Topic: Globalisation - Economic and Ecological Issues
Text type: (political) speech
Definition of Globalisation:
Globalisation represents the largest economic and social shift since the Industrial Revolution (Dirk
Messner), a process of growing links between societies and problem areas (Johanna Varwick) and a
process of surmounting limitations created by history. For this reason, it is synonymous with erosion
(but not with the disappearance) of national state sovereignty, and exhibits itself as the freeing up of
the market economy from the moral order and institutionalised ties of society. (Elmar Altvater)
Problems of Globalisation:
Politics:
 International affairs more important than nationals
 Cooperation
 Clash between political systems
Economy:
 Rich countries take advantage of poor countries
 Working conditions
 Cultural dependency
 Global player
Society:
 New ways of communication (e.g. : chat, internet)
 Global village
Culture:
 “Americanisation”
 traditional language
Environment:
 global warming
 deforestation of tropical rainforest
The three eras of globalisation:
First era:
 from 1492 to 1800
 discovery of America
 knitting the world together - world size big to medium
 used muscles, horsepower, wind power, steam power
Second era:
 from 1800 to 2000
 interruptions: Great Depression, World War I, World War II
 world size medium to small (falling transporting costs, falling telecommunication costs)
 birth and maturation of a global economy
 movements of goods and information → global market
Third era:
 From 2000 to ?
 More power than ever to go global as individuals
 World size small to tiny
 More opportunities to work (international)
 Driven primarily by European and American individuals and businesses but soon states like
China will take control
 Empowering individuals
Globalisation
Causes & Effects
technology
(internet)
transport of
goods and
speed of
transport
global
problems
(climate;
migration)
Globalisation
end of the
Cold War
liberalisation
Effects:
 diminishing the
role of the
nation-state
 social dumping
 gap between
rich and poor
 noncontrollable
multis
 environmental
destruction
Globalisation: in favour and contra:
In favour
 Workers in poorer countries are not
exploited, because they decided to work
there
 Every country is included
 Poorer countries have a chance to
improve their situation. The IMF or the
World Bank help countries which have
financial problems
 Everyone can benefit from the resulting
increases in international trade
 Global market
 Internet / lower telecommunication costs
 Travelling → easier
 You can decide in which part of the
world you would like to live
contra
 Wides the gap between poor and rich
(countries)
 Ruled by multi-lateral organisations
 Many countries cannot benefit from the
global market because the power of
single companies is growing
 Not enough jobs for everyone
The World Bank:
 Vital source of financial and technical assistance to developing countries
 186 members
 consisting of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the
International Development Association (IDA)
 IRBD focuses on middle income and credit worthy poor countries
 IDA focuses on the poorest countries in the world
 Give grants to developing countries for education, health, infrastructure, communications and
other purposes
International Monetary Fund (IMF):
 Membership in World Bank requires1 membership in IMF
 Authority is based on Articles of Agreement (1945)
 Provides 2 the build-up of consultation3 and collaboration on international monetary problems
 Facilitates expansion and balance of international trade
 Assists exchange stability
 Promotes establishment of a multicultural system of payment
 Makes general resources available to members to give confidence to them
The World Trade Organization (WTO):
 The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade was signed in 1947 by 23 countries
 Deals with trade in service, invention, creation and design
 Organization for liberalizing trade
 Imported and locally produced goods should be treated equally
 July 2008: 153 member countries
Criticism:
 Not a democratic, transparent institution
erfordert
anbieten
3 Beratung
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Expands the gap between rich and poor
Endangers National Sovereignty
Modern Slavery:
 Globalisation bases an exploitation of states and of the population → leads to migration
 Global market is practicing “price dumping” → people are forced to illegal employment or to
work for the minimum wage
Starbucks
Possible Threats / Dangers:
 Overexpansion
 Dearth4 of innovation / market saturation5 → costumers are bored
 Target for anti-globalisation campaigns
 Lawsuit / baggage for “icon status”
 Crashing of concepts / losing their way
 Over-estimation6 of capabilities
 Refusal of communities
The company’s philosophy:
 Make costumers feel comfortable
 Expansion
 Costumers should visit regularly / best treatment
 Creating more products in order to stay fresh / highest standard
 Non-coffee products
 Little advertising
 No franchising, but “licensees”
 Locations: traffic places / public places
Starbucks involvement in environmental affairs:
Fair Trade coffee Beans (1% of all Starbucks purchases) → making Starbucks one of the lowest
volume Fair Trade companies
Mission Statements:
 Provide a great work environment and treat each other with respect and dignity.
 Embrace a diversity as an essential component in the way we do business.
 Apply the highest standard of excellence to the purchasing, roasting and fresh delivery of our
coffee.
 Develop enthusiastically-satisfied costumers all of the time.
 Contribute positively to our communities and our environment.
 Recognize that profitability is essential to out future success.
→ Same mission statements all over the world
Mangel
Sättigung
6 Einschätzung
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Changes in Environmental Policy:
 CAFE → Coffee and Farmers Equity7 Practices
 Minimise impact on environment, preserving natural resources
 Environmental footprint team
 Increasing commitment to Fair Trade
 Promoting “ farmer stories”
 Social commitment
 Launching an organic food campaign
→ Global partner and local partner committed to sustainable development / sustainability
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Global Challenges
Pollution
Global warming / climate change
Natural resources
Sustainability / environmental sustainability
Human trafficking
Gender equality
Outsourcing
HIV / AIDS
Child mortality and maternal health
Terrorism
Education
Wars / peacekeeping
Overcrowding
Poverty / exportation
Deforestation / tropical deforestation
Holes in ozone layer
“global player”
clashes (e.g. political systems, poor – rich countries)
Global Warming
Greenhouse Effect:
 the atmosphere traps part of the Sun’s heat and stops it going back out into space
 makes the earth warm enough for life → natural greenhouse effect
 industry and agriculture add more gases to the atmosphere which trap more solar heat
Global Warming:
 the Earth is warming faster than it has in the last 1000 years
 climate change is a better description → some areas may cool
 also describes other effects like rising sea level or “wilder” weather
Kyoto Protocol:
 global treaty on tackling climate change
 commits industrialised nations to reduce their emissions of six greenhouse gases by an
average of 5,2% below their 1990 levels within a decade
 modest though necessary start → scientist say it would take carbon cuts of 60% or more to
prevent dangerous climatic instability
7
Fairness
Carbon Sinks:
 way of storing carbon is to plant vegetation which absorb dioxide as they grow
 emissions cuts should mean actual gas reduction, not just relying on Nature to soak uo
unabated8 pollution
 unclear what difference carbon sinks really make
Sustainable Development:
 development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs
Sustainable Trade:
 implies a trading system that does not harm the environment or deteriorate social conditions
while promoting economical growth
Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS):
 since first January 2005, 12000 large industrial plants in the EU
 enables companies exceeding individual CO2 emissions targets to buy allowance from
“greener” ones
 investments in cleaner technology can then be turned into profit while helping the EU meets
its Kyoto commitments on climate change
 earned the EU the reputation of global leader in fighting climate change
 criticised the EU for “going it alone”
European Climate Change Programme (ECCP):
 adopted in March 2000
 it’s crown jewel is the EU’s Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS)
 on ninth February 2005, the Commission adopted first proposals concerning its plans for new
climate change policies after the first Kyoto commitment period (2008 – 2012)
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC):
 the IPCC are the scientists sounding the climate alarm
 at worst, average global temperatures could rise by 5,5% by 2100, and sea levels by 90 cm
 critics say human influences are irrelevant to global warming, if it is happening at all
Factors which are responsible for the energy balance of the climate system
 changes in the atmospheric abundance9 of greenhouse gases and aerosols
 changes in solar radiation
 changes in land surface
 changes are expressed in terms of radiative forcing
Chemical substances which have increased dramatically since 1750:
 carbon dioxide (primarily because of fossil fuel use and landuse change)
 methane (primarily due to agriculture)
 nitrous oxide (primarily due to agriculture)
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unvermindert
Übermaß
Consequences of the greenhouse effect:
 raise of the sea level
 melting of icebergs
 extinction of specific animals
 climate change
Political Speech
Composition:
1. introduction
2. main body
3. conclusion
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 Language and structure
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