Whoever Dies with the Most Toys Wins!

A rant on corporations by Tim Vasquez.
At this site, Tim Vasquez illuminates our corporate reality, the problems with consumerism and overconsumption, the crimes of corporations, and ultimately, how WE as consumers put ourselves in vulnerable positions to these corporate superpowers. Finally, he suggests several solutions. Check it out!!

Chevron's Response

As a result of the rising demand for energy around the world, Chevron is forced to make a strategic plan. Their business relies on demand for energy, yet they also know they must help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Chevron's "multifaceted response to climate change involves seeking ways to reduce GHGs from the use of fossil fuels, expanding the use of alternative fuels and renewables, and improving energy efficiency." Chevron emphasizes that they don't hope to be a problem for global climate change, but rather a partner in the search for a solution. Chevron's goal shows that they acknowledge that in order for them to succeed in the long run, they must help conserve the natural resources which the environment has long provided them with to sell and profit from in the market.

Where to Go From Here

It seems from the reading that I have done up to this date that globalization is a tricky situation. Everyone seems to have a solid argument for their taken stance; however, it appears that despite any resistance, globalization will push on and their will be no stopping it. With that said, I agree with Amartya Sen's article, "How to Judge Globalism," which suggests that reform should be made to prevent the furthering of inequality and poverty in the distribution of globalization's benefits. Sen credits other parts of the world which have greatly contributed to globalization and proceeds to say that globalization is falsly accused of being synonomous for Westernization, "in fact, [globalization is] neither new nor necessarily Western." Sen provides evidence that the spread of information used to move from East to West. Products such as the wheelbarrow, paper and the magnetic compass were all ideas of far away lands originating in the East. This further supports Sen's argument that only the title "globalization" is new but the spread of ideas and trends is history.
Sen supports the process of globalization, yet realizes that it is an imperfect system. The main issue of globalization is not poverty, but it is "how to make good use of the remarkable benefits of economic intercourse and technological progress in a way that pays adequate attention to the interests of the deprived and the underdog." This argument of finding a better way to fairly distribute the many benefits of globalization is the fundamental goal of the "so-called antiglobalization movement." The hope of globalization is to find away of "sharing the potential gains from globalization - between rich and poor countries and among different groups within a country." Globalization is imperfect and does have issues to confront, yet globalization is not the issue in itself. Sen is in support of the system which evidently provides many benefits to people across the globe, believing that it "deservesa reasoned defense." Yet though Sen may defend globalization, she also agrees that reform is in need to please people alike and prevent a massive and growing gap of inequality worldwide.

"The leaders went to a dinner party instead of working on a solution”

After crashing the Queen of Denmark's dinner party during the climate meetings in Copenhagen and held in detention for 20 days, four Greenspeace activists have been released from jail. Despite common claims, the activists were not seeking to embarrass the police by sneaking into the dinner party in disguise as guests; instead, they were trying to get the attention of the world leaders. In an interview, one of the arrested activists, Nora Christiansen explains that "the demonstration at the party was a 'last resort', and a cry to world leaders that action was needed to address climate change." She then concluded that, “It was very frustrating for us, that the leaders went to a dinner party instead of working on a solution."
Read the full article.
Greenspeace is a group of activists that formed in 1970 to protest U.S nuclear testing off the coast of Alaska. At first a small group of committed citizens, Greenspeace has since then evolved into an international organization with offices in more then 30 countries. Today the mission of Greenspeace is to "seek solutions for, and promote open, informed debate about society's environmental choices." As you can probably guess, Greenspeace is a very active organization and has played a large role in convincing world leaders of the serious issues global climate change presents to the world.

In addition to the threat of global warming, Greenspeace gives a voice to other problems such as the destruction of ancient forests, deterioration of our oceans, and the threat of a nuclear disaster.

Sinking Globalization

In Niall Ferguson's article "Sinking Globalization," Ferguson draws on parallels between a period in an earlier period and the present era. These characterisitics of our society today resemble those of the late 19th century and early 20th century, an era which ultimately lead to a period of deglobalization. Ferguson argues that "the important similarities in the character of globalization in the two eras suggests the possibility that present-day globalization could end as disastroudly as the earlier period." This arguement is one which is very difficult for our present-day society to accept, however, more recently it is becoming increasing more of a believeable threat to our world. Ferguson points to the sinking of a ship, the Lusitania, in World War I as the end of the first age of globalization. Until that point, Ferguson claims that the period from 1870 leading up to World War I was a time which demonstrated economic growth and prosperity very similar to that which until recently the United States experienced. Globalization in both periods has resulted from "relatively free trade, limited restrictions on migration, and hardly any regulation of capital flows...inflation was low." Today, the U.S economy continues to be one of the biggest in the world like it was in the period leading up to World War I. Despite the many similarities that lead to success in globalization, the similarities that lead to deglobalization also persist today. These include protectionism which challenges free trade, an unstable international monetary system and the continuation of growth in technological innovation as well as in the U.S economy. Today, however, we are posed with a new looming threat which in the past has not been a problem. Today, half of the publicly held federal debt is in foreign hands. This new side of the equation presents the United States with a great challenge because "this deficit is the biggest difference between globalization past and globalization present." Because Asia and the United States are now so tightly connected as an investor is to its investment, a great dependence is created between the two countries. To show that a great dependence is created through this relationship, "a sharp depreciation of the dollar relative to Asian currencies might not worry the majority of Americans, whose liabilities are all dollar-denominated...but its effect on Asia would be profound." This is because Asian holders would lose in their investment in terms of capital and exports.
Similar flaws remain in the political systems that once caused deglobalization. These flaws include the attention deficit of which the U.S apparently suffers from, continuous great-power rivalries such as that between China and Taiwan, unstable alliance systems such as NATO, and the existence of regimes sponsering terror. Although it is frightening and seems illustrated to arouse fear in people, much of what Ferguson says is very true. Apparently nations have not learned from the past through their studies in history. Because of this, as Ferguson says, "a doomsday scenario is plausible." Because we cannot predict when such catastrophe will occur, we must wait and watch history unfold "no better prepared for the worst-case scenario than were the beneficiaries of the last age of globalization, 90 years ago.

How Man is Changing the Climate and What it Means for Life on Earth

While reading the book Weather Makers by Tim Flannery I went online to find out some more about the author and found this interview with him on NPR. Tim Flannery is a scientist from Australia who seeks to influence and "warn people against rapid consumption and pollution" in his book. Although the US and Australia have not signed the Kyoto Protocol, Australia has since realized that global warming is a serious problem for their country and the debate is over - change is needed!

Ozone Layer Depletion

The intital idea of ozone depleating substances was discussed in the Montreal Protocol in 1987. Depletion of the ozone layer would increase the amount of UV radiation the planet would be exposed to, increasing risks of damage to the environment and all living things. Several steps were taken, yet not enough was done to prevent environmental damage, bringing leaders together again in 1997 in Kyoto.