The Effects of Globalization on Hawaii - Article Example

The Effects of Globalization on Hawaii Globalization is a phenomenon that has had social, political, economical, cultural and environmental effects on nations across the world albeit on varying degrees and levels. However, the most significant of the impacts relate to environmental issues as technological advancement hampers the sustainability of the environment and ecological balance. Like any other place in the world, globalization has also had its impact on Hawaii, especially on its ecological balance and environmental sustainability. Evidence indicates that in the modern day, globalization has increased the “scope and magnitude” of the interaction among people apart from necessitating their “interdependency” (Marsella 15). Being an island nation, Hawaii has always attracted tourists from among all regions of the world and it has remained their main source of revenue. Globalization has also facilitated transnational “capital flow, transportation, tourism” and other kinds of alliances amongst nations, which played a major role in boosting Hawaii’s economy (15). Thus, the phenomenon of globalization, on the one hand, has accelerated economic and technological developments in Hawaii, but, on the other hand, it has had devastating effects on its environment and ecological balance as well as reduces the employment opportunities of local population. The capitalist philosophy that the elimination of national boundaries and the “rational operation of the free market” nourish prosperity does reflect on the economic growth of the island nation (Sheppard 308). In early days, agriculture has been one of the main resources of Hawaii but “sugar transformed” the nation initially as an industry based economy (Firth 183). Subsequently, falling in tandem with the trends of globalization, the Hawaiian outlook further changed from an agricultural society to a service based community primarily gaining strength from the exponential growth in tourism and allied industries. This transition, characterized by the emergence of “new market forces” coupled with the “new technologies of transport” has further accelerated the economic development of Hawaii (179). Similarly, “economic globalization” can have several positive outcomes for countries, in terms of enhanced quality of life, as can be evidenced from the progress that Hawaii has made in various aspects (Globalization and Environmental Sustainability 259). In addition, the liberalized policies of immigration, and the ease with which it can be processed as a consequence of globalization, have enabled the nation to access “talented segments” from across the world that are “highly skilled” and this enabled them to attain development in all aspects of their life including education (Iadicola 20). Thus, it transpires that the phenomenon of globalization has fetched several benefits to Hawaii, which reflects in its economic as well as social developments apart from enhancing the quality of life of its citizens. On the other hand, evidence suggests that the ever increasing human population in Hawaii, and the huge and constant influx of over four million tourists annually, has caused “loss of habitat” of their rich marine resources and the “introduction of non-native species” (Scott 361). Due to this, there has been a staggering loss of species, which is a major environmental concern. Obviously, globalization has speeded up the process of immigration and advanced the technologies that enable easy and fast transportation, which increases the arrival of tourists. Similarly, “active commercial exploitation” of land and marine resources is another major disadvantage of globalization (Loope 752). Besides, the proliferation of transport facilities, containerization and the technological advances as well as “trade agreements” which are the “key components” of the globalization phenomenon have entailed an increase in the container shipment to the US from “8 million in 1980” to “33 million in 2000” (Loope and Howarth 34). The unprecedented increase in container arrival has caused slackness on the part of the authorities, which in turn has resulted in transmission of pests from different parts of the world to Hawaii. The “arrivals of new immigrant species” of harmful pests have further caused negative consequences on the biological life in the islands (35). On the other hand, the advancement in technology also has serious negative impacts on the human population in Hawaii like in the other parts of the world. One of the significant aspects of globalization is the proliferation of major brands such as WalMart, into local areas, thereby taking over business and employment opportunities. Evidence suggests that instead of creating new job opportunities, Wal Mart “brings unemployment and poverty” (Worstall, 2013). The advanced technology being used by this corporate giant saves a lot of labor and thus “reduces the number of retail jobs” (Worstall, 2013). Therefore, the labor population loses their jobs due to the presence of multinational corporate that has the leeway of using technology to reduce human resources. The logical fallacy of the claim that multinational companies enhance the job opportunities thus becomes evident from this instance. The article points to another paradoxical situation in which multinational companies such as Wal Mart and Costco attain sales in billions by engaging reduced number of labors and their sales per employee are “147,000” and “&465,000” respectively (Worstall, 2013). Thus, the reduced number of employees does not affect their business but impacts customers who have to carry the merchandise themselves to the doorsteps or waiting cars. Here, again, the logical fallacy, of the claim that globalization brings progress to all, becomes evident that as a consequence of globalization, customers and employees are negatively impacted whereas capitalist firms are reaping profits. This situation may adversely affect the development of Hawaii in the long run as labors may run out of jobs, affecting the economy of the state. In a similar context, Nayan Nanda (2013) in his article criticizes the policies of the government of India that focus on “intricate subsidy programs” needs to review the “outdated labor laws” to create jobs so as to enable the country to feed its 800 million population that fall in the category of poor (Nanda, 2013). The author further emphasizes the need for policy makers to understand that long term labor focused policy implementation can only bring the desired economic advancement of the poor people. This philosophy is equally applicable to Hawaii also, as the economic progress being evidenced now may not last for long. Thus, the immediate benefits of globalization in terms of subsidies in certain areas cannot be measured as financial stability or economic progress of a nation. The positives of globalization were mooted on a premise that “unfettered free trade” will blur national boundaries and will bring economic parity among nations (Faroohar, 2012). However, with the passage of time the realistic effects of globalization has begun to manifest themselves and the “flows in the premise are coming into focus” (Faroohar, 2012). Recent financial crisis, which has affected all major nations across the world, shows “fragmentation rather than unity has become the norm” (2012). This reveals the myth about globalization that capitalist interest has been propagating. Similarly recent trends also suggest that globalization is “killing Europe” and the phenomenon has wiped out a major portion of the “American middle class” (Hartmann, 2013). This article also shows the irony of the situation where the notion exists that globalization will bring economic prosperity to developing nations. In fact, corporate entities that operate on multinational levels are exploiting the market potential and replacing labor with technology. In the long run, this will mean that while they make profits, the labor will remain unemployed and the economies of the host nations will deteriorate. This situation needs immediate attention so that the economy of the developing nations can be stabilized and brought to parity with developing nations. Thus, overall, globalization has had several positive effects on Hawaii in the context of economic development and increase in the quality of life. Technical advancements, as the result of globalization, have also facilitated better educational and commercial avenues to the citizens. On the other hand, while several development activities have occurred due to this phenomenon, globalization has also entailed in some negative consequences especially in terms of its impact on environment and ecological balance as a result of which staggering deterioration is occurring in the rich marine life of Hawaii. Besides, the negative impacts have long term effects on environment and in the long run may hamper sustainability of the country as a whole. Works Cited (Annotated Bibliography Form) Faroohar, Rana. The Economy’s New Rule: Go Glocal. Time. Vol.180, Issue 8, 2012. Print. This source clearly illustrates the trend of globalization, which mooted free trade for bringing parity in the economy of nations. However, in the long run it will only widen the gap between developed and under developed nations. This is a good source for academicians as well as scholars who intend to explore the intricacies of globalization and world economies. Globalization and Environmental Sustainability. Web. 27 October 2013 This source clearly elucidates the impacts of economic globalization on environment and sustainable development. It categorically explains the impact of the phenomenon of globalization on production, energy etc and the result implication each aspect can have on the environment. This can be a valuable source for scholars as well as laymen for understanding the impacts of globalization on the environment. Iadicola, Peter. Globalization and Empire. International Journal of Social Inquiry, Vol.1 (2), 2008: pp.3-36. Web. 27 October 2013. This article illustrates how big nations like the US exploits smaller nation through the means of globalization. It enables the audience to understand how the mechanics of the capital market work in favor of empires and can be a good reference pint for learners of trade and economics. Loope, Lloyd L. Hawaii and the Pacific Islands. Status and Trends of the Nation’s Biological Resources (Vol.2): pp.747-774. Web. 27 October 2013. This source provides detailed information about the flora and fauna as well as the diverse and rich marine life of Hawaii. It further illustrates the effects of invasive species of animals and plants into the island. This could be a valid source for scholars and academicians while a layman audience may find it too technical. Loope, Lloyd L and Howarth, F G. Globalization and Pest Invasion: Where We will be in Five Years. International Symposium on Biological Control of Arthropods, n.d: pp.34-39. Web. 27 October 2013. Again, this scientific article offers a deeper insight into how globalization and its entailing consequences have caused pest invasion into the Pacific Islands, especially Hawaii. It could be a good academic source for scholars who seek scientific knowledge into the effects of globalization on the marine life in Hawaii. Marsella, Anthony J. “Hegemonic” Globalization and Cultural Diversity: The Risks of Global Monoculturalism. Australian Mosaic, Vol.11 (13), 2005: pp.15-19. Web. 27 October 2013 This source demonstrates the impacts of globalization on human culture. It also discusses various impacts of globalization from the perspective of the world. Nanda, Nayan. Labor Pains. Yale Global Online, 30 September 2013. Web. 31 October 2013. Home Page of Yale Global Online. This article also takes a critical look on the concept of economic progress due to globalization and emphasizes that subsidies being extended to the poor people are not an indicator of economic progress. The author contends that policies, with long term objectives to help labors the need of the hour for developing nations to attain the desired level of economic progress. This will be a good source for scholars to know the economic implications of globalization. Scott, Michael J. Hawaii. Our Living Resources – Hawaii. n.d. Web. 27 October 2013. This article dwells on the biodiversity of Hawaii and the environmental problems that the country currently faces. It identifies overpopulation, a result of globalization, as one of the main threats to marine life. This can be a valid source for scholars who want to gain specific knowledge of the impact of globalization on the environment. Sheppard, Eric. The Spaces and Times of Globalization: Place, Scale, Networks and Positionality. Economic Geography, Vol.78 (3), 2002: pp.307-330. Web. 27 October 2013. This article explores the impact of globalization in the specific context of Pacific Islands and their marine life and can be a valid source for scholars who intend to gain in depth knowledge on the topic. Hartmann, Thom. Globalization is Killing the Globe: Return to Local Economies. Business Magazine, 15 October 2013. Print. This article explores in depth the trend of globalization and its impact of the economy of nations. It illustrates the significance of local economies over globalized economy especially for under developed nations. Worstall, Tim. Of Course Wal Mart Destroys Retail Jobs: That’s the Darn Point of It All. Forbes Magazine, 31 March 2013. Print. Though this source is an informal article that falls in the category of an opinion paper than research based, it clearly exposes the agenda of multinational companies and also exposes the logical fallacy behind their claim that globalization and the advent of the corporate giants will create more job opportunities. Read More