What is environmental awareness?

Environmental awareness is a person's insight

into the fact that humans can damage the
natural environment - and thus their own
livelihood - by interfering with it or endangering
its natural balance.

Why is Environmental Awareness Important?

People possess an ethical responsibility to
shield the human surroundings and boost the
sustainable development of the whole world for
centuries. Environmental degradation is harmful
additionally will be endangering the longterm
wellness insurance and security of most plants,
animals, and individuals. More than it truly is
vital that we comprehend our activities have
about the environmental surroundings. In-order
are able to aware, we ought to take actions to
guard Earth and reverse quite a few of those
injuries caused by respective activities.
Definition
           The World Health Organization defines
Globalization as " the increased interconnectedness and
interdependence of peoples and
countries, is typically understood to integrate two
interrelated elements: the opening of international borders
to increasingly fast flows of products, services, finance,
people and ideas; and therefore, the changes in
institutions and policies at national and international
levels that facilitate or promote such flows." 

A brief history of Globalization

           It was all started in the 1st Century BC when
China's luxury materials (Silk) appeared in Rome; the
mode of transportation used is known as Silk Road;
eventually, the trade started at the global level (Vanham,
2019). The Silk Road transportation stopped due to the
fall of the empires after few centuries, and in the long run,
during Marco Polo's late medieval time with the rise of
the Mongols, the trade among the nations reopened
(Vanham, 2019).
           In the 7th century, Islamic merchants dominated
the trade, and by the 9th century, goods were traveled
across the Mediterranean and Indian oceans as far as
Indonesia and Spain (Vanham, 2019). This route is called
the Spice route due to Spices' trades among the countries;
however, the globalization era still did not establish till
the 15th century (Vanham, 2019).
           The era of the 15th-18th century is known as the
Age of Discovery, when the Europeans traveled and
accidentally discovered America (Vanham, 2019).
Scientific Revolution also took place during this period
(Vanham, 2019).
           The first wave of Globalization was started in
1914, with the establishment of the British Emperor
(Vanham, 2019). Industrial Revolution took place in this
era with the innovations of Steam engines and weaving
machines. The transportation and the production of
materials upsurged, making this era the marking point of
global trade (Vanham, 2019).
           The second and third wave of globalization that
occurred after World War II was the beginning of the
global economy; the Second Industrial Revolution took
place with cars and planes' inventions, and the global
trade started rising (Vanham, 2019). After that, when the
World Trade Organization was established, the countries
worldwide were encouraged to sign the free-trade
agreements, and most of the nations did (Vanham, 2019).
In 2001, a new technology called the Internet virtually
connected the people making this innovation a Third
Industrial Revolution (Vanham, 2019).
           Globalization 4.0, the current period enabled by
artificial intelligence innovations, 3D printing, e-
commerce, and digital services (Vanham, 2019). The
threatening effects of present globalization cannot be
overlooked; hacking, cyber-attacks, and its negative
impacts on the environment, such as pollution, decreasing
biodiversity, and greenhouse gas emission (Vanham,
2019).

Globalization and its effects on the Environment

           Every coin has two sides; similarly, Globalization
has unequivocally developed the world but, indeed,
destroyed the environment. Water, air, and land, all the
three main resources for survival, are polluted due to
globalization.

Air Pollution
           Climate change is the first notable thing we see due
to globalization; an increase in temperature and decrease
in annual rainfall made it extremely difficult situations to
yield and grow crops, leading to food scarcity (Nichols,
2019). The emission of deadly and harmful greenhouse
gases by industries, vehicles, and factories affected
millions of people (Jensen, 2018). Every year 9 million
people died due to pollution, and air pollution is
responsible for 6.5 million of these deaths (Jensen, 2018).
           The rise in air pollution is due to the increase in
demands for goods and materials; in the past, people used
to consume and utilize locally available resources, but
now with the availability of varieties of products at low
rates, the demand increases, and that inclined the
transportation of materials through planes and ships
which leads to the emission of harmful gases into the
atmosphere causing terrible air pollution (Globalization
and its Impact on the Environment, 2020).
           Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases (COPD),
Asthma, Asbestosis, Silicosis, Bronchitis, Cardiovascular
diseases, and Ischemic Heart Disease are the diseases
occurred chiefly due to air pollution (Xu-Qin, Xiao-Dong,
& Di, 2016). Pollutants present in the air due to fossil fuel
combustion impact the human body's organs and systems.
Air pollution even harms the urinary system, digestive
system, and nervous system also increases mortality rates
(Xu-Qin, Xiao-Dong, & Di, 2016).
Water Pollution
           Harmful chemicals are released by industries into
the water's reservoirs, causing the death and extinction of
many marine species and polluting the freshwater.
Untreated polluted water kills approximately 1.7 million
people worldwide (Rudra, 2016). Groundwater and
Aquifers are under threat due to overly increase usage;
this has happened due to the free-trade and foreign direct
investments where developing countries face difficulties
in attracting trades, thus uses low-cost policies which are
generally not sustainable and increases water usage along
with the high amount of wastewater production (Rudra,
2016).
Land Pollution
           Various toxins and waste generated by industries
are dumped into the soil, which affects its fertility,
thereby increasing the growth of poisonous weeds and
plants (Globalization and its Impact on the Environment,
2020). This toxic waste interferes with the plant's genetic
makeup and causes severe damage, leading to the
destruction of the plants and trees where this waste is
dumped, ultimately causes barren lands (Globalization
and its Impact on the Environment, 2020).
           There are numerous adverse and detrimental
effects of globalization, which are often neglected until
it's too late; hence, although globalization has brought
many positive changes, certainly it has vastly affected the
environment and the lives on the earth.

Benefits of Globalization
           Many environmentalists believe that increase in
global demand occurred at the cost of the depletion of
natural resources, and harming the environment,
supported it with the race-to-the-bottom hypothesis
(Afesorgbor & Demena, 2018). However, deglobalization
does not guarantee reducing greenhouse gases, and with
the innovations of environmentally friendly technologies
and transporting them to countries with low
environmental standards; Globalization actually aids in
reducing harmful effects on the environment (Afesorgbor
& Demena, 2018).
           Public awareness and preferences for
environmentally friendly products are increased due to
globalization. Think about it, information transformation
and awareness of using organic, recycle, and reusable
products passed through technology- an innovation of
globalization.
           World Trade Organization (WTO) is now
encouraging Sustainable development and
Environmentally friendly trade policies (Afesorgbor &
Demena, 2018). Green provisions of the WTO guide
countries to conserve exhaustible resources and protect
plants, animals, and human lives (Afesorgbor & Demena,
2018).
           The cons of Globalization on health and the
environment are uncountable, howbeit, there are some
benefits too. For instance, milder winter reduces the
occurrence of Stroke; a hotter climate reduces mosquitoes
that decline the mortalities that happened due to malaria
(Nichols, 2019).

Negative Aspect of Globalization

           The following reasons are the points why
globalization is a very major obstacle in sustainable
development (Tverberg, 2013);
1. Use of non-renewable resources rapidly.
2. Increase in greenhouse gas emission.
3. Globalization makes it virtually impossible for a
country to foresee its action on the world and the
environment.
4. Increase in fossil fuel prices.
5. Transfer of oil consumption from developed to
developing countries.
6. Encouraging dependence on other countries for goods
and supplies.
7. Sets up a currency "race to the bottom" where the
country drops the prices to gain export advantage.