Urban Environmental Issues
The current urban growth happening is really harming mother earth. This is because there is a shift in local climate in urban cities. This is normally referred to as the effect of urban heat island. Most urban cities are normally warmer than non-urban cities. These temperature changes are normally responsible for the crumble of many coastal forests. Another harmful effect is that there is a dense population of people in urban cities. This leads to exhaustion of resources due the increased needs of people. There is also the decline of biodiversity, land disturbance and a lot of environmental pollution. For instance, the population in Seoul and Shanghai leads to some environmental problems like depleted resources, air pollution, and temperature rise. There is also the destruction of wildlife species, that is leading to biodiversity. Due to urbanizations, there are industries that produce chemicals that damage the ozone layer.
Examples of how we are living under surveillance city include the license plate readers fixed on cities. These gadgets track cars and vehicle movements that usually pass them. They record plate number, drivers face, and time. There are also cameras fixed on the streets that record one’s movement around those areas. There is also the tracking of purchases made using credit cards. The pros of this include public security. People normally feel secure when they walk in dark areas since they know the cameras are there. For private entities like a business, they can monitor their employees and goods as well. They also assist in reducing crimes. The cons include privacy intrusion. There is also a high possibility that the information obtained by these gadgets may be misused by those carrying them. For security purpose, they can’t instantaneously save you from robbers and thugs in the streets. However, our civil liberties are being kept safe under this surveillance measures.
Industries are normally involved in shaping urban regions globally. For instance, better transport systems have enabled easier and faster distribution of goods and services. The logistics cost in freight distribution has been reduced due to technology. The pros of free trade and neo-liberalism in creating a global production system include enhancing investment and trade globally, to all nations, so as to enable these nations to develop and prosper fairly in equal ways. It also allows nations to engage in trading activities with whom they want. It also allows a nation to produce products that they would like to make. There has been a promotion in developing complex instruments technologically and improved global communication. It has also enabled nations to unite in a common pursuit. The cons of free trade and neo-liberalism in creating a global production are that the process of globalization has been interfered with by politics and power.
