Emily Sollet

Professor: Edgar Bravo

INR2002

06/16/2025

Essay 1:

The globalization is a result of the continual act that can also appear as an alliance of countries at

an international-supranational level, which through cultural, economic, and social services, is

working for a higher common level of the countries. Meanwhile, the environment is a force that

can be changed by us humans as well as by positive and negative nature alone.

If we want to know how environmental crises change globalization, we can start by looking

back. The Industrial Revolution, which began in Great Britain in 1760, caused deforestation, soil

erosion, and a loss in biodiversity. It was a big cause that had a nearly two-century impact, and

more. The burning of fossil fuels resulted in massive quantities of carbon monoxide (CO) and

carbon dioxide (CO₂) being released into the atmosphere—a reality that still shapes the

environment to this day. In addition, in the 1800s, per capita income and wealth within nations

also grew as never before in history.

undergo sustained growth… Nothing resembling this behavior does the classical economists

propose, even as a theoretical possibility.” — Robert Lucas.

This quotation emphasizes the magnitude, as well as the novelty of the economic expansion

which characterized early industrial globalization. Yet, this economic development led to

enormous environmental destruction.

One of the significant drawbacks of globalization is the fact that it is responsible for the

destruction of the environment. When countries are opening their economies, as they must to

compete in the global economy, and ramping up industrial production, they frequently use

natural resources in an unsustainable way. Consumer goods consumption worldwide causes

deforestation, mining, and the polluting of our waters and air. For example, the Amazon

rainforest — sometimes called the "lungs of the Earth" — has experienced widespread

deforestation as the result of global demand for soy, beef, and timber.

In addition, globalization has been known to pressure nations into reducing environmental

regulations to attract investment from abroad. This is known as the "race to the bottom" — we

are willing to weaken protections in exchange for profit. The pressure on many poor nations to

serve as the industrial hinterlands of richer nations, to host pollution-heavy industries,

electronics, and textiles, free of onerous restrictions.

a major share of the world’s carbon emissions. Approximately one-quarter of the world’s GHG

emissions are caused by shipping alone, according to the International Maritime Organization.

The environmental cost of moving goods across continents has surged with the advent of

rocketing trade, globalized production, and rising consumption.

Moreover, climate change itself, which has been accelerated by industrial processes associated

with globalization, now undermines the very systems on which globalization itself depends—like

farming, built infrastructure, and patterns of migration. Rising tides, storms, and disappearing

species affect the way food is grown globally and force people to move, destabilizing economies

and adding to political tensions between nations.

Benefits of the relationship between globalization and environmental change

Despite its negative effects, globalization also contains tools to help preserve the environment

and develop it sustainably. This, of course, is the spreading of environmental awareness and

technology. Nations are becoming more knowledgeable about climate change and its dangers

through global communication networks and interactions. The exchange of technologies between

the industrialized and developing worlds can be beneficial for eco-friendly technologies,

including renewable energy devices (solar panels and windmills), electric vehicles, and waste

management systems.
International institutions and arrangements from the Paris Agreement (2015) were only made

possible through diplomatic globalization. Countries around the globe vowed to curb carbon

emissions and move to renewable energy. The agreement was a beginning, not an end; so, too,

were other international protocols, such as the agreement to phase out leaded gasoline. Although

enforcement is still an issue, the treaty pointed the way to the next stage in the recognition of

collective responsibility for the environment.

Meanwhile, multinationals are feeling the heat from NGOs and global consumers and are overtly

incorporating greener operations. Businesses now disclose their carbon footprints, deploy

recyclable materials and invest in sustainability efforts. For instance, big companies such as

Apple, IKEA, and Unilever have pledged to go carbon neutral in the next few decades. This

could not happen if there were no globalization or global consumer demands.

Globalization promotes collaboration about the environment among scientists, government, and

non-government organizations. Knowledge about climate change, threatened species, and ocean

conservation can be transferred across borders to create better solutions. International groups,

such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), supply crucial information and

policy recommendations that shape global environmental policy.

Moreover, there has been born a worldwide revolt for the environment. Groups such as

Greenpeace and the youth-led Fridays for Future (inspired by the activist Greta Thunberg) use

global megaphones to increase awareness and advocate for action. These movements have
prompted millions around the world to act, to reduce waste, to consume less, and to demand

answers from a government that has become complacent.”

In a nutshell, globalization and environmental change are strongly correlated, but in ways both

good and not-so-good! Although globalization has contributed to environmental destruction in

the past in the form of industrialization, deforestation, and pollution, it also has the potential for

collaborative solutions. Knowledge exchange, the development of international environmental

norms, and global movements are mechanisms that can alleviate the damage of climate change.

Moving further into the 21st century, the question is not how we can roll back globalization but

how we can reimagine it — engaging a form of globalization that is sustainable, equitable, and

ecologically respectful. Only then can globalization and environmentalism live together in a way

that makes sense and works to the advantage of all.

Essay 2:

Throughout human history, conflict has been a fact of life and has commonly been generated by

political, economic, social, religious, and environmental issues. In the modern world of trivia,

however, warfare has evolved but it has never stopped. Wars are no longer limited to state-on-

state violence but also involve civil wars, ideological battles, terrorism, cyber-warfare, and the

fight for natural resources. This essay identifies the main sources of world wars and other global

conflicts in recent decades and critically assesses the significance of conflicts in particular

regions and their impact on the global security environment.

remains among the most persistent. A case in point is the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and, ultimately, its full-scale assault on Ukraine can be

attributed to territorial acquisition along with geopolitical control. Russia is trying to assert

dominance in the post-Soviet sphere and push back on another island of post-Soviet states

aligned with the West, Ukraine. This war has led to tens of thousands of deaths, the displacement

of millions, and a large-scale refugee crisis in Europe. Another conflict on territorial claims that

remains unresolved is between China and Taiwan. The Chinese government considers Taiwan a

breakaway province, though Taiwan has its own government and democratic system. Tensions

have been rising with China’s military exercises in waters near the island and the U.S.’s support

of Taiwan’s self-defense. The South China Sea is also claimed by several countries, including

the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Brunei, where China has constructed artificial islands

and seized control of international waters.

Religious and ethnic differences perpetuate wars all over the globe. The United Nations has

called the military campaign in Myanmar, which has involved mass killings and the forced

migration of Rohingya Muslims, genocide. Over 700,000 Rohingya fled to Bangladesh, in what

became a humanitarian emergency.

Likewise, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is still unresolved, with recent flare-ups like the Gaza

War in 2023. Central to the quarrel are claims to land, identity, security, and the right of return

for Palestinian refugees. There are religious sites in Jerusalem too, which fuel tension between

Jews, Muslims, and Christians. In India, growing Hindu nationalism has led to growing violence
and marginalization against Muslim minorities, particularly under policies introduced by the

ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). These pressures have given rise to internal unrest and

external fears that religious and ethnic minorities’ rights and secular rule would be trampled.

Right at the heart of the sources of conflict is environmental destruction and resource

competition. Climate change (by the rising temperature) makes droughts, floods, and other

natural disasters worse and makes already exposed groups more vulnerable. Climate-driven

desertification, for example, in the Sahel region of Sub-Saharan Africa, has led to food insecurity

and the rise of violence between pastoralists and farming communities. Sudan is a second case in

which climate stress and political instability intersect. A 2023 clash of rival military factions has

produced one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, exacerbated by water shortages and

agricultural failure. More than 9 million people are displaced, and millions are starving or in

need of medical care. Water scarcity is also fueling tension in the Middle East, particularly

between states sharing the Tigris-Euphrates and Nile River systems. Tensions between Ethiopia,

Egypt, and Sudan on the building of dams and water sharing could spin into wider regional

instability.

Autocracy in the form of dictatorial governance and repression of civil liberties is also one of the

major contentious issues. In nations like Iran, street protests — including this year’s

demonstrations over the killing of Mahsa Amini — have been brutally crushed. Protesters who

are calling for women’s rights and a stop to theocracy have been arrested, tortured, and killed.

The Iranian government’s use of force against its own people is a reminder of how state violence

heightens civil strife and international censure.

has led to economic ruin, mass emigration, and brutal repression of dissent. The country’s

humanitarian crisis has overflowed into neighboring Colombia, Brazil, and other Latin American

countries.

Fanatical ideas still provide an important stimulus to violence, especially in unstable or ill-

governed parts of the world. In West Africa, ISIS- and al-Qaeda-affiliated groups have a

presence in the Sahel, notably in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger. These rebels take advantage of

poverty, corruption, and central government weakness to seize territory, attacking civilians,

peacekeepers, and local authorities. In Afghanistan, following the 2021 withdrawal of U.S.

forces and return of the Taliban to power, ongoing violence persists throughout the country from

groups such as ISIS-K, which also targets Taliban forces and civilians. The suppression of

women and minorities is another kind of internal strife. In Syria, the civil war that began in 2011

has killed hundreds of thousands of people. The war has drawn a wide range of actors including

the Syrian government, opposition forces, ISIS, and foreign powers like Russia, Iran, Turkey,

and the United States. It has cooled down but is still a simmering conflict with no lasting peace.

In today’s digital age, battles are fought in the cyber realm, too. Countries like Russia, China,

Iran, and North Korea have all been blamed for carrying out cyberattacks on targets like critical

infrastructure, elections, and businesses in the United States and Europe. The 2016 and 2020

U.S. elections were just such targets of Russian disinformation campaigns, which sought to

astroturf division and erode trust in democratic institutions. Cyber war is a fuzzy concept,
somewhere between war and espionage, and it can have enormous economic and political impact

without a single tank or ship leaving the battlefield. As artificial intelligence and surveillance

technologies spread, digital conflict almost certainly will become more complicated and more

dangerous in the coming years.

It is no exaggeration to say that we live today in a world rife with conflict fueled by territorial

tensions, ethnic and religious grievances, environmental strain, authoritarian repression,

terrorism, cyber threats, or a combination of these. These conflicts are often bound together;

climate change can exacerbate migration crises, which can fuel nationalism and xenophobia,

which can cause political instability. We can only overcome these challenges through global

collaboration, inclusive governance, human rights, and justice. Conflict is always with us, as

long as there is inequality, a power imbalance, and competition for resources. Nevertheless, by

diplomacy, international law, and sustainable development, the international community can

contribute to preventing and addressing the root causes of conflicts and creating a world of

greater peace and stability.

Essay 3:

Human rights and human security are central issues that are highly related to political and

economic development. And despite the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), which

seeks to guarantee everyone fundamental rights—civil, political, economic, social, and cultural

—actual enforcement of these rights is far from clear and depends heavily on the politics of the

day. Human security, a newer concept, rather than a state person-centric as security before, is an
approach to ensure the safety of people, but also the protection from chronic threats such as

hunger, disease, and repression. The abuses and violations in both domains—human rights and

human security—not only resonate with the existing political and economic order, but they

tacitly inscribe the way societies evolve everywhere.

One central problem is that human rights abuses frequently stem from politically opaque,

unaccountable, and undemocratic political systems. In authoritarian regimes, for instance, free

expression tends to be censored, the press is dominated, and force is employed to silence all

forms of opposition. In these more restrictive environments, citizens are unable to become

meaningfully engaged in the political sphere, thus resulting in unresponsive leadership. This

undermines the quality of democracy and perpetuates development stasis or retrogression. In

North Korea, for example, the deprivation of fundamental human rights such as the freedom of

movement, information, and assembly is both a cause and a result of that polity’s isolation and

economic stagnation.

On the other hand, in a society where human rights are respected, the political institutions are

more stable and more legitimate. This builds trust in governance, promotes civic engagement,

and results in better policy. The Scandinavian nations serve as good examples; their emphasis on

human rights and inclusive governance contributes to their high levels of human development,

equality, and economic performance.

Human security further muddies this picture. Conventional security typically focuses on military

capabilities and border integrity, whereas human security is concerned with the welfare of
people. Poverty, disease, hunger, and environmental degradation are among its concerns. For

example, lack of access to clean water, education, and healthcare is a major obstacle to economic

development in Sub-Saharan Africa. Without such fundamental securities, there is no way that

populations can really make meaningful contributions to economic growth, and political systems

collapse into violence and instability.

A further significant problem is that of structural inequalities, whether at home or in the world at

large, that lead to violations of human rights. Neocolonial trade agreements, global debt regimes,

and bad-faith labor conditions frequently trap developing countries into dependency

relationships. This, in itself, is an interference in their sovereignty and establishes an obstacle to

constructing political structures that actually serve their citizens. Moreover, nations that are rich

in natural resources, such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, are frequently afflicted by the

“resource curse”—the wealth from resources tends to drive corruption, conflict, and repression

rather than broad development.

Gender inequality also constitutes a significant human rights and human security problem that

retards development. Women have little or no access to education, healthcare, or the workforce

in many areas of the world. And the United Nations states that if more girls are educated and

more women go to work, it's associated with better health, lower poverty, and better economic

growth.

Furthermore, the world refugee problem represents a human security issue with political and

economic ramifications. Forced migrants, who may have been uprooted by conflict or climate
change, strain host countries’ infrastructure and stir political tension. Even countries with robust

economies have difficulty absorbing refugee populations, and the inability to integrate them is a

contributing factor to social instability. On the other hand, when programs are pursued by

countries that adopt refugee resettlement in a rights-based, inclusive manner, this leads to longer-

term economic and cultural dividends.

Lastly, the degree of international cooperation—or not—influences how these issues are

addressed. Such international organizations as the United Nations, the World Bank, and the

International Criminal Court have the goal of defending human rights and furthering

development, but they are limited. Enforcement is feeble, and stronger countries frequently are

shielded from responsibility. Moreover, humanitarian concerns are at times subordinated to

geopolitical interests, as was the case with the varying international responses to human rights

crises in Yemen, Syria, or Myanmar.

Overall, human rights and human security are not ethical niceties but rather the conditions for

sustainable political and economic development. Self-evidently, societies that invest in

protecting individual freedoms, safety, and well-being are generally more stable, wealthier, and

durable societies. You do not have a cashier and you pay by putting money into some “honesty”

boxes—ever wonder why affording a decent everyday meal is a struggle. Doing something about

the systemic issues, rather than the symptoms which are authoritative governance, lack of money

(poverty), gender inequities, and international structural injustices, is necessary for development

that is equitable and inclusive.

The attack on Ukraine by Russia in February 2022 has completely altered the landscape of

international relations and sent shockwaves through the world economy. This war is not only a

regional war, but a global crisis, a deep geopolitical division with vulnerabilities in trade, energy,

and security worldwide.

It has also resulted in a reassertion of Cold War-like blocs, internationally. The NATO alliance,

previously seen as increasingly irrelevant, has been revitalized and purposed. Formerly neutral

nations like Finland and Sweden began seeking to join NATO, in another sign of deepened

Western alignment in the face of perceived Russian aggression. The Russians, meanwhile, have

expanded their relationships with countries outside the Western orbit, such as China, Iran, and

some countries of the African continent. This split has exacerbated international tensions,

reflected in U.N. deliberations and G20 meetings.

The United States and European Union have been leading supporters of Ukraine, sending

military aid, funds, and humanitarian relief. Their coordinated actions have included

unprecedented economic sanctions on Russia against its banking system, energy exports, and

oligarchs. The measures are aimed at undermining Russia’s war aims, but they also have been

felt across global markets. In 2022, energy prices soared amid a European effort to shore up its

dependence on Russian gas, leading to inflation and an energy crisis that affected millions.

The response of emerging economies has been mixed. Nations like India and Brazil have steered

clear of directly condemning Russia, frequently opting for neutrality or abstention in U.N. votes.
Their calculations are driven by tangled histories, economic gains, and fears about the hypocrisy

of the West. While China has publicly declared itself in favor of peace, it has a strategic

partnership with Russia, and it has shied away from imposing sanctions, tarnishing global efforts

to show a united front.

Economically, the war has also dislocated major global supply chains. Ukraine and Russia are

both major exporters of grain, fertilizer, and oil. The war has disrupted these exports, especially

from Ukrainian ports, leading to food insecurity in regions that depend heavily on imported

wheat — notably, parts of Africa and the Middle East. The U.N.-brokered grain arrangement

offered some respite, but its fragility and repeated disruptions have underscored how conflict in a

single place can upend food systems everywhere.

The war has sped up the energy transition worldwide as well. While Europe has pursued

measures to decrease their reliance on Russian gas, including diversifying their energy mix and

building more renewable and liquefied natural gas (LNG) infrastructure, these shifts take time.

Germany, for example, reopened coal plants on a temporary basis and fast-tracked renewable

energy projects. While this transition may have a positive impact on long-term sustainability

targets, the short-term impacts have been higher energy prices and inflation.

And military budgets are on the rise in many countries. Germany unveiled a significant increase

to its military budget, and NATO members are working towards a goal of meeting or surpassing

2% of GDP on military spending. This military expansion is part of a wider re-prioritization for
many national budgets, with defense and deterrence now coming before development or climate

funding.

In the diplomatic realm, the war has turned the world’s conversation about sovereignty,

international law, and nuclear deterrence. The invasion violated international norms, including

the U.N. Charter, and sparked calls for reform of international institutions to more effectively

prevent, or respond to, such aggression. The specter of nuclear escalation has also returned along

with anxieties not felt since the Cold War and discussions of arms control and deterrence.

In short, the war in Ukraine between Russia and Ukraine is not just a regional war, but a world

war impacting both international relations and the world economy. The war has also reshuffled

alliances, stressed economies, and intensified demands for changes in food, energy, and military

policies. Whether this heralds a more multipolar world or enhanced Western unity is not clear,

but its repercussions will be felt for years to come.

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