GEN499 Discussion Week 2 Globalization and Its Ethical Implications

Globalization is associated with both positive effects and negative effects. On the positive side, globalization helps in the growth of the world economy.  This is because several countries are able to interact and this results in growth of technologies and the countries can also trade freely with each other. On the negative side, globalization is associated with issues such as food security and climate change(Bhargava, 2006).

One of the ethical issues associated with the global societal issue of climate change is increased accumulation of gases such as carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.  This is known as the greenhouse effect. These gases are as a result of the burning of fossil fuels. The fossil fuels are used by some industries across the world. The accumulation of gases in the atmosphere leads to global warming. Another ethical issue associated with climate change is decreased food production. Climate change leads to unfavorable conditions that are not able to support agricultural production. Some of the unfavorable conditions are increased temperatures due to global warming and lack of rainfall as a result of deforestation( Bhargava, 2006)

Globalization is one of the major causes of the ethical issues mentioned above. Globalization has led to an increase in industrialization across the world.  Most industries use fossil fuels for the production of energy. The burning of the fossil fuels is what leads to global warming. This therefore implies that globalization indirectly leads to global warming. As a result of the greenhouse effect produced by globalization, there is decreased food production.

However, solutions for the mentioned ethical dilemmas can be deduced. Humans have the required organizational and technological abilities to prevent the accumulation of gases in the atmosphere. The reduction in accumulation of gases in the atmosphere can be achieved by using fuels other than fossil fuels to carry out industrial activities. It is also possible to adapt to the effects of climate change without having to reduce global economic growth or increasing poverty in the developing counties. Adaptation to the effects of climate change requires a better understanding of these effects on the economy and the society in general (Sachs,2010)

References

Bhargava, V. K. (Ed.). (2006). Global issues for global citizens : An introduction to key development challenges. Retrieved from https://ebookcentral-proquest-com.proxy-library.ashford.edu

Sachs, J. (2010). Globalization in the Era of Environmental Crisis. International Trade Forum, 1, 7