A Planet on Life Support
By: Melina Farahmand
Founder + Owner
Past Present Future Co.
From Earth's beginning as a simple nebula to a fully formed planet, there have been multiple critical turning points in its evolution. Earth has undergone many stages in terms of its climate patterns known as glacial-interglacial cycles. Prior to humankind's takeover of the planet, these cycles were regular and what went up came back down. However, that is no longer the case anymore. Research shows that the "last of these ices ended around 20,000 years ago" (NOAA). Science predicts that the Earth's global temperature will continue to rise at unprecedented rates. For over a century, climate scientists have collected data on the Earth's temperature from millions of years ago through the use of ice cores. Essentially, climate scientists are using the past to predict the future. Based on the research they have compiled and continue to gather, the global temperatures are set to reach record highs in the next few years, and this is not because of nature's regular sequences. The results of rising temperatures have already proven to be devastating. As the issues of climate change and global warming rise, humanity will face more food shortages, an influx of climate refugees, mass extinction of species, loss of ecosystems, disastrous environmental catastrophes, glacial melting, and so much more. What exactly prompted all of this devastation to the environment and the planet? There are numerous accurate responses to this question, but the primary and prevailing perpetrator is globalization. As humanity continues to advance and evolve, the effects of globalization will further add stress to an already dying environment. Globalization and its associated environmental impacts will be felt dramatically in the years to come.
To understand its effects, we need to understand what the term globalization means. According to Harvard Business School, globalization is defined as "the increased flow of goods, services, capital, people, and ideas across international boundaries" (Harvard Business School). Essentially, globalization makes resources readily available to more people at relatively lower prices. While globalization has allowed for simple everyday tasks to be effortless to reach for all, its impacts on the environment are not as kind. In truth, globalization has created economic prosperity for developed nations, allowing for accelerated food production, higher goods, and more; but, simultaneously, globalization has harmed the Earth and its land. We can witness one example of the adverse effects of this revolutionizing, human-led practice at any rainforest on the planet. The Amazon Rainforest, also known as one of the planet's primary oxygen providers, is a strong example of corporate and government greed. People's destruction of the land is fueling globalist practices, which will be detrimental to the environment and humanity. While it helps provide a range of goods for people, the burning and cutting down of trees will contribute to inadequate oxygen and release Co2 back into the atmosphere, worsening climate change. Forests "moderate our climate. they make the climate on earth bearable for humans to live on the planet. we're now cutting these ecosystems down" (Future Makers). Globalization has also led to other issues such as overfishing, causing an adverse effect by decreasing biodiversity, which ties in with deforestation, ocean pacification, and more invasive species in various ecosystems. The World Wildlife Fund recently declared in a report: "that the population sizes of all organisms—including mammals, birds, fish, amphibians, and reptiles—have decreased 68 percent since 1970" (Harvard Business School). While this may not be an alarming fact to some, it does indicate that certain practices are causing more harm to our surroundings than most would care to admit. Eliminating biodiversity means eliminating vital parts of the environment. When our actions alter an element, it really alters multiple systems. Take, for example, the glaciers and icecaps in the Earth's polar regions. The global rise in the Earth's temperature (one of the adverse effects of globalization) has created a positive feedback loop that pushes the ice to continue melting. The more ice sheets that melt, the less sturdy ground animals like polar bears will have to hunt, leading to the extinction of an already limited species.
While it may feel like hope is lost as humans continue embracing harmful systems such as globalization, there are many inspiring ideas and innovations to keep us hopeful. Humanity is at a place in its lifeline where it presently recognizes its impact on the environment. Many knowledgeable and creative individuals worldwide work tirelessly to develop unique solutions to combat an unprecedented problem. One of these solutions is renewable energy, which utilizes existing gifts (wind, solar energy, geothermic, biomass, hydropower, nuclear, and more.) from the planet to help reduce our carbon footprint. The science behind renewables is revolutionizing and a glimmer of hope in one way to combat climate change. With the different methods of utilizing the Earth's natural gifts in ways that do not have a large carbon footprint, other geographical locations can use renewables in ways that work for them. For example, areas with little rainfall and more sun year-round can use solar panels as the primary energy source. At the same time, regions that have more precipitation and rivers can use hydropower. The best part about renewables is that multiple types can be in use. No area has to or should face limits to only one type of renewable resource; they have to use the ones that work best with the local sources and climate. There is much to be enthusiastic about with the list of possibilities. As seen in the film The Future Makers-Pioneering Sustainable Energy, "scientists across the eco-technology field are adopting biomimicry, or nature-inspired design principles." This work is as impressive as it is innovative. Another notable aspect of renewable energy is that it will provide many new clean jobs.
It is important to note that none of the alternatives (renewables) are full-proof and share their cons, the benefits are far better than anything coal, natural gas, and oil could provide. Moreover, the less dependent a country is on another for fossil fuels, the better their economy and the environment become. Renewable energy allows us to continue innovating and exploring while reducing our impact. In conjunction with a remodeled globalization format, renewable energy can help change the way tasks are completed, products are made and exported, and how people live their everyday lives. As Stafford highlights in his paper on global environmental change: "the concept of dynamic adaptation pathways can help to bring all these elements together and provide a structured approach of requisite complexity to complex decision-making that may otherwise dissolve into oversimplification or complexity-driven paralysis" (Haasnoot et al. 2013, Wise et al. 2014). By concentrating on big ideas and systems (ex:renewables), as discussed in Dr. Yeganehshakib's presentation, while working towards a structural change, humanity will have a strong shot at combating the climate crisis and protecting the planet for generations to come.
As custodians of the planet, we have a moral obligation to do everything in our power to protect the only place we have to call home. The Earth is not ours for the taking; we are merely her caretakers. As environmentalist Steve Irwin once said, “The single biggest threat to our planet is the destruction of habitat and along the way loss of precious wildlife. We need to reach a balance where people, habitat, and wildlife can co-exist – if we don’t everyone loses … one day.”
Works Cited
“The Future Makers: Pioneering Sustainable Energy.”
“Glacial-Interglacial Cycles.” National Climatic Data Center, www.ncdc.noaa.gov/abrupt-climate-change/Glacial-Interglacial%20Cycles.
“Globalization and Environment.” Harvard Kennedy School, www.hks.harvard.edu/centers/cid/publications/faculty-working-papers/globalization-and-environment.
“Hasn't Earth Warmed and Cooled Naturally Throughout History?: NOAA Climate.gov.” Hasn't Earth Warmed and Cooled Naturally throughout History? | NOAA Climate.gov, 29 Oct. 2020, www.climate.gov/news-features/climate-qa/hasnt-earth-warmed-and-cooled-naturally-throughout-history.
Origin of the Universe and the Earth, Columbia University , www.columbia.edu/~vjd1/origins.htm.
Smith, Mark Stafford. “Responding to Global Environmental Change.” Change: Combining Analytic Approaches with Street Wisdom, ANU Press, 2015.
Stobierski, Tim. “Effects of Globalization on the Environment.” Business Insights - Blog, Harvard Business School Online , 15 Apr. 2021, online.hbs.edu/blog/post/globalization-effects-on-environment.
“Study Confirms Climate Models Are Getting Future Warming Projections Right – Climate Change: Vital Signs of the Planet.” NASA, NASA, 26 Jan. 2021, climate.nasa.gov/news/2943/study-confirms-climate-models-are-getting-future-warming-projections-right/.
Yeganehshakib, Reza. “GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL HISTORY Part VI.” Online Summer Course. 28 July 2021, Santa Monica, Santa Monica College.
