How does globalization affect the environment - Essay Example

One area of human life that has experienced heavy issues due to globalization is the environment in which human beings live. Policy makers, environmentalist and other stakeholders have attacked globalization for impacting human environment in a negative manner. Body Disadvantages One of the main impacts of globalization is that globalization has led to increase in the spending ability of all individuals and have led to elevation in the consumption levels of human beings and this has impacted the ecological system in a negative manner.

Increase in income level have made people demand for more goods and services and this has led to decrease in the natural resources that are offered by the environment. With the increase in demand for goods and services, there has been an increase in the transfer of natural resources from one region to another. Before globalization started spreading, people used to be dependent on their local manufacturers and service providers for goods and services. Now due to decrease in boundaries, people have started demanding for goods and services that are developed in foreign regions.

To transfer goods and services, heavy amount of fuel is consumed which has led to degradation of the environment due to increase in pollution. The fuel used in transportation of goods has led to increase in the amount of fossil fuels burned to produce fuel. . s waste is being dumped in oceans and this dumping process has ruined the underwater life and has led to increase in chemicals being deposited to oceans. For example: during the period of 2010, oil spill from the containers of British Petroleum ended up damaging the ocean in a very negative manner and this happens to be one of the several harmful effects of globalization on the environment (Cook, 2010, p.214). Increase in industrialization along with globalization has led to an increase in the amount of chemicals that are dumped into soil and due to this several plants as well as weeds have been produced.

The waste that is toxic in nature and is dumped in soil has severally damaged plant life and had interfered with the natural way of growth of plants. Throughout the world heavy cut down of forests are taking place as wood obtained from forests is used in production of several goods such as furniture and paper. Due to this, carbon dioxide in the environment has increased and release of oxygen by plants has decreased. Similarly, cut down of mountainous regions have even been conducted to create new roads and for real estate purposes and this has long term negative impacts on human health.

Plastic is being heavily used throughout that world for several purposes such as packaging and this plastic is not renewable in nature. Plastic is used in then discarded in form of waste which is negatively impacting the environment. Plastic bags tend to enter water lines as well as beaches and as plastic waste is burned, it result in emission of fumes that are toxic in nature and these fumes tend to impact the environment in a negative manner. According to Savedge, more than 100,000 marine animals experience death or are murdered by animals as they dump plastic bags in oceans and