Reader Response on "The Double Edge of the Globalization"

In the article, Chanda(2007) mentions that due to international trades, there was an increase in the consumption globally. This resulted on borderless pollution and deforestation. He also states that with the rising awareness, nations can work together to mitigate these problems.

I agree with Chanda's opinions. With international trades easily available nowadays, countries' demand for goods and services will increase. In order to meet these demand, we need to use more resources in a much faster pace. In Indonesia, farmers burn down forests to clear land for agriculture to earn profits from the surging demand for food from the neighbouring countries. As a result, it not only leads to deforestation, but also haze in Singapore and parts of Malaysia. In the 1960s, factories were set up to produce more goods for consumption. The burning of fossil fuels in these factories lead to increased frequency of acid rain. With the "help" of the tall chimney in the factories, the acid rain could spread to other parts of the world by wind. It became a global air pollution.

I also agree that countries are making actions about the problems and more improvements will be made. Boseley(2013), the author of "From the archive, 7 September 1984: Acid rain must be tackled now, say MPs"(The Guardian), says that,"The report's main recommendation is that Britain should join West Germany,France and Scandinavia, which have committed themselves to a 30 percent reduction in sulphur dioxide emissions between 1980 and 1930." The Environmental Protection Agency also reported in the "Cap and Trade" that,"SO2 emissions from Acid Rain Program sources have fallen from 17.3 million tons in 1980 to about 7.6 million tons in 2008, a decrease in emissions of 56 percent."