Impact of Economic Globalization on Environmental Pollution

GEOGRAPHY ESSAYS
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Although pollution of the environment can be caused by natural events like active volcanoes,
forest fires among others, the application of the word pollution is meant for the contaminants
that possess anthropogenic sources(Lewis and Maslin 2015). These are basically sources that are
created by human beings. As the economy of the world continues to expand, the rate of release
of contaminants to the environment also increases. This process has been accelerated with the
global interaction that views the globe as a small village whose members are in continuous
interaction for the common benefit(Qureshi et al 2015).
Globalization has had a significant impact on the lifestyle that people live today.
Through economic globalization, there has been faster access to technology, innovation as well
as improved communication(Smith, Hargroves, Desha 2010). Other than the important role that
economic globalization has played to bring people of different culture together, a new era in the
economic prosperity has been ushered in. This has, in turn, opened up vast channels of
development(Campbell & Corvalán 2007). The economic globalization has created some
concern and prominent in the list is its environmental impact. There has been an intensive debate
on the impacts of this process and its far-reaching effects have been highlighted by several
groups including the green activist(Banana, Mohamed and Al-Gheethi, 2016).
To start with, the economic globalization has led to the increased consumption of
products some of which have affected the ecological cycle. As the consumption of the goods
increases, the production also increases and consequently there is pressure exerted on the
environment. The production of goods usually involves the transportation of raw materials as
well as finished products from one place to another. Prior to the era of economic globalization,
there was consumption of locally grown food but this has changed today. There is consumption
of goods that have been imported from various countries(Eriksen, et al.2013)..

The quantity of fuel that is burnt during the transportation of these commodities release carbon
particles and other emissions in the air that impact the environment negatively. There other
environmental concern like landscape intrusion and noise pollution that are currently
experienced(Guan, Peters, Weber and Hubacek 2009). Due to the processes of transportation,
there is a lot of strain on the non-renewable sources of energy including gasoline. Some of these
gases that are emitted from the aircraft have resulted in the depletion of the ozone layer besides
increasing the greenhouse effect(Hopwood, Mellor and O'Brien 2005).
The production processes usually take place in the industries. The industrial wastes
that form part of the production process are laden in ships before they are dumped into the seas
and oceans. This has led to the deposition of harmful chemical that has, in turn, claimed aquatic
life. The damaged that was caused to the ecosystem when oil spilled from one leaking container
of the British petroleum back in 2010 can be taken as one perfect example of the contribution of
economic globalization to the environmental pollution(Jamil et al. 2015).
As a result of economic globalization and industrialization, there has been the
dumping of chemicals into the soil. These chemicals have been responsible for the growth of
noxious plants and weeds(Brimblecombe 2005). The genetic makeups of the plants have been
altered by some of this chemical that has consequently led to their extinction. There has been a
lot of pressure on land resources due to globalization. In varies parts of the world, mountains
have been cut through so as to allow for the creation of the highway or passing tunnels. Large
barren lands have undergone encroachment to allow for the construction of buildings(Ogunkunle
and Fatoba 2013).