World’s Natural Resource Depletion Forecast
Just as above, I purposely chose to not display this resource with any writing. This graph shows the terrible situation that our natural resources are in. This provides a very clear timeline which give the viewers a sense of urgency. This is exactly the type and form of information that can engage the general population and move them to take action which is what this nation and world desperately needs.
11.
Globalization and Environmental Protection: a Global Governance Perspective
This article discusses the two-way linkage between environment and globalization. It explains that while, in some cases, the environment can be helped by globalization via global action and rapid spread of new ideas. However, on the other hand, globalization can often open the doors for exploitation to any part of the world.
12.
Environment & Globalization
This is an article put out by the University of Iowa Center for International Finance and Development. The reason I like this article was because it gave a clear and concise definition of what we all know as the “race to the bottom.” This article explains that if we chose to develop the underdeveloped countries cheaply, the will be forced to under regulate their development to keep up. This will cause standards to be continually set lower and lower, what has been coined as the race to the bottom. In a more environmental perspective, this race to the bottom has serious implications in resource depletion: whoever can utilize the most resources now will have the greatest immediate payoff, regardless of the future.
13.
Cement Industry Is at Center of Climate Change Debate
This article gave a good overview of the why the cement industry has come under close scrutiny. I really liked this article because it simplified the reasoning enough for anyone to understand. It also describes China’s significant role in this industry. Something that really caught my eye in this article is the lack of recycling for cement. Since it is such a commonly-used compound that has many problems in production, I couldn’t figure out why a way of recycling it hasn’t been found yet.
14.
How cement is made
This video is a very in-depth explanation of how cement is made. This provided much insight into how this process could cause concern. After learning what exactly were the sources of problems, this video brought the whole process together.
15.
World cement production
This site gave graphs that clearly showed China’s leading role in global cement production. This site shows not only how much cement China produces compared to the rest of the world, but also how rapidly the industry is expanding in China compared to other nations.
Click HERE to open the feedback tool.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
The Chinese Cement Industry: The Secrets and Lies
Cement is a binding agent used to hold the ingredients of concrete together. Cement allows for economies to grow and expand. For this reason, countries with fast-growing economies are responsible for a vast majority of the world’s cement production. China, in particular is by far the world’s largest producer of cement.
Cement is made in a fairly simple process. Limestone and clay are ground and mixed with sand, iron and bottom ash. This mixture is then ground into a fine powder is heated in a kiln to 1,500 degrees Celsius. The resulting product from heating is called “clinker.” The resultant pellets of clinker are then finely re-ground with added gypsum and limestone. The consistency of the end product is so fine that it can pass through a filter that is able to hold water.Although the cement production process sounds simple enough, it poses serious environmental concerns. Written out, the chemical reaction of limestone during heating is CaCO3 + heat > CaO + CO2. However, to fully understand the impact that this process has, let’s analyze each of the
reaction’s components. First is the limestone. Limestone must be mined from the surrounding environment and shipped to the processing facility. Once at the mill, heat must be added to the limestone. This heat is generated directly from the use of a fossil fuel. The CaO that is produced is ground into a very fine powder. The dust that is released when the ingredients are repeatedly ground can pose human and wildlife health risks. Finally, and most importantly, the resulting gaseous byproducts of the heating process are very rich in CO2. The rapid production rate of cement means that the production of CO2 is also very rapid. In addition to the byproducts resulting directly from the cement ingredients, the cement is transported to the construction site using petrol/oil vehicles. The immense production of CO2 and the use of petrol/oil engines throughout the acquisition, production and distribution processes clearly demonstrates that concrete production equates to a massive contribution to global warming.
More modern kiln types used in cement production are more efficient by emitting far less CO2 and having more effective dust collection techniques. However, most of China’s cement producers cannot afford such upgrades. This means that in addition to China being the world’s leader in cement production, the majority of their cement production facilities are outdated and extremely polluting.The environment is not the only thing impacted by the mass production of cement in China; the people of China are affected as well. Although the Chinese cement industry, as a whole, has been
growing rapidly, the small enterprises are growing at the most rapid rate. The small enterprises are dangerous to not only the stability and sustainability of the industry in China, but they are equally as dangerous to workers who become ensnared in these facilities. The unlike larger enterprises that are often controlled and regulated by governmental agencies, the small enterprises operate under no control and without worker regulations. These smaller operations are often located in rural areas rather than more urban settings like the larger operations. These factors all aid in opening the doors to slave labor within the cement industry. Slave labor is seen in direct employment at the cement factories as well as indirectly at site where the cement is used such as new building construction, road construction/maintenance, dams, etc.
Without adequate action taken to improve Chinese cement facility operation standards, these facilities will continue to worsen economic performance and the sustainability. If these issues are to be resolved, steps must be taken to correct both environmental problems as well as human exploitation.
Click HERE to open the feedback tool.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
The Arctic Ownership Debate
Environmental concerns have long since been an influential matter included in international politics. Unfortunately, ownership and exploitation of natural resources is often the agenda of environmental political discussion. A clear example of these political discussions is the recent debate regarding the Arctic. This is not a discussion to reduce ice cap melting which would, along with many other beneficial effects, save many native people, ensure proper ocean currents, and prevent water level increases. Nor is this international conversation in an effort to aid species included on the endangered species list to protect their future in the Arctic. Rather this discussion focuses on the value of the Arctic’s natural resources and the income that these resources may produce upon our endless overuse of them.
In 2007 a miniature submarine from Russia planted a Russian flag on the seabed beneath the North Pole. This act caused uproar among the developed countries surrounding the Arctic. Canada, Russia, the United States, Norway and Denmark-Greenland began an ongoing dispute over ownership of the Arctic and its resources. In an effort to claim the largest amount of the Arctic’s resources as possible, tireless research and mapping was carried out by these countries. While these countries strive to spend as little as possible to maintain environmental conditions even within their own country, they are all more than willing to spend millions of dollars in an effort to claim these valuable, nonrenewable resources.
The exploration of the Arctic would not be a cheap endeavor since navigation in the Arctic is no easy feat. Both the ocean and terrain conditions are less than favorable for any journeying or research attempt. Specialized vessels and equipment are necessary to allow for safe navigation under such conditions. In addition to costly navigation equipment, the mapping that was essential to make any claim on part of the Arctic also required specialized equipment with a heavy price tag. And so the expense rose. However, whereas cost would impede any positive environmental action, it was no deterrent to the effort to acquire land for exploitation purposes.
The willingness of these countries to undertake such an expensive exploration that will eventually lead to the diminishment of even more natural resources is, in itself, a troubling proposition. However, the political aspect of these countries’ actions is equally unsettling.
The Arctic Council is the region’s most important high-level forum; however, it has been almost completely left out of the dialogue. The council is composed of eight Arctic states, five other indigenous groups and participation from the Inuit Circumpolar Council. This group will be directly impacted by the outcome of the Arctic dispute, yet they lack the ability to make laws or regulations to protect their land.
The Arctic is sought after simply for its oil and mineral wealth. The goal of the countries involved in the dispute is to exploit the land for its valuable contents while completely disregarding the indigenous people, native wildlife and the environment that support them both. There are already many environmental concerns in the arctic. The most important and far reaching of which is increasing global temperature. The increasing global temperature is causing rapid melting of the ice which is also putting many indigenous groups in danger as well as many species at high risk of extinction.
Many of the unseen actions of these countries may seem backwards. It may seem backwards that these countries claim to be respectful to and caretakers of the environment while they are spending more in efforts to exploit it rather than protect it. And it may seem backwards for the Arctic Council to have little to no influence in deciding what happens with their land. However, these actions are unfortunately occurring more commonly than most citizens realize. It is not uncommon for well-developed countries to take advantage of less developed countries in an effort to acquire something they desire. Although the Arctic is uninhabited for the most part, this behavior has been seen on numerous occasions in developing countries. Any natural resource that is found in third world countries and is desired by well-developed countries will be taken regardless of the cost to get it or the negative impact their actions may have on native humans, animals, and environment.
Arctic Debate Summary BBC News
Click HERE to open the feedback tool.
In 2007 a miniature submarine from Russia planted a Russian flag on the seabed beneath the North Pole. This act caused uproar among the developed countries surrounding the Arctic. Canada, Russia, the United States, Norway and Denmark-Greenland began an ongoing dispute over ownership of the Arctic and its resources. In an effort to claim the largest amount of the Arctic’s resources as possible, tireless research and mapping was carried out by these countries. While these countries strive to spend as little as possible to maintain environmental conditions even within their own country, they are all more than willing to spend millions of dollars in an effort to claim these valuable, nonrenewable resources.
The exploration of the Arctic would not be a cheap endeavor since navigation in the Arctic is no easy feat. Both the ocean and terrain conditions are less than favorable for any journeying or research attempt. Specialized vessels and equipment are necessary to allow for safe navigation under such conditions. In addition to costly navigation equipment, the mapping that was essential to make any claim on part of the Arctic also required specialized equipment with a heavy price tag. And so the expense rose. However, whereas cost would impede any positive environmental action, it was no deterrent to the effort to acquire land for exploitation purposes.
The willingness of these countries to undertake such an expensive exploration that will eventually lead to the diminishment of even more natural resources is, in itself, a troubling proposition. However, the political aspect of these countries’ actions is equally unsettling.
The Arctic Council is the region’s most important high-level forum; however, it has been almost completely left out of the dialogue. The council is composed of eight Arctic states, five other indigenous groups and participation from the Inuit Circumpolar Council. This group will be directly impacted by the outcome of the Arctic dispute, yet they lack the ability to make laws or regulations to protect their land.
The Arctic is sought after simply for its oil and mineral wealth. The goal of the countries involved in the dispute is to exploit the land for its valuable contents while completely disregarding the indigenous people, native wildlife and the environment that support them both. There are already many environmental concerns in the arctic. The most important and far reaching of which is increasing global temperature. The increasing global temperature is causing rapid melting of the ice which is also putting many indigenous groups in danger as well as many species at high risk of extinction.
Many of the unseen actions of these countries may seem backwards. It may seem backwards that these countries claim to be respectful to and caretakers of the environment while they are spending more in efforts to exploit it rather than protect it. And it may seem backwards for the Arctic Council to have little to no influence in deciding what happens with their land. However, these actions are unfortunately occurring more commonly than most citizens realize. It is not uncommon for well-developed countries to take advantage of less developed countries in an effort to acquire something they desire. Although the Arctic is uninhabited for the most part, this behavior has been seen on numerous occasions in developing countries. Any natural resource that is found in third world countries and is desired by well-developed countries will be taken regardless of the cost to get it or the negative impact their actions may have on native humans, animals, and environment.
Arctic Debate Summary BBC News
Click HERE to open the feedback tool.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
The Root of Environmental Problems
Currently, environmentalism and the green movement can be seen everywhere in society from urban grocery stores or laundromats to windmills in remote fields. The green movement, along with the ever-increasing popularity of organic foods, has become a conscious part of many citizens’ lives. Additionally, environmental issues are becoming an increasingly important part of the global social fabric which provides further evidence that the public as well as the policy makers are heading in the right direction. In a historical perspective, however, environmental movements have often been plagued with ignorance and misinformation of the public.
The term "environmentalism" is commonplace in today’s society, however, it encompasses longstanding concern. Throughout human history all across the globe, environmental issues have always been present in societies as discussed by Najam et al. and Theodore Panayotou. Evidence of this can be found from numerous sources including manuscripts, books, journals, and historical archives. Although the historical evidence of environmentalism is there, it is often veiled behind ambiguous titles and is easily overlooked. History classes don’t cover it, political science classes never mention it and most text books don’t explain it.
Historical exploration of environmentalism is problematic in that it exposes questionable human-centered sociologies and the negative role that humans have played in transforming nature. Socially constructed myths, as described by Wright, are partially to blame for declining environmental health. By allowing ourselves to believe the socially-constructed myth that tells the human race that environmental issues can be safely ignored with few future implications, we have trapped ourselves in an over polluted world with limited resources remaining. These human-centered sociologies and the negative impact we have had on the environment is clearly shown through resource depletion, habitat destruction, pollution, etc.
Humans need water, food, air, energy, medicines, warmth, shelter and minerals for survival. Since the start of human civilization, we have relied on resources that the environment provides to fulfill these needs. Complete ignorance of the impacts we have on nature has led us into a difficult situation with resource depletion that is not going to be easily solved. For example, mining is depleting natural mineral sources at a rapid rate. Additionally, deforestation in the tropics is on the rise. Humans currently cut or burn down more than 100 acres a minute. Not only has unrestricted utilization of resources proven problematic but excessive pollution of remaining resources has proven equally as detrimental.
Historically, the importance of environmental issues seems inconsistent. Throughout history, these issues have often been brought into the lime light of mass media for a short time before being dismissed or forgotten with little care or attention to the matter. Since little action was taken, policy makers were viewed as apathetic. This translated to further lack of concern or indifference in the general public toward environmentally sustainable practices. Fortunately, this trend of apathy is being reversed as environmental concerns and issues take the lime light for good. Increasing attention to and implementation of regulations and policies that effect the environment are a strong first step toward solving the environmental problems we face today.
The immensity of all environmental concerns across the world renders the topic much too complex to be summarized in any short order. However, the vast majority of all current global concerns revolve around the consequences of previous human activity stemming from ignorance and misinformation. With the more recent trend of increasing environmentally conscious behaviors, policies and regulations, significant environmental issues are likely to be overcome.
Click HERE to open the feedback tool.
The term "environmentalism" is commonplace in today’s society, however, it encompasses longstanding concern. Throughout human history all across the globe, environmental issues have always been present in societies as discussed by Najam et al. and Theodore Panayotou. Evidence of this can be found from numerous sources including manuscripts, books, journals, and historical archives. Although the historical evidence of environmentalism is there, it is often veiled behind ambiguous titles and is easily overlooked. History classes don’t cover it, political science classes never mention it and most text books don’t explain it.
Historical exploration of environmentalism is problematic in that it exposes questionable human-centered sociologies and the negative role that humans have played in transforming nature. Socially constructed myths, as described by Wright, are partially to blame for declining environmental health. By allowing ourselves to believe the socially-constructed myth that tells the human race that environmental issues can be safely ignored with few future implications, we have trapped ourselves in an over polluted world with limited resources remaining. These human-centered sociologies and the negative impact we have had on the environment is clearly shown through resource depletion, habitat destruction, pollution, etc.
Humans need water, food, air, energy, medicines, warmth, shelter and minerals for survival. Since the start of human civilization, we have relied on resources that the environment provides to fulfill these needs. Complete ignorance of the impacts we have on nature has led us into a difficult situation with resource depletion that is not going to be easily solved. For example, mining is depleting natural mineral sources at a rapid rate. Additionally, deforestation in the tropics is on the rise. Humans currently cut or burn down more than 100 acres a minute. Not only has unrestricted utilization of resources proven problematic but excessive pollution of remaining resources has proven equally as detrimental.
Historically, the importance of environmental issues seems inconsistent. Throughout history, these issues have often been brought into the lime light of mass media for a short time before being dismissed or forgotten with little care or attention to the matter. Since little action was taken, policy makers were viewed as apathetic. This translated to further lack of concern or indifference in the general public toward environmentally sustainable practices. Fortunately, this trend of apathy is being reversed as environmental concerns and issues take the lime light for good. Increasing attention to and implementation of regulations and policies that effect the environment are a strong first step toward solving the environmental problems we face today.
The immensity of all environmental concerns across the world renders the topic much too complex to be summarized in any short order. However, the vast majority of all current global concerns revolve around the consequences of previous human activity stemming from ignorance and misinformation. With the more recent trend of increasing environmentally conscious behaviors, policies and regulations, significant environmental issues are likely to be overcome.
Click HERE to open the feedback tool.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Environmental Globalization
Before globalization as it is understood today gained momentum in the global economy, environmental concerns and issues linked countries together. Environmental changes and disasters have always occurred around the world regardless of national boundaries. The impacts of these changes and disasters also have effects beyond borders. Because of environmental changes, impacts and concern, nations around the world began to recognize that cooperative response is the best means by which to combat these problems. It was quickly understood that nations working together is the only approach to take if we aim to make an impact on environmental trends across the planet.
Recently, globalization has become known almost exclusively on an economic and industrial basis. When compared to stories of the impoverished and the notion of the rich people getting richer at the expense of the less fortunate people, environment has become less of a popular globalization issue. However it must not be forgotten as the environment is closely linked with the globalization. In an International Institute for Sustainable Development publication, Najam, Runnalls and Halle explain that “links between environment and globalization need to be re-examined and recognized. To ignore these links is to misunderstand the full extent and nature of globalization and to miss out on critical opportunities to address some of the most pressing environmental challenges faced by humanity.” Environmental impact on globalization is impossible to ignore.
Environment is inextricably linked to globalization in a two-way manner; not only do environmental occurrences effect how international regulations are established but, in turn, the international regulations created will also effect the environment.
There is more to globalization than the often-discussed issues of the impoverished. Exploring environmental implications will broaden the scope of understanding globalization.
Related articles:
Globalization and Environment
Science, Nature and the Globalization of the Environment, 1870-1990, Social Forces Vol 76, 1997
Globalization and Environmental Protection: a Global Governance Perspective
Recently, globalization has become known almost exclusively on an economic and industrial basis. When compared to stories of the impoverished and the notion of the rich people getting richer at the expense of the less fortunate people, environment has become less of a popular globalization issue. However it must not be forgotten as the environment is closely linked with the globalization. In an International Institute for Sustainable Development publication, Najam, Runnalls and Halle explain that “links between environment and globalization need to be re-examined and recognized. To ignore these links is to misunderstand the full extent and nature of globalization and to miss out on critical opportunities to address some of the most pressing environmental challenges faced by humanity.” Environmental impact on globalization is impossible to ignore.
Environment is inextricably linked to globalization in a two-way manner; not only do environmental occurrences effect how international regulations are established but, in turn, the international regulations created will also effect the environment.
There is more to globalization than the often-discussed issues of the impoverished. Exploring environmental implications will broaden the scope of understanding globalization.
Related articles:
Globalization and Environment
Science, Nature and the Globalization of the Environment, 1870-1990, Social Forces Vol 76, 1997
Globalization and Environmental Protection: a Global Governance Perspective
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