To what Extent does Globalization Contribute to Sustainable Prosperity?

Sustainable prosperity is a very controversial topic. There are a lot of differing opinions about what it is or how it affects us. What is sustainable prosperity? Let’s break it down. Prosperity, it is the idea that all humans needs are met, and they are able to follow a life of happiness. Sustainability, means being able to continue something over generation after generation. We live in a globalizing world today, but to what extent does globalization contribute to sustainable prosperity? Globalization promotes sustainable prosperity, but at the same time it is holding it back. But over all it limits the prosperity of all people in many ways. Globalization affects the way we live, and it has negative affects that cause people to live miserable lives.

One way that globalization limits sustainable prosperity is the amount of environmental destruction that occurs in our growing world. For example, a process called shipwrecking is the deconstruction of ships that are no longer able to function properly. The ships are pulled up onto beaches in Bangladesh and are taken apart by workers with blow torches. The ships tend to rust leaving the beaches a reddish orange color. This rust can get into the ocean affecting many other parts of our world. Also, gasses that are produced and released into the environment from the blowtorches help contribute to the already occurring global warming. Another scary fact is that there is nearly one death per day in ship breaking yards, and nearly one quarter of them get some form of cancer due to the harsh chemicals. Ship breaking is a very dangerous job and puts many lives at risk. A big factor that helps wreck the environment is the large manufacturing plants that are located in many different countri...

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...ble to achieve prosperity, let alone sustain it when they have so much to overcome.

Globalization helps many people achieve greatness. But for the majority it brings hardships and struggle. People will be plagued by the effects of globalization and will have a tough time over coming it. We are far from reaching a point where we can say we have sustainable prosperity throughout our world. But before we focus in on sustaining prosperity, we must first reach prosperity and bring it to all corners or the earth.

Works Cited

"Defining Sustainable Prosperity." Moving Toward Sustainable Prosperity. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Jan. 2014.

Gardner, Robert, and Wayne Lavold. Exploring Globalization. Toronto: McGraw-Hill Ryerson, 2007. Print.

"GDP per Capita (current US$)." Data. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Jan. 2014.

"Home Guides." Home Guides. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Jan. 2014.