Environmental Impacts of Global Flows (HL IB Geography)

Localised Pollution

• Localised pollution is confined to one particular area and is usually due to specific activities or processes

• Trade and the transportation of goods between countries have increased due to globalisation

• This flow of goods has led some countries to experience localised pollution in the form of:

  • Point-source pollution arising from a specific, identifiable origin, such as

    • A manufacturer releases waste into nearby waters or pollutants into the air

  • Non-point source pollution is from scattered or diffused pollution sources, making it challenging to trace to a specific origin

    • For example, runoff from agricultural land sprayed with pesticides

  • Urban centres suffer:

    • Air pollution due to transport congestion and industrial emissions

    • Poor water quality from untreated sewage, industrial discharges, and storm water runoffs in overpopulated cities (particularly developing ones) is common

    • Overpopulated cities, along with high consumption patterns, generate high levels of waste, which are often disposed of unsustainably

Shipping Pollution

• The shipping industry is an important economic sector that has contributed to more than 80% of global trade throughout history

• Shipping is the most energy-efficient way to move large volumes of cargo

• Billions of containers of solid, liquid and dry bulk cargo are moved annually across the world's oceans

• This improves the economy and availability of food, raw materials, etc. for many countries

• But the shipping industry accounts for between 2 and 3% of global CO₂ emissions and could be as much as 17% by 2050 if left unregulated

Forms of shipping pollution

• Air pollution

  • Like all forms of transport, ships burn fossil fuels and create air pollution

  • Globally, the shipping industry’s total share of emissions per year is:

    • Greenhouse gases: 2.9%

    • Nitrogen oxides (NO_x): 19%

    • Sulphur oxides (SO_x): 9%

    • In comparison to Canada's total annual emissions of just 1.5%

• Noise pollution

  • The large propellers of ships create underwater noise that can travel long distances

  • Marine species that rely on sound for their communication, feeding and orientation can be harmed

  • Continuous on-board noise is harmful to human health

• Discharge

  • Shipping contributes significantly to global CO₂ emissions

    • Although individual ships are an efficient form of transport, the large numbers of vessels operating globally counteract this

  • Accidental oil leaks from tanker accidents

  • Chemical pollution from deliberate discharge of waste into the sea

  • Dumping of waste water and materials into the sea decreases water quality, negatively impacts marine environments

    • Black water contains urine and faeces, and oily bilge water

    • Bilge water is usually treated to meet international regulations for release into the environment; however, not every ship does this

    • Grey water comes from ships’ accommodation areas, including the sink, shower, laundry, and galley

• Pollution in ports

  • Ships arriving in port may not be able to berth and have to wait at anchor

  • Ships will continue to run engines and generators, emitting pollution into the atmosphere and water and contributing to acidification of coastal waters

• Invasive species

  • The discharge of water into the oceans can introduce non-native marine species to an area

  • Cargo can carry non-native species and transport them around the world

The impact of global flows

• The overall effect of pollution is increased along major shipping routes and concentrated locally in ports

• This has led to concentrated ocean acidification, which has consequences on marine life in general

The Carbon Footprint of Flows

• A carbon footprint is simply the total amount of greenhouse gases produced by individuals, organisations or countries

• It is usually measured in terms of the amount of CO₂ produced

• The flow of goods, people and food around the world has implications on the global carbon footprint

Flows of food

• Modern food systems have long supply chains that bring huge environmental impacts with them

  • The transport of food over long-distances increases fuel consumption and the food's carbon footprint

  • Maintaining perishable items in chilled storage for extended periods consumes significant energy

  • Methods like canning or freeze-drying, although they prolong shelf life, are energy-intensive

  • Mechanised farming, high fertiliser use, and large-scale monocultures increase emissions

  • Farming, especially cattle and rice, contributes large amounts of methane emissions, a potent greenhouse gas

Flows of goods

• From raw materials to finished products, the flow of goods usually spans continents

• Each stage of the process adds to the carbon footprint

• The stages are:

  • Manufacturing

    • Factories, particularly heavy industries, produce large amounts of CO₂

    • Extracting and processing raw materials, such as metals, contributes to emissions

  • Packaging

    • Plastic is light and durable, but it is a petroleum product with a high carbon footprint

    • Excessive packaging (particularly non-recyclable plastics) end up in landfills, contributing to environmental pollution

  • Transport

    • Transporting goods by air has the largest carbon footprint, followed by road travel, and finally sea travel

    • The longer goods travel, the larger the carbon footprint

Flows of people

• Globalisation has contributed to the movement of people, either as economic migrants or tourists

• This movement has increases global CO₂ emissions

• Movement usually involves transport and the greater the distance, the larger the footprint

  • Tourist hotspots suffer a rise in transport emissions

  • Tourists consume more resources, from water to energy, compared to local users

  • Legal migrants have higher carbon footprints than illegal migrants, as they move all their possessions from one place to another, whereas illegal migrants move or own very little

• Flows of people to urban areas increases the demand on resources and, therefore, the carbon footprint increases

  • Expanding cities need more energy-intensive infrastructure, increasing carbon emissions

  • Densely populated areas strain local resources, which can lead to unsustainable extraction elsewhere