Topic: Globalisation - Economic and Ecological Issues



Topic: Globalisation - Economic and Ecological Issues

Text type: (political) speech

Definition of Globalisation:

Globalisation represents the largest economic and social shift since the Industrial Revolution (Dirk Messner), a process of growing links between societies and problem areas (Johanna Varwick) and a process of surmounting limitations created by history. For this reason, it is synonymous with erosion (but not with the disappearance) of national state sovereignty, and exhibits itself as the freeing up of the market economy from the moral order and institutionalised ties of society. (Elmar Altvater)

Problems of Globalisation:

Politics:

• International affairs more important than nationals

• Cooperation

• Clash between political systems

Economy:

• Rich countries take advantage of poor countries

• Working conditions

• Cultural dependency

• Global player

Society:

• New ways of communication (e.g. : chat, internet)

• Global village

Culture:

• “Americanisation”

• traditional language

Environment:

• global warming

• deforestation of tropical rainforest

The three eras of globalisation:

First era:

• from 1492 to 1800

• discovery of America

• knitting the world together - world size big to medium

• used muscles, horsepower, wind power, steam power

Second era:

• from 1800 to 2000

• interruptions: Great Depression, World War I, World War II

• world size medium to small (falling transporting costs, falling telecommunication costs)

• birth and maturation of a global economy

• movements of goods and information → global market

Third era:

• From 2000 to ?

• More power than ever to go global as individuals

• World size small to tiny

• More opportunities to work (international)

• Driven primarily by European and American individuals and businesses but soon states like China will take control

• Empowering individuals

Globalisation

Causes & Effects

Globalisation: in favour and contra:

|In favour |contra |

|Workers in poorer countries are not exploited, because they decided |Wides the gap between poor and rich (countries) |

|to work there |Ruled by multi-lateral organisations |

|Every country is included |Many countries cannot benefit from the global market because the |

|Poorer countries have a chance to improve their situation. The IMF |power of single companies is growing |

|or the World Bank help countries which have financial problems |Not enough jobs for everyone |

|Everyone can benefit from the resulting increases in international | |

|trade | |

|Global market | |

|Internet / lower telecommunication costs | |

|Travelling → easier | |

|You can decide in which part of the world you would like to live | |

The World Bank:

• Vital source of financial and technical assistance to developing countries

• 186 members

• consisting of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the International Development Association (IDA)

• IRBD focuses on middle income and credit worthy poor countries

• IDA focuses on the poorest countries in the world

• Give grants to developing countries for education, health, infrastructure, communications and other purposes

International Monetary Fund (IMF):

• Membership in World Bank requires[1] membership in IMF

• Authority is based on Articles of Agreement (1945)

• Provides [2] the build-up of consultation[3] and collaboration on international monetary problems

• Facilitates expansion and balance of international trade

• Assists exchange stability

• Promotes establishment of a multicultural system of payment

• Makes general resources available to members to give confidence to them

The World Trade Organization (WTO):

• The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade was signed in 1947 by 23 countries

• Deals with trade in service, invention, creation and design

• Organization for liberalizing trade

• Imported and locally produced goods should be treated equally

• July 2008: 153 member countries

Criticism:

• Not a democratic, transparent institution

• Expands the gap between rich and poor

• Endangers National Sovereignty

Modern Slavery:

• Globalisation bases an exploitation of states and of the population → leads to migration

• Global market is practicing “price dumping” → people are forced to illegal employment or to work for the minimum wage

Starbucks

Possible Threats / Dangers:

• Overexpansion

• Dearth[4] of innovation / market saturation[5] → costumers are bored

• Target for anti-globalisation campaigns

• Lawsuit / baggage for “icon status”

• Crashing of concepts / losing their way

• Over-estimation[6] of capabilities

• Refusal of communities

The company’s philosophy:

• Make costumers feel comfortable

• Expansion

• Costumers should visit regularly / best treatment

• Creating more products in order to stay fresh / highest standard

• Non-coffee products

• Little advertising

• No franchising, but “licensees”

• Locations: traffic places / public places

Starbucks involvement in environmental affairs:

Fair Trade coffee Beans (1% of all Starbucks purchases) → making Starbucks one of the lowest volume Fair Trade companies

Mission Statements:

• Provide a great work environment and treat each other with respect and dignity.

• Embrace a diversity as an essential component in the way we do business.

• Apply the highest standard of excellence to the purchasing, roasting and fresh delivery of our coffee.

• Develop enthusiastically-satisfied costumers all of the time.

• Contribute positively to our communities and our environment.

• Recognize that profitability is essential to out future success.

→ Same mission statements all over the world

Changes in Environmental Policy:

• CAFE → Coffee and Farmers Equity[7] Practices

• Minimise impact on environment, preserving natural resources

• Environmental footprint team

• Increasing commitment to Fair Trade

• Promoting “ farmer stories”

• Social commitment

• Launching an organic food campaign

→ Global partner and local partner committed to sustainable development / sustainability

Global Challenges

• Pollution

• Global warming / climate change

• Natural resources

• Sustainability / environmental sustainability

• Human trafficking

• Gender equality

• Outsourcing

• HIV / AIDS

• Child mortality and maternal health

• Terrorism

• Education

• Wars / peacekeeping

• Overcrowding

• Poverty / exportation

• Deforestation / tropical deforestation

• Holes in ozone layer

• “global player”

• clashes (e.g. political systems, poor – rich countries)

Global Warming

Greenhouse Effect:

• the atmosphere traps part of the Sun’s heat and stops it going back out into space

• makes the earth warm enough for life → natural greenhouse effect

• industry and agriculture add more gases to the atmosphere which trap more solar heat

Global Warming:

• the Earth is warming faster than it has in the last 1000 years

• climate change is a better description → some areas may cool

• also describes other effects like rising sea level or “wilder” weather

Kyoto Protocol:

• global treaty on tackling climate change

• commits industrialised nations to reduce their emissions of six greenhouse gases by an average of 5,2% below their 1990 levels within a decade

• modest though necessary start → scientist say it would take carbon cuts of 60% or more to prevent dangerous climatic instability

Carbon Sinks:

• way of storing carbon is to plant vegetation which absorb dioxide as they grow

• emissions cuts should mean actual gas reduction, not just relying on Nature to soak uo unabated[8] pollution

• unclear what difference carbon sinks really make

Sustainable Development:

• development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs

Sustainable Trade:

• implies a trading system that does not harm the environment or deteriorate social conditions while promoting economical growth

Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS):

• since first January 2005, 12000 large industrial plants in the EU

• enables companies exceeding individual CO2 emissions targets to buy allowance from “greener” ones

• investments in cleaner technology can then be turned into profit while helping the EU meets its Kyoto commitments on climate change

• earned the EU the reputation of global leader in fighting climate change

• criticised the EU for “going it alone”

European Climate Change Programme (ECCP):

• adopted in March 2000

• it’s crown jewel is the EU’s Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS)

• on ninth February 2005, the Commission adopted first proposals concerning its plans for new climate change policies after the first Kyoto commitment period (2008 – 2012)

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC):

• the IPCC are the scientists sounding the climate alarm

• at worst, average global temperatures could rise by 5,5% by 2100, and sea levels by 90 cm

• critics say human influences are irrelevant to global warming, if it is happening at all

Factors which are responsible for the energy balance of the climate system

• changes in the atmospheric abundance[9] of greenhouse gases and aerosols

• changes in solar radiation

• changes in land surface

• changes are expressed in terms of radiative forcing

Chemical substances which have increased dramatically since 1750:

• carbon dioxide (primarily because of fossil fuel use and landuse change)

• methane (primarily due to agriculture)

• nitrous oxide (primarily due to agriculture)

Consequences of the greenhouse effect:

• raise of the sea level

• melting of icebergs

• extinction of specific animals

• climate change

Political Speech

Composition:

1. introduction

2. main body

3. conclusion

Check for:

• Who is the speaker?

• Who is the addresse? (target, opponents...)

• Language and structure

• Content / context

• The speaker’s aim

-----------------------

[1] erfordert

[2] anbieten

[3] Beratung

[4] Mangel

[5] Sättigung

[6] Einschätzung

[7] Fairness

[8] unvermindert

[9] Übermaß

-----------------------

Globalisation

liberalisation

technology

(internet)

transport of goods and speed of transport

Effects:

• diminishing the role of the nation-state

• social dumping

• gap between rich and poor

• non-controllable multis

• environmental destruction

global problems (climate; migration)

end of the Cold War

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