Impact of the World System - Deforestation of the Amazon - Essay Example

Economists use the US dollar as a standard to gauge the differing value of the same product in different places. The wealth gap between the richest and the poorest countries has continued to increase ever since the Industrial Revolution. Theorists expected the opposite to happen i.e. they expected the wealth gap between countries to reduce as a result of technological exchange and globalization. But the wealth gap increased because the rich in the poor countries invested their money in richer countries for security, thus making the poor countries poorer. The rich in any society benefit from new technology the most because of their capacity to absorb the risks it entails. Likewise, richer countries benefit more from technological development compared to poor countries, most of which have a higher rate of population growth than the rate of economic development. Although the wealth gap between the rich and the poor countries has overall increased ever since the Industrial Revolution, yet people generally enjoy a better lifestyle than people did in the past. The human development index computed by the United Nations suggests that from 1970 to 2010, almost all countries have experienced improvement and greater equality will bring further improvement in the future.

Impact of the World System – Deforestation of the Amazon: Summary

The vast expanse of the Amazon Forest sustains many indigenous cultures and 20% of the world’s flora and fauna. The Amazon Forest reduces global warming and contributes to moisture in the atmosphere. The reduction in rainfall caused by global warming will endanger the Amazon Forest. Human intervention has caused many tropical forests as well as many Amazon forests to disappear. The hardwood trees in large number in the Amazon forest are very desirable for domestic and commercial purposes which have led to the rapid cutting off of the trees. Not only the depletion of forests in Asia and Africa has increased the load for the Amazon forest, but also the Amazon Development Agency in Brazil has encouraged cattle ranching to facilitate the fast-food restaurant business. Although the rapidly reducing land has endangered the indigenous tribes and their traditional economies, yet the idea of getting money for selling rights also appeals to them, so they also participate in the world market economy. Development experts are proposing alternative strategies for the local people to help sustain biodiversity and use the Amazon forest for the cultivation of such trees and crops that are environment friendly as well as economically advantageous both for the local communities and for the outsiders. The efforts of countries are directed at reducing deforestation of the Amazon forests and make it economically viable for everyone.