Essay Reflection Draft 02

In my essay, I wrote about the environmental impacts mentioned by Goldin during his TED talk. I believe that the destruction of the environment is the most pressing issue as it affects humans as much as it affects the flora and fauna. In order to mitigate the problem, government policies were implemented and efforts were made to clean up polluted ecosystems. Organisations provided funds in an attempt to maintain the wellbeing of the environment. Despite the efforts undertaken, it is difficult to fully eradicate the consequences globalisation caused to nature.

When planning the essay, I debated addressing the social inequality faced by people. As the world became more integrated, the impoverished are unable to close the widening income gap between them and the affluent. This is turn leads to social disparity. This problem can be alleviated and is reversible to some extent with a lot of assistance from the government and international organisations. Hence, I decided to write about environmental issues instead because destruction of the environment has a detrimental impact on the planet.

Writing this essay was challenging in some areas due to the lack of evidence to support the effect of environmental policies as some is exaggerated to prove the effectiveness of the policies. Reports regarding the success of Kyoto Protocol may be difficult to accept because the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) want to promote the rectification of the protocol. Therefore, the success of the protocol may be largely exaggerated in order to garner support from the countries. Nonetheless, it was relatively easy to write the essay as I have some prior knowledge of globalisation from studying geography and reading articles related to environment issues.

In conclusion, the process of constructing the essay has allowed me to improve my grammar and sentence structure. I have also learnt how to use the APA format when listing literature cited. At the same time, I learn more about the different kinds of policies implemented to alleviate environmental problems.

Globalisation Essay Final Draft

In his TED talk, Goldin presented some problems that arose due to rapid globalization. He states that the deterioration of biodiversity and ecosystem, climate change, financial crisis and the widening gap in social equality are the major problems faced by the world today. Globalisation is the growing interconnectedness of people and places through converging processes of economic, political and cultural changes. It has caused countries to become increasingly integrated among one another because of the advances in technology. In my opinion, the most significant problem is the environmental impact due to large-scale human activities.

The world we live in today has adopted the capitalist ideology, which promotes the growth of a consumerist and materialistic society. This in turn results in unnecessary wastage and overconsumption as well as exploitation of natural resources as the majority of the nations would exploit the advantages nature has to offer in order to ensure progress. Thus, biodiversity and the ecosystem are deteriorating due to over exploitation and the large demand for resources. Human activities such as deforestation, agricultural processes, and vehicle exhaustion had increased the carbon emissions into the atmosphere, further contributing to global warming. At the same time, harmful chemicals released are polluting the environment, destroying natural habitats and endangering the ecosystem. Hence, in an attempt to mitigate the problem, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have come together to resolve the environmental issues. The United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) is one example of such NGOs as it assists countries in implementing environmentally sound policies and practices, and promotes the wise use and sustainable development of the global environment.

To enforce the importance of ecosystem management, international organisations pressured countries to limit economic activites that may be harmful to the environment. By doing so, countries will have no choice but to obey the demands of these NGOs to prevent loss of potential trade partners. An example of political pressure was showed during the 2008 Beijing Olympics whereby China received tremendous global pressure to reduce carbon emissions and pollutants as the particles in the air could be deadly to athletes (Soos, 2012). China was listed as the largest carbon dioxide emitter, overtaking the United States since 2007 (Rosenthal, 2008). However, intimidating countries may not be effective enough to significantly reduce the impact on the deteriorating environment. China did not rectify the Kyoto Protocol even though it was faced with much global pressure. China is still the largest carbon dioxide emitter followed by the United States today. Hence, international influence on the country may be effective to a limited extent, as some countries do not want to dampen their local economic growth by reducing industrialization. Due to the nature of the world today, economic success has become the main focus of every country. In order to no lose out in the global market, countries tend to place a larger emphasis on profit instead of protecting the environment. Therefore, international organisations may not be able to achieve its ideal impact on protecting the environment.

Another solution to resolve environmental degradation is to pump in large amounts of funds to remove the pollutants in the natural environment. Governments would fund projects that help to preserve endangered habitats and clean polluted ecosystems. In many less developed countries, there is a lack in monetary power for proper disposal of waste material. Unregulated dumping of sewage and industrial waste polluted many water sources.  Sewage can also carry potent human pathogens as well as toxic chemicals. The Suzhou Creek Rehabilitation Project was implemented in 1999 to improve water quality, strengthen water resources management, and improve flood control (ADB, 2005). The first phase of the plan has successfully completed in 2003. It was able to alleviate the odor and pathogens from the sewage and realised social, environmental, and economic benefits. This shows that cleaning up the environment by the government is effective. However, it might be unfair to less developed countries, as they do not have the necessary resources to mitigate the problems they face. In order to maintain the ecosystem, large amounts of money are required to fund the costly projects to clear up waste. These countries may often be in monetary debt and thus unable to produce the funds to maintain the environment. At the same time, poorer countries would tend to disregard environmental issues as they focus on economic growth.

In conclusion, globalisation can be a boon or bane for countries. The impact on the environment due to human activities can be alleviated with political influence and large government funded projects. However, we should protect the environment from the smallest of actions by recycling and reducing waste. We are after all, ‘caretakers’ of the planet as the most intelligent species on Earth.

Literature cited: 

Asian Development Bank, 2005. Suzhou Creek Rehabilitation Project (Loan 1692-PRC) In the People’s Republic of China. Retrived from http://www2.adb.org/Documents/PCRs/PRC/pcr-prc-32121.pdf

Goldin, Ian. 2009. Navigating our global future. Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/talks/ian_goldin_navigating_our_global_future.html

Ghose, Tia. 2013. Global carbon emissions to reach record level. Retrived from http://www.livescience.com/41326-2013-carbon-emissions-record-levels.html

Rosenthal, Elisabeth. 2008. China Increases Lead as Biggest Carbon Dioxide Emitter. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/14/world/asia/14china.html?_r=0

Soos, Andy. 2012. Beijing 2008 Olympics Air Quality. Retrieved from http://www.enn.com/pollution/article/44710

Zarco, T. H. (2014). The Influence of Materialism on Consumer Preferences: A Conjoint Analysis Approach. Philippine Management Review, 21.

Globalisation Draft 2

In his TED talk, Goldin presented some problems that arose due to rapid globalisation. He states that destruction in biodiversity and ecosystem, climate change, financial crisis and inequality are major problems faced by the world (Goldin, 2009) Globalisation is the growing interconnectedness of people and places through converging processes of economic, political, and cultural changes. It has caused countries to become increasingly integrated among one another because of the advances in technology. Goldin stressed the two pressing consequences of an intricate interconnected world. Firstly, globalisation induces social inequality as developmental gap widens between the affluent and the impoverished. Only the privileged will have the opportunity to take part in the global community. Secondly, as countries become more integrated with each other, pandemics and financial collapse can affect every country.

The most significant problem is the environmental impact due to large-scale human activities. Industrialisation has increased the carbon emission to the atmosphere, which results in rising global temperatures. At the same time, harmful chemicals were released pollute the environment, destroying natural habitats and endangering the ecosystem. In addition, the world has adopted capitalism which promotes the growth of a consumerist and materialistic society. Thus, resulting in wastage and overconsumption as well as exploitation of natural resources. Hence in an attempt to mitigate the problem, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) had come together to resolve the environmental issue. The United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) assists countries in implementing environmentally sound policies and practices. Another solution is for the cooperation to integrate green technology in their products.

As the world today place a large emphasis on economic growth, majority of the nations would exploit the advantages nature has to offer in order to ensure progress. Thus, biodiversity and ecosystem are deteriorating due to over exploitation and large demand for resources.  In order to protect the environment, international organisations pressures countries to limit their economic activities in order to reduce the impact it may have on the ecosystem. By doing so, countries would have no choice but to oblige to the demands of these organisations. This is because these supranational bodies may place sanctions against their country, causing them to suffer because they are overly dependent on other nations due to the effects of globalisation. An example of political pressure is evident during the 2008 Beijing Olympics whereby China received tremendous global pressure to reduce carbon emissions and pollutants. China was listed as the largest carbon dioxide emitter in EDGAR in 2012 (Ghose, 2013). However, intimidating countries may not be effective enough to significantly reduce the impact on biodiversity. China did not rectify the Kyoto Protocol even though it was faced with much global pressure. China is still the largest carbon dioxide emitter followed by United States. 

Hence, international influence on the country may be effective to a limited extent as some countries do not want to dampen their local economic growth by reducing industrialisation. Due to the nature of the world today, economic success has become the main focus of every country. In order to not lose out in the global market, countries tend to place a higher emphasis on profit instead of protecting the environment. Therefore, international organisations may not achieve its ideal impact on protecting the environment. 

Another solution to resolve environmental degradation is to pump in large amounts of funds to remove the pollutants in the natural environment. Governments would fund projects that helps to preserve endangered habitats and clean polluted ecosystem. Despite China’s efforts on environmental protection, it is not sufficient to cover the environmental needs. Shanghai has attempted to clean up the Suzhou River that was polluted by unregulated dumping of sewage and industrial waste. Therefore, it is evident that not enough is being done to alleviate the problem of environmental deterioration. A possible reason is because China does no have the necessary resources to mitigate the problems they face.

In conclusion, globalisation can be a boon or bane for countries. It can cause destruction to Mother Nature and conflicts to arise between the poor and rich. At the same time, it can also bring about advancements in different areas such as science, transportation and communication. Despite nations' efforts to protect the environment, I believe much more could be done to save and preserve the endangered ecosystem. 

Literature cited: 

Goldin, Ian. 2009. Navigating our global future. Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/talks/ian_goldin_navigating_our_global_future.html

Ghose, Tia. 2013. Global carbon emissions to reach record level. Retrived from http://www.livescience.com/41326-2013-carbon-emissions-record-levels.html

Globalisation Draft 01

In his TED talk, Goldin presented some problems that arose due to rapid globalisation. He states that destruction in biodiversity and ecosystem, climate change, financial crisis and inequality are major problems faced by the world. Globalisation is the growing interconnectedness of people and places through converging processes of economic, political, and cultural changes. It has caused countries to become increasingly integrated among one another because of the advances in technology. Goldin stressed the two pressing consequences of an intricate interconnected world. Firstly, globalisation induces social inequality as developmental gap widens between the affluent and the impoverished. Only the privileged will have the opportunity to take part in the global community. Secondly, as countries become more integrated with each other, pandemics and financial collapse can affect every country.

The most significant problem is the environmental impact due to large-scale human activities. Industrialisation has increased the carbon emission to the atmosphere, which results in rising global temperatures. At the same time, harmful chemicals were released pollute the environment, destroying natural habitats and endangering the ecosystem. In addition, the world has adopted capitalism which promotes the growth of a consumerist and materialistic society. Thus, resulting in wastage and overconsumption as well as exploitation of natural resources. Hence in an attempt to mitigate the problem, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) had come together to resolve the environmental issue. The United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) assists countries in implementing environmentally sound policies and practices. Another solution is for the cooperation to integrate green technology in their products.

As the world today place a large emphasis on economic growth, majority of the nations would exploit the advantages nature has to offer in order to ensure progress. Thus, biodiversity and ecosystem are deteriorating due to over exploitation and large demand for resources.  In order to protect the environment, international organisations pressures countries to limit their economic activities in order to reduce the impact it may have on the ecosystem. By doing so, countries would have no choice but to oblige to the demands of these organisations. This is because these supranational bodies may place sanctions against their country, causing them to suffer because they are overly dependent on other nations due to the effects of globalisation. An example of political pressure is evident during the 2008 Beijing Olympics whereby China received tremendous global pressure to reduce carbon emissions and pollutants. China was listed as the largest carbon dioxide emitter in EDGAR in 2012. However, intimidating countries may not be effective enough to significantly reduce the impact on biodiversity. China did not rectify the Kyoto Protocol even though it was faced with much global pressure. China is still the largest carbon dioxide emitter followed by United States. Despite China’s efforts on environmental protection, it is not sufficient to cover the environmental needs. Shanghai has attempted to clean up the Suzhou River that was polluted by unregulated dumping of sewage and industrial waste. Therefore, it is evident that not enough is being done to alleviate the problem of environmental deterioration. A possible reason is because China does no have the necessary resources to mitigate the problems they face.

Nonetheless, globalisation has a positive impact on the environment due to the use of green technologies and increased awareness. The advancements in technologies have enabled MNCs to conduct researches to reduce the impact of human activities on the environment. Environmentally friendly products such as hybrid cars are introduced as they typically have fewer carbon emissions compared to regular cars.

Another pressing problem faced by the nations due to globalisation is inequality. Increased global trade have no benefitted all countries equally. Countries such as many African less developing countries (LDCs) have little to offer to attract potential investors and hence receive very limited investments from the developed countries (DCs), resulting in disparity in wealth accumulation and hence uneven socio-economic development. Globalisation further accentuates uneven development within countries, as most foreign investments are often concentrated in urban areas, not rural areas. Therefore, to reduce the widening development gap between nations, nations would require implementing policies that can attract foreign investments. This in turn will create more jobs for the people, increasing demand for goods and services and economy will progress. Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has had talks during May 2013 to address the development gap in ASEAN. It has been reported that even though disparity between the rich and poor is narrowing, more has to be done. However, it is not easy to eradicate socio-economic inequality. Variations in resource endowment and bad governance might prevent the gap from narrowing. These issues are difficult to tackle, as regional and global organisations are unable to assist the country directly.

In conclusion, globalisation can be a boon or bane for countries. It can cause destruction to Mother Nature and conflicts to arise between the poor and rich. At the same time, it can also bring about advancements in different areas such as science, transportation and communication. 

References: 

http://www.ted.com/talks/ian_goldin_navigating_our_global_future.html

http://www.asean.org/news/asean-secretariat-news/item/tackling-development-gaps-in-asean

http://www.livescience.com/41326-2013-carbon-emissions-record-levels.html

Reader's response (Final draft)

In order to remain competitive in the English speaking global community, then Prime Minister of Malaysia Mahathir bin Mohamad introduced the PPSMI policy in 2003. This policy was targeted at making a new generation of Malaysians who would be able to communicate in the international language. However, the Malaysian government has decided to abolish its policy on English teaching, as the final results were not ideal. They believe that by teaching in English, it will cause the dilution of their national culture.

In my opinion, the Malaysian government removed the policy despite the risks of a decline in their economic growth was agreeable. At the same time, it is not justifiable that having an English speaking education system would bring about economic success. This was mainly due to the lack of manpower in the education sector. Teaching in English requires many capable teachers who are able to converse and speak well in English. Hence, only the privileged schools have the opportunity to hire English speaking teachers to teach. Therefore, causing a possible skill disparity between English schools and other schools. Students who attend English school would have an advantage in the global economy when looking for a job, whereas the rest of the students would be limited to local companies. Thus, it will be unfair to students who work equally hard.

On the other hand, teaching in English might undermine the Malaysian traditions. Singapore is a very good example whereby its younger generations are weak in their mother tongue. It has become increasingly common to find young Singaporeans who do not and cannot speak their language. As families shift towards westernised cultures, traditions are slowly forgotten. Hence in an attempt to preserve the Malaysian identity, the policy was removed.

In conclusion, I agree with the Malaysian government revoking the policy because it would result in a disparity in skills. This might social problems to arise and conflicts to occur. In addition, it is important not the lose sight of local traditions as the west has a profound influence over everything.

Reader's response (Draft 01)

In order to remain competitive in the English speaking global community, then Prime Minister of Malaysia Mahathir bin Mohamad introduced the PPSMI policy in 2003. This policy was targeted at making a new generation of Malaysians who will be able to communicate in the international language. However, Malaysian government has decided to abolish its policy on English teaching, as the final results were not ideal. They believe that by teaching in English, it will cause Malaysians to lose their culture.

In my opinion, the Malaysian government removing the policy despite the risks of decline in their economic growth was agreeable. At the same time, it is not justified that having an English speaking education system would bring about economic success. This is mainly due to the lack of manpower in the education sector. Teaching in English requires many capable teachers who are able to converse and speak well in English. Hence, only a small percentage of schools would have the privilege to hire English-speaking teachers to teach. Thus, it may result in a skill disparity between English schools and other schools. Students who attend English school would have an advantage in the global economy for a job, whereas the rest of the students would only be limited to local companies. Therefore, it would be unfair to students who work equally hard.

Teaching in English might undermine the Malaysian traditions. Singapore is a very good example whereby its younger generations are weak in their mother tongue. It has become increasingly common to find young Singaporeans who do not and cannot speak their language. As families shift to westernized cultures, traditions are slowly forgotten. Hence in an attempt to preserve the Malaysian identity, the policy was removed.

            In conclusion, I agree to the Malaysian government drop the policy because it will result in skill disparity, which would cause conflicts between different people. In addition, it is important not to lose sight of our traditions as the west has a profound influence over everything.

http://www.malaysia-chronicle.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=187121:ppsmi-scrapped-too-soon?-dr-m%E2%80%99s-appeal-for-english-proficiency-gets-support&Itemid=2#ixzz2shs3PUbX