B+-+Globalization+-+Social+and+Environmental+Challenges

=Globalization - Social and Environmental Challenges=

**__An Interdependent World__**
Interdependence was a large effect of globalization, which is the process by which national economies, politics, cultures, and societies become integrated with those of other nations around the world. Some things that made the world more interdependent were improvements in transportation and communication, the spread of democratic systems, and the rise of free trade. The buying and selling of goods by private people and companies in a free market have also made the world more interdependent. Companies in industrial nations choose to outsource jobs,which is the process of sending work to the developing world in order to save money or increase efficiancy. Many technological jobs have been outsourced to the Phillipines, Russia, India, and China. Globalization has promoted the rise of large multinational corporations. The corporations have assets and branches in various countries and sell their services and goods all around the world. Critics feel that multinational corporations have too big of an influence on the prices of goods, take large profits out of developing countries, and pay workers low wages. One aspect of interdependence is financial interdependence in the world's markets, which means that an economic crises in a country or a region can have a global impact. For example the Asian financial crisis that affected Asian tigers int he late 1990s. Natural resources like energy resources play a huge roll in an interdependent world. All nations need oil for transportation and for products ranging from plastic to fertilizers. If there are any changes that happen to the global supply of oil, it can create a major impact on economies and lives around the world. For example, when the OPEC limited oil exports and raised the price of oil in 1973 economic shock waves were sent across the world. In the 1980s the world economy slowed while bank interest rates rose. Poor nations found it hard to pay back debts from borrowing capital to modernize. Banks had to deal with billions of dollars of bad debts. To ease the crisis, lenders lowered interest rates, gave some nations more time to repay loans, or even canceled debts.
 * __INTERDEPENDENCE-__** The dependence of countries on each other for goods, resources, knowledge, and labor from other parts of the world.

__**Global Trade Organizations and Treaties**__
There were many organizations created by nations to help solve economic issues, promote free trade, and create development. One of the most important international organizations created was the United Nations. It deals with issues in all aspects of nations and its responsibilities and numbers of members have expanded over time. The International Monetary Fund helps promote global economic growth among nations. There are also non-governmental organizations that try to. __**THE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION**__ is an organization that more than 100 nations joined. It was set up to facilitate global trade and strengthened the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. The GATT was signed to expand world trade and reduce tariffs.The WTO opposed __**PROTECTIONISM**__, or the use of tariffs and other restrictions that protect a country's home industries against competition. __**BLOCS**__, or groups were formed to promote trade and meet common needs of nations. Other organizations such as NAFTA, EU, APEC, and OPEC broke down barriers between trade in countries and encouraged the free exchange of their goods and services. =__**Costs and Benefits of Global Trade**__= Global trade brought buyers a large variety in the types of goods & Services that are accesible. Globalization exposed people to new ideas, technology, and communication. Global trade encouraged people to expand their technology and communications. Success in gobal trade earns moneythat is then used by raising the standard of living and for providing better services. The Nations that use free trade are generally more democratic. In general the Anti-globalizers focus their attention on poverty. Many of them say that rich countries take advantage of the poor countrie by raising the debt and lowering their standard of living.The Anti-globalization movement is often aimed at he world blank and the IMF. Both of the organizations try to ease economic problems. They also targeted the U.S. because it is the worlds super power and is viewed as the force behind policies they go up against. Some say this helps profits, encourages rapid development. Some others though say that globalization hurts people by taking their lands and disrupting their culture. __**SUSTAINABILITY**__ is the ability to meet the needs of present.

= = =__Global Poverty, Disasters, and Disease__= Poverty is more commonly seen in developing countries, but is still effecting over half the population worldwide. Along with poverty comes suffering from disease and extreme hunger and almost a billion people in the world are illiterate. Poverty is a complicated issue among experts because of the many different ways to measure poverty. However, the gaps between rich and poor nations is increasing and the efforts to reduce poverty aren't consistent. Many of the nations that have poverty have underlying issues that go along with it, including debt, wars, and ineffective plans to get rid of poverty. The World Bank is an organization dedicated to reducing poverty and encouraging rich nations to help those in need. Natural diseases cause problems for countries that can't be easily or timely fixed. In 2004 a __**TSUNAMI**__, or massive tidal wave, destroyed more than 160,000 people in Indonesia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and India. There are many different types of natural disasters but they destroy economies worldwide. Globalization helped news of disasters spread instantly. == Disease spread greatly due to people constantly moving. __**EPIDEMICS**__ are a type of disease that spreads rapidly, such as HIV/AIDS which has been a problem since 1980. This epidemic effects Africa and Southeast Asia more than any other areas in the world, but it still effects countries around the world. Poverty lead many countries to hunger and this poses a threat to millions of people each day. Hunger can become __**FAMINE**__, or large numbers of people in a region face death due to starvation. Natural disasters, wars, and human activity can cause famine. Migration was a huge result of globalization. Some people chose to migrate and others were __**REFUGEES**__, or people forced to move because of poverty, war, natural disasters, or persecution. Migrants are usually in search of a better life, but are faced withproblems such as finding jobs and discrimination in developed countries. Europe, Asia, and North America are destinations for millions of immigrants each year.

= = =__Human Rights__= In 1948 the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was approved, it stated all people were entitled to basic rights "..without distinction of any kind, such as race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property birth or other status." By the 1950s, women had won the right to vote in most European nations, as well as Japan, China, Brazil, and other countries. More than 165 countries have ratified new women's human rights treaty. The UN also condemns violence and discrimination against women. In the developing world, more and more women now work outside of their homes. They began working at high profile jobs as business owners and executives, scientists and technicians. Even after the women's rights were past, they often still receive less pay for the same job that men do. Worldwide, children suffer many terrible abuses including effects of extreme poverty, armed conflict and AIDS. Children are the m ain targets of human rights violations. Some nations across the world children are forced to serve as slaves or soldiers. In 1989, the UN General Assembly approved the Convention on the Rights of the Child. This treaty for human rights set standards for the basic rights of a child, it includes the right to life, education, liberty, and healthcare. Ensuring these rights has been difficult but now days they are put into greater effect then they were years ago. Indigenous peoples-including Native Americans, Aborigines in Australia, and Maoris in New Zealand also face abuses and discrimination. Because of their race, land has been forcefully taken from them, causing Indigenous people to be pushed into once-isolated areas. The UN has worked to set standards to help and protect the rights if indigenous peoples.

=__**Development and the Enviorment**__= Since 1970 some enviormentalists have warned about threats to the enviorment. Chemicals and fertilizers have been foundn to produce larger food crops but harm the soil and water. It is even found to cause certain cancers. Many of the oil spills have polluted water wways and killed marine life. Pollutioooon fromm nuclear plants has also been a concern since along time ago the soviet unioon exposed people, crops and animals to radiation. Deforestation is a huge threat to africa, latin america and asia. People cut down the trees to sell in stores all around. Also some burned them down to make way for farms and cattle ranches. After the foressts are cleared the rain washes nutrients from the soil, destroying its fertility. Deforestation can cause the wearing away of land, which brings on land. Global warming is a big debate. Global warming could create a rise in sea level, change the weather patterns, increase percipitatioon. Scientists have found that earths temperature has risen a little bit over the last centurary. This happened because of humans burning fossil fuels. But some have found that global warming only occurs because of natural causes. The Kyoto protocol treaty was signed by 140 countries not including the U.S. or austrailia. The purpsse of the treaty was to lower the emissions of carboonnn dioxide that may contribute to global warming the U.S hasnt signed the treaty because they are afrait it could slow down the economic growth. **__Acid rain__**-A form of polution inn which toxic chemicals in the air fall back to earth as rain, snow, or hail. **__Deforestation__**-Cutting of trees without replacing them. __**Erosion**__-Wearing away of land, which encourages flooding. __**Global Warming**__-the rise of earths surface temperature over time.