GS101 Chapter 6: Chapter 6 GS101.docx
Document Summary
In recent years, global environmental issues have receives enormous attention from research institutes, the media, politicians, and economists. The ecological impacts of globalization are increasingly recognized as the most significant and potentially life threatening for the world as we have inherited it from our ancestors. In addition to economic and political factors, cultural values and background greatly influence how people view the natural environment. In modernity, nature has come to be considered as a resource" to be used instrumentally to fulfil human desires. Our planet"s ecosystems are subjected to continuous human assault in order to maintain wasteful lifestyles. Until the coming of the industrial revolution, environmental degradation was relatively localized and occurred rather slowly over many centuries. In the last few decades, the scale, speed and depth of earth"s environmental decline have been unprecedented. Two of the major concerns relate to uncontrolled population growth and lavish consumption patterns, particularly in the global north.
