Globalization In China

China and Globalization

In an ever changing world, the rapid growth of our cities and technology has prompted an interconnected, globalized world. A major cause of this global prosperity is the expansion and acceleration of trade. The comparative advantage (when protectionism is unnecessary) granted by a free market has maintained a relatively high amount of contact between countries and guaranteed an invariable sense of competitiveness for the cheapest and most innovative products. A prime example, China owes its profound economic growth to globalization. Known as the “world’s factory”, China is the largest supplier of cheap products in the world. However, such economic success has compatible, well- documented environmental consequences.

A powerful, cheap workforce also stimulates cheaper, more enticing products and, thus, more distribution of products around the world. A primary catalyst of globalization, transportation has been the cause of exponential increase in CO2 emissions. Seemingly, “aviation is responsible for 4-9% of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere.”(Loïc& Huwart 112) In addition, this process is not only unsanitary, but also inefficient. An interesting analogy presented by author, Les Leopold implies a similar notion, “And under trade policies, we will import the next wave of high- efficiency light bulb to save energy while wasting some of the gain on the carbon used to transport them here around the globe” (Leopold). Furthermore, we must acknowledge that this burst of economic prosperity demands an abundance of resources in order to be sustained. . The abundant burning of coal and the use of chemicals to fuel the transportation of exports has not only had a preponderant influence on China’s environmental status, but the entire world. “A 2004 study found that the jet stream dispersed chemicals like mercury, spewed by factories in China, to locations thousands of miles away. A researcher traced a plume of dirty air from Asia to New England, where analysis of collected samples revealed the chemicals had originated in China.” (Chanda) Additionally, the New York Times predicts that every week to ten days, a new Chinese coal - fired power plant is readied and is capable of serving a major state in the US. (Bradsher& Barboza). Lastly, China’s workforce is sustained by the clearing out of almost 2.5 acres of tropical forests to provide the highly-demanded soybeans, in recent years. (Chanda) This is vividly denoting the potential chain effect, of indirect and direct influences, that globalization can impose