What are the short- and long-term effects of globalization on local ecosystems? What are the short- and long-term effects of globalization on the biophere?
There are many consequences that come with globalization, some of which are bad and others of which are beneficial to local ecosystems. One of the most significant bad effects of globalization on ecosystems is the inevitable destruction of habitats and therefore a chain reaction going off within the community. In the case of the Jilin chemical explosions, the pollutants that ended up in the Songhua River led to some visible environmental impacts, including oil spills, surface water pollution, decreasing water quality, and soil contamination. The contamination of the soil near the river bed leads to a decrease in the worm population, who find their nutrients in leaves and dirt. In turn, since the worm is at the bottom of the food chain, their disappearance also leads to a decrease in population of the animals above it. A positive result of globalization, however, may at first not seem like a positive thing. But in the case of the Jilin chemical plant explosions, the trans-boundary nature of the disaster (the pollutants flowing into Russia) gained the incident international attention. This attention has led to significant changes regarding environmental regulation in China, and policies have been rewritten to better protect the environment. This will inevitably lead to a positive impact on the environment as a whole, as everything in the ecosystem is connected and the change in one thing can either positively or negatively effect the entire system as a whole. And since ecology is a concept that encompasses the interconnectedness of everything in the biosphere, the destruction of one local ecosystem could very well shift the balance of the entire biosphere.
How can the real and potential threats to the environment be mitigated?
One of the most prominent causes of environmental threats is human error. If it is impossible to prevent human error from occurring, the harmful consequences can be mitigated by increasing the level of communication between areas. One of the biggest errors in the Jilin chemical plant explosion case was the lack of communication between plant officials and the public. Had the severity of the issue been made known from the beginning, help would have been received sooner and the effects of the benzene on the Songhua River would not have been nearly as severe.
