Ironically, the best way to tackle these problems is by putting globalization to work for us, instead of against us. Channeling globalization to protect, rather than undermine, the earth s natural systems, is key to building an environmentally stable society in the 21 st century. And trade can help spread environmentally beneficial products and technologies, from shade-grown coffee to wind power. These trends pose major environmental challenges.
Globalization is a powerful driving force behind today s unprecedented biological implosion.
An upsurge of trade and investment in natural resources sectors such as forestry, mining, and petroleum development is threatening the health of the world s forests, mountains, waters, and other sensitive ecosystems. And the rapid growth in the movement of human beings and their goods and services has provided convenient transportation for thousands of other species of plants and animals that are now taking root on foreign shores. On any given day, some 2 million people cross international borders, while 3,000 to 10,000 aquatic species are moving around the world in ship ballasts. International commerce is also a potent mechanism through which hazardous products and technologies move around the world. Over the last few decades, the developing world has become home to a growing share of the hazard-laden petrochemical industry.