Globalization is a growing and unstoppable process that began with integrating the global economy and free trade. It also affects various fields besides economics and is one of the most important sectors affected by the environment. Some believe that economic activities may pose a serious threat to the environment. On the other hand, some believe that economic growth is needed to achieve a healthier environment with less pollution. This chapter aims to examine some of the opportunities and threats of globalization to the environment and the possible positive or negative effects of economic growth resulting from the globalized economy. Also, solutions to reduce the negative effects of globalization on the environment include paying special attention to sustainable development, supporting environmentally friendly technologies, reforming energy consumption patterns, encouraging renewable and clean energy, imposing carbon taxes, and environmental labels suggested.
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Today, globalization has become one of the most important issues facing human beings. Although many years ago, it began its growing trend in human life, following the world’s industrialization and expanding communications and related technologies, rapidly Has found impressive. Since capitalism entered the world as a sustainable form of human society, globalization has been going on for four or five centuries (Sze, 2006).
There are various definitions of globalization, some of which are mentioned. Larsen sees globalization as a kind of shrinking world and shortening distances. A phenomenon that is conducive to the expansion of welfare causes one person on one side of the world to interact with the other on the other side of a mutually beneficial relationship. According to Giddens, globalization is the expansion and strengthening of global relations, which will cause internal events in one area to affect the situation in other areas and vice versa. In his research, Samian points to three other definitions: Waters sees globalization as a social process in which the geographical constraints that overshadow social and cultural relations are removed, and people increasingly reduce this constraint. And the clauses become aware; Harvey sees globalization as the density of time and space so that every event in every corner of the globe is quickly communicated to everyone, and practice time and space have lost their meaning. Finally, Henderson sees globalization as the integration of markets and defines conditions for it, including the free movement of goods, services, labor, capital, and creating a single market. Economically, no one is a foreigner, and everyone is equal in the market.
Globalization is the compression of the world and the intensification of awareness of the world as a unit. Globalization can be understood in terms such as internationalization, liberalization - in the sense of removing the restrictions imposed by governments on activities between countries to create a free and borderless world economy, globalization - in the sense of dissemination of various experiences and goals for people in the four corners of the world interpreted Western-style modernity in terms of Westernization, especially in its Americanization form, as well as territorialization. Globalization is a multifaceted phenomenon so that it has found its way into various structures of social, economic, political, cultural, military, technological, and environmental action.
The historical stages of globalization have been the movement from large to small. In the early stages of globalization, nations had to think global to flourish or at least survive. In the second phase of globalization, the companies had to think globally to thrive or survive. Finally, in stage three, globalization, people must think global to flourish or at least stay. In other words, globalization has reached the globalization of the individual from the stage of globalization of industry.
One of the most important areas of influence in globalization is the field of the environment. The environment refers to the set of living and non-living elements that comprise an organism or group of organisms, and the environment is virtual all the conditions, components, and factors that affect the growth and development of an organism - whether living or non-living, such as light, temperature, and climate.
The process of globalization began to increase international trade and reduce trade tariffs. As a result, global studies show that global trade has increased significantly during this period, while this growth is followed by carbon dioxide emissions, which play an important role in global warming and climate change.
From an economic point of view, this process can harm the environment in several ways (Aukusti Lehtinen, 2006):
Elimination of tariffs will allow goods to be traded at a lower cost, and demand for goods produced in the country with a greater comparative advantage will increase. In this case, the producing country, by increasing its production, will try to export the maximum of the above product in the competitive market. However, high production puts additional strain on the country’s raw materials, and in some cases, improper harvesting of forests, the sea, agricultural land, rivers, and mineral resources will have irreversible effects on the environment.