Introduction
Today, the world is acknowledging the rising environmental threats and the adverse impacts on the global population. The UN has been at the forefront of outlining crucial global environmental threats that the world should prioritize. One of the threats to the global environment is using fossil fuels as an energy source (Gani, 2021). This has resulted in the emission of environmentally harmful greenhouse gases. In addition, globalization is a threat to the global environment because it leads to the rising international trade and rapid production of goods and services to meet demand (Simmons, 2019). For example, as drivers of globalization, transport systems have increased alongside international trade, increasing greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, some of the dangers to the global environment are the continuous use of fossil fuels and globalization.
The Use of Fossil Fuel as an Energy Source: the Threat of Using Fossil Fuel
In the past decades, the number of vehicles using fossil fuels has tremendously increased. The burning of fossil fuels to power automobiles is a big part of how the auto industry hurts the environment worldwide (Gani, 2021). Diesel is one of the energy sources for vehicles that come from fossil fuels. Additionally, diesel engines have been praised for their reliability, durability, and efficiency. However, they have been seen as one of the biggest causes of pollution in the environment. Nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, and hydrocarbons are some pollutants that diesel engines emit. These pollutants contribute to global warming and pose a severe health risk to many people (Gani, 2021). As a result, the emission of greenhouse gases through the combustion of an automobile is a threat to the global environment.
In addition, using fossil fuels for energy poses a significant risk to human health, making it one of the most significant dangers to the environment. Over the years, scientists have shown that the combustion of fossil fuels produces by-products and gases that are detrimental to human health (Gani, 2021). For example, the by-products that result from burning fossil fuels pose the most significant risk to the health and future of children worldwide. Children exposed to these by-products such as harmful gases, are at an increased risk of developing cognitive impairments, behavioral delays, and respiratory complications. Thus, fossil fuel adversely affects people, especially during the developmental stage.
Human Aggravation of the Fossil Fuel Threat
Humans beings have aggravated the risk caused by the use of fossil fuels. The harmful effects of using fossil fuels have been known for decades, but little or nothing has been done to stop the threat from getting worse (Gani, 2021). Instead, the production of fossil fuels and the demand for them has increased as shown in the figure below. People’s different interests have led to this growing demand. For example, owners and investors in the fossil fuel industry have built up a lot of political power, which they have used to keep the industry growing even though there are more worried about harm. On the other hand, the number of people who get most of their energy from fossil fuels has increased very fast (Gani, 2021). Therefore, industries that use fossil fuels for power, like the auto industry, have grown in size and output.
Mitigation of The Impacts of Fossil Fuels
The growing concern about the effects of fossil fuel use necessitates the consideration of appropriate mitigation interventions. One mitigation strategy is shifting to renewable sources of energy (Gani, 2021). Although this is a difficult result to achieve, it has the potential to address the majority of the environmental issues associated with the use of fossil fuels. In addition, consideration should be given to using non-carbon emitting energy sources and technologies. For instance, alternative energy sources, such as solar and wind, could be used to generate energy. In addition, rather than relying on fossil fuels, businesses can install their solar panels and invest in wind power projects to generate their energy (Gani, 2021). As a result, businesses can significantly reduce their energy costs by switching to renewables that do not emit pollutants or harmful by-products.
Government can play an integral role in reducing fossil fuel’s impact by creating environmentally-friendly policies. This is supposed to reduce the over-dependence on fossil fuels (Gani, 2021). For example, lawmakers can introduce policies that hinder the use of equipment that depends on non-renewable energy. For example, governments can prevent manufacturing and selling vehicles that use fossil fuel as a source of energy. This can prompt vehicle manufacturers to produce automobiles that use clean energy such as electricity and other renewable sources (Gani, 2021). Additionally, driving internal combustion vehicles produces significant amounts of nitrogen oxide emissions. Therefore, to help reduce air pollution from cars, the government can introduce policies that encourage public transport, walking, and biking.
Globalization: the Threat to The Global Environment
Globalization has completely changed the way of life in many ways. It has made technology easier to use, communication better, and led to new ideas (Simmons, 2019). For example, it brought people from different cultures together, started a new era of economic growth, and opened up a lot of ways for development. On the other hand, environmental activists have pointed out that globalization has led to more people buying things, which has changed the way things work in the environment. When people buy more things, they also make more things, which puts environmental stress. In addition, due to globalization, more raw materials and foodstuffs are being moved from one place to another (Burlacu et al., 2018). Thus, although people used to eat food grown nearby, because of globalization, they now eat things made in other countries.
The rate of pollution in the environment has risen dramatically because of the increase in the amount of fuel needed to move goods around the world. Transportation has put a lot of stress on non-renewable energy sources like gasoline, which has led to more people wanting to buy them (Simmons, 2019). In addition to making the greenhouse effect worse, the gases that come out of airplanes have also contributed to destroying the ozone layer. Furthermore, transport ships have been loaded with the manufacturing waste produced as a by-product of production, and then those ships have dumped the waste in the oceans. This has resulted in the death of many marine organisms and the introduction of harmful chemicals to the ocean.
Human Aggravation of Globalization
People have contributed to an increase in globalization, which has threatened the global environment. Different individuals are more receptive to the possibility of moving to a new country in the hopes of finding work there and for purposes of tourism (Parveen, 2019). Based on this, people’s movements from across the globe for various reasons. Business leaders and managers also aggravate globalization by expanding their operations to the international market to grow and increase their profitability (Parveen, 2019). For example, remittances from international trade now play a significant part in the financial transactions between developed and developing nations. Therefore, the increasing desire for movement from one place to another has increased globalization.
Mitigation of The Impacts of Globalization
There are various strategies that can be used to mitigate the impact of globalization. Through the adoption of policy initiatives, effective governance will be able to shield the economy from dangers that are not necessary. According to Adebayo et al. (2021), to maximize profits and minimize losses, regulatory institutions must undergo self-improvement to keep up with the ever-changing dynamics of globalization. Because citizens are the most common victims during times of emergency, governments have a duty to take precautions to ensure that their citizens are safe. For instance, most countries with high immigration rates have experienced an increased environmental impact that has occurred as a direct result of the forces of globalization. Thus, introducing effective policy initiatives can reduce the adverse impact of globalization.
An investment in technology may create new doors that lead to opportunities for sustained economic expansion in developing countries. Demand for jobs and the development of quality products and services are becoming more prevalent in the developed world due to new manufacturing technologies (Adebayo et al., 2021). This is because manufacturers can deliver more quickly customized products while maintaining smaller inventories. In addition, the centralized energy infrastructure can be replaced by new technology that creates distributed systems that are more flexible and can simultaneously reduce carbon emissions. For example, it reduces the migration rate from one country to another in search of job opportunities. As a result, technological advancement can reduce globalization’s impact.
In the developing world, technology presents societies with the possibility of vaulting expensive traditional energy, educational, medical, and communications infrastructures. Additionally, it enables societies to provide government services at lower costs and with less room for corruption (Nathaniel et al., 2021). When applied intelligently, technology has the potential to transform the massive movement of people to urban centers from a source of misery into movement and progress. For instance, a country with modern technology can manufacture products on their own, reducing the rate of transport. With a reduced movement of people and goods, there is likely to be less emission of harmful gases into the atmosphere (Adebayo et al., 2021). Therefore, advanced technology plays an integral role in the mitigation of globalization.
Conclusion
Despite the effect of fossil fuel and globalization on the world’s security, they can be mitigated. They have proven to be a critical threat due to their extensive use by multiple sectors, high stakes, and various population health risks. For example, one of the primary impacts is the constant contribution of human beings to the Aggravation of these threats to the environment. However, fossil fuel use can be mitigated by shifting to alternative sources of energy such as solar and wind energy. In addition, the adverse impacts of globalization can be addressed by focusing on developing effective policies and focusing on developing countries, especially third-world countries.
References
Adebayo, T. S., Akinsola, G. D., Bekun, F. V., Osemeahon, O. S., & Sarkodie, S. A. (2021). Mitigating human-induced emissions in Argentina: role of renewables, income, globalization, and financial development. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 28(47), 67764-67778.
Burlacu, S., Gutu, C., & Matei, F. O. (2018). Globalization–pros and cons. Calitatea, 19(S1), 122-125.
Gani, A. (2021). Fossil fuel energy and environmental performance in an extended STIRPAT model. Journal of Cleaner Production, 297, 126526.
Juth, T. S. (2020). What are some effective ways to lessen climate change? The Science Behind It.
Nathaniel, S. P., Nwulu, N., & Bekun, F. (2021). Natural resource, globalization, urbanization, human capital, and environmental degradation in Latin American and Caribbean countries. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 28(5), 6207-6221.
Parveen, R. (2019). Globalization, climate change and global environmental law. International Journal of Environmental Science, 4.
Simmons, B. A. (2019). Border rules. International Studies Review, 21(2), 256-283.