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Loss of biodiversity - caused and solved by globalisation?: Difference between revisions
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Loss of biodiversity - caused and solved by globalisation? (view source)
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'''Are all global environmental problems (for example change in biodiversity) inevitable caused by globalization and moreover in which way is a further globalization even necessary to respond to this challenge?''' | '''Are all global environmental problems (for example change in biodiversity) inevitable caused by globalization and moreover in which way is a further globalization even necessary to respond to this challenge?''' | ||
There are lots of, more or less theoretical, definitions of globalization, for example: “Globalization (…) can be thought of as the widening, intensifying, speeding up, and growing impact of world-wide interconnectedness.” (Held, McGrew, Goldblatt & Perrat, 2008, p. 2). This [[wikipedia:en:phenomenon|phenomenon]] is accompanied by a wide range of positive as well as negative consequences for humanity in general, society and the environment. One example of an abstract description of the consequences for society was mainly coined by the socialist [[wikipedia:en:Ulrich Beck|Ulrich Beck]] in the mid eighties: The risk-society. When the past was characterized by difficulties of a just distribution of wealth, today in this “second, reflexive modernity” (Gane, 2001, p. 83) the production of wealth comes with the production of risks: It is no longer only a distribution of wealth, as well as a distribution of risks (cf. Gane, 2001, p. 83). A second change related to the distribution of risks is the decreasing of the importance of borders: On the one hand the result of an event takes place in another part of the world and on the other hand a small local event can cause a global reaction (cf. Held et. al., 2008, p. 2). There are lots of economical, social and cultural examples for these phenomena. An environemental example for this phenomenon is the loss of biodiversity. This risk is caused by the production of wealth and has an impact on one of the most valuable global public goods: Biodiversity. Especially the International Year of Biodiversity 2010<ref> International Year of Biodiversity 2010 [http://www.cbd.int/2010/welcome/ ''International Year of Biodiversity''] </ref> is a chance to pay the appropriate attention to this risk. | |||
There are lots of, more or less theoretical, definitions of globalization, for example: “Globalization (…) can be thought of as the widening, intensifying, speeding up, and growing impact of world-wide interconnectedness.” (Held, McGrew, Goldblatt & Perrat, 2008, p. 2). This phenomenon is accompanied by a wide range of positive as well as negative consequences for humanity in general, society and the environment. One example of an abstract description of the consequences for society was mainly coined by the socialist Ulrich Beck in the mid eighties: The risk-society. When the past was characterized by difficulties of a just distribution of wealth, today in this “second, reflexive modernity” (Gane, 2001, p. 83) the production of wealth comes with the production of risks: It is no longer only a distribution of wealth, as well as a distribution of risks (cf. Gane, 2001, p. 83). A second change related to the distribution of risks is the decreasing of the importance of borders: On the one hand the result of an event takes place in another part of the world and on the other hand a small local event can cause a global reaction (cf. Held et. al., 2008, p. 2). There are lots of economical, social and cultural examples for these phenomena. An environemental example for this phenomenon is the loss of biodiversity. This risk is caused by the production of wealth and has an impact on one of the most valuable global public goods: Biodiversity. Especially the International Year of Biodiversity 2010<ref> International Year of Biodiversity 2010 [http://www.cbd.int/2010/welcome/ ''International Year of Biodiversity''] </ref> is a chance to pay the appropriate attention to this risk. | |||
But you cannot say every global environmental problem is inevitable caused by globalization without a sound argumentation. The following text concentrates on the risk of the loss of biodiversity- sometimes called as a risk of globalization. To understand the problematic properly a few facts about biodiversity in general will be given in the beginning. Furthermore the loss of biodiversity and the reasons for it will be described. In a third step these causes will be related to globalization. Finally there will be a prospect if even a further (political-) globalization is necessary to solve these problems. | But you cannot say every global environmental problem is inevitable caused by globalization without a sound argumentation. The following text concentrates on the risk of the loss of biodiversity- sometimes called as a risk of globalization. To understand the problematic properly a few facts about biodiversity in general will be given in the beginning. Furthermore the loss of biodiversity and the reasons for it will be described. In a third step these causes will be related to globalization. Finally there will be a prospect if even a further (political-) globalization is necessary to solve these problems. | ||
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==Biodiversity in general== | ==Biodiversity in general== | ||
===Definition and Distribution=== | ===Definition and Distribution=== | ||
The most common definition on biodiversity or biological diversity was defined on the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, when the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) was initiated: | The most common definition on biodiversity or biological diversity was defined on the [[wikipedia:en:Earth Summit|United Nations Conference on Environment and Development]] in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, when the [[wikipedia:en:Convention on Biological Diversity|Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)]] was initiated: | ||
''“"Biological diversity" means the variability among living organisms from all sources including, inter alia, terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are part; this includes diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems.”'' (UN, 1993, p. 146). | ''“"Biological diversity" means the variability among living organisms from all sources including, inter alia, terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are part; this includes diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems.”'' (UN, 1993, p. 146). | ||
The following text covers all three dimensions of this definition- genetic, species and ecological diversity. However biodiversity is often equated with the rate of species. Because quantifying the other two dimensions is even harder there will be given just an amount of species- epitomizing the other two: There are different estimations about the whole quantity of species<ref> For further reading visit [http://knol.google.com/k/how-many-species-on-earth# ''How many species on earth?'']. </ref>, realistic ones are about 13.5 Millions, but just 1.5 Millions are currently described (cf. Gaston & Spicer, 2004, p. 48; UNEP, 2007, p. 162). | The following text covers all three dimensions of this definition - genetic, species and ecological diversity. However biodiversity is often equated with the rate of species. Because quantifying the other two dimensions is even harder there will be given just an amount of species - epitomizing the other two: There are different estimations about the whole quantity of species<ref> For further reading visit [http://knol.google.com/k/how-many-species-on-earth# ''How many species on earth?'']. </ref>, realistic ones are about 13.5 Millions, but just 1.5 Millions are currently described (cf. Gaston & Spicer, 2004, p. 48; UNEP, 2007, p. 162). | ||
The distribution of this variety is much clearer: In geographic terms biodiversity is concentrated near to the equator- the tropical regions contain at least two thirds of all extant teresstrical species (cf. Gaston & Spicer, 2004, p. 89). In social terms it must be emphasized, that there is a global asymmetry between diversity and material wealth: the major remaining sites for biodiversity conservation lie primarily within the developing world (cf. Swanson, 1999, p.312). These two distributions are not related to each other.<ref> An interesting tool the [http://stort.unep-wcmc.org/imaps/gb2002/book/viewer.htm ''World Atlas of Biodiversity'']. </ref> | The distribution of this variety is much clearer: In geographic terms biodiversity is concentrated near to the [[wikipedia:en:equator|equator]] - the tropical regions contain at least two thirds of all extant teresstrical species (cf. Gaston & Spicer, 2004, p. 89). In social terms it must be emphasized, that there is a global asymmetry between diversity and material wealth: the major remaining sites for biodiversity conservation lie primarily within the developing world (cf. Swanson, 1999, p.312). These two distributions are not related to each other.<ref> An interesting tool the [http://stort.unep-wcmc.org/imaps/gb2002/book/viewer.htm ''World Atlas of Biodiversity'']. </ref> | ||
===Value=== | ===Value=== | ||