Humans have embarked the environment since ancient times on the verge of globalization whereby they have undoubtedly created huge impacts on the surroundings. The influences can be counted being positive or negative as per the target in question. Globalization has connected the globe from every nook and corner making the services available from one far point on the globe to another at much lesser costs. It has meant income for masses due to development of advanced technologies, thus creating jobs and money for many. The World has become flat and approachable whereby connecting discrete is not a surprise anymore. But, with this convenience accompanies a stake on numerous environmental elements. Talking about the global impact, it does appear that humans have intruded the “Mother Nature” to fulfill their own motives. The globalization has affected the economic growth & development since a long time now. Its intrusion has been for the betterment of beings in several areas that are influenced by the economic, social, political (to name a few) aspects but for the environmental elements, it might impose a beneficial impact sometimes or it may disturb the natural carry outs which lead to ill impacts.
A famous piece of writing, “Killing for Coal: America’s Deadliest Labor War” by Thomas G Andrews describes the famous incidence of Colorado War and Ludlow Massacre based on the role of coal, a fossil fuel, in the lives of western historical men of Colorado and the environment. How the lives of coal miners were molded by their employers gives the best depiction of Mineral Intensive Industrialization. It tells about the gradual utilization of coal produced in Colorado, from transforming the railroads and their increased utilization for transporting commodities of all kinds to various regions. It initially increased the people’s earnings but gradually turned the region into air filled with coal smoke destroying soil, water, air and thus living beings. Industries like Denver and Pueblo Mills developed to meet the increasing demands that hired skilled workers from other global regions thus diminishing local jobs. The demands made heat, hazards and deaths common for laborers.
Since times, our activities have transformed the earth’s basic elements i.e. air, water, soil and hence the lithosphere, biosphere and entire atmosphere. A history of changing environment at global level, through statistical data and analysis with its positive and negative outcomes, can be well seen in J McNeill’s “Something new Under the Sun: An Environmental History of the Twentieth Century World.” It portrays the transition of each environmental element through various human practices which has gradually caused changes in 20th century and effecting the present. Hereby, the description in chapter three describes the role of Industrial Revolution since long times in framing the ecological consequences majorly affecting the atmosphere in cities and how the air pollution trends have changed since 1900 compared to what it was before. It is well stated by J McNeill that, “For most of earth’s history, microbes played the leading role of all life in shaping the atmosphere. In the twentieth century, humankind stumbled blindly into this role.” Earth’s resource of living and non-living entities works in co-ordination and does not need any interference for its sustenance, but we have been interfering the biological cycles that have gradually led to environmental disturbances.
The governmental influence in redefining the natural resources can be understood via writings from Marc Reisner in his book, Cardillac Desert. The extent of exploitation of waters from Colorado Rivers through power and money making leaves one pondering on the amount of extraction done from nature without any replenishment. The popular Hoover Dam built on Colorado River is an engineering exemplary that diverted the waters to arid American Desert for power & water supplies under the authority of influential Congressmen. The river gradually became the most controlled and litigated water bodies on globe with numerous dams including the Grand Canyon Dam being built on its tributaries (making 30 million people dependent) rendering it so soaked that waters did not even reach the ocean and marine life was affected to the extent of extinction.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Andrews, Thomas G. "Chapter 2: The Reek of New Industrialism." In Killing for Coal: America's Deadlist Labor War. 50-82. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2008.
McNeill, J.R." Chapter 3: The Atmosphere: Urban History." In Something new Under the Sun: An Enviromental History of the Twentieth-century World. 51-83. New York: WW Norton, 2000.
Panayotou Theodore, “Globalization and Environment,” Environment and Development Paper No1 (2000): 4-10. Accessed 30 June, 2014.
Reisner, Marc " Chapter 4: An American Nile." In Cadillac Desert: the American West and its Disappearing Water. Revised Edition. New York: Penguin Books, 1993.
