Globalization is the spread of culture, economy, and religion into one large network that spans the entire planet. This spread can not only affect the people involved in trade and the global economy as a whole, but also the environment that we live in. As more countries become mechanized and move to a more westernized way of life, we are seeing more effects on the environment. Countries are increasingly effecting changes in agriculture and how people raise and handle their crops. There is an increase in the movement of non-native—and often invasive—species due to people. Most of all, we are seeing more use of agrichemicals such as ammonium nitrate in farming, as well as a higher dependency on fossil fuels and non renewable energy sources.
The Blog that I will be writing will detail how globalization effects the environment, specifically using algae as an example. I chose algae to be the focus of my blog because it sits at the bottom of the food chain, and while it may be small and seemingly unimportant, it can have a large effect on the entire environmental processes that take place above it. Algae can be affected by many things from temperature, chemical, and other changes that take place in its environment. Algae can give us a good view of what is happening in an ecosystem. It can also help us to understand how the planet as a whole is being affected because it occupies a large portion of our oceans, lakes, and other waterways.
The increase in the use of fertilizers in different countries all over the world has had a significant impact on the growth of algae. As excess fertilizer is washed into streams, it is taken down rivers into lakes and oceans. The algae that grow these areas are then exposed to the fertilizers and other chemicals, which provide the algae a more hospitable environment in which to grow and multiply, sometimes even causing algal blooms and dead zones.
Algae is a highly important part of aquatic ecosystems, providing food for many herbivorous creatures; however, too much algae in an area can disrupt the balance of a food web, ultimately resulting in the decrease in population of many species of plants and animals and—in extreme cases—dead zones. This decrease can have a harsh impact on the lives of peoples who rely on the benefits of oceans and lakes to survive and make an income. For example, fishermen can often be impacted if algal growth causes the decrease in the populations that they fish. Although they may still be able to catch some fish if the area is not rendered into a dead zone, the added competition of a global market can make it more difficult to profit from a smaller number of fish.
Although the most obvious solution to the problem of algal growth is to decrease or cease the use of chemical fertilizers, the problem is not that simple. If chemical fertilizers are banned or limits are placed on their use, farmers will get lower yields. The banning of fertilizer would therefore merely shift the hardship from fishermen to farmers, rather than eliminating it.
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