Global inequality is a universal barrier that creates many public problems. Conflict can be a result of people feeling neglected by others through social movement to a higher class of success (Tepperman & Curtis, p. 33). Karl Marx’s projected Conflict Theory is taken is into consideration here.
This theory states that the working class also known as the proletariat continuously endeavors to work hard in anticipation to become owners of production also known as the bourgeoisie (Tepperman & Curtis, p. 31 and Heiner, p. 7). However, these diligent individuals do not realize that class displays conspicuous consumption as they declare success through worldly gains and not the basic essentials of life.
This growing concern of consumption is not considered and will cause global devastation. Participation in local public living reduce the likeliness of global devastation. My paper examines the global collapse as a result of the consumption of oil, economic breakdown, the deterioration of nature, the threat of terrorism, and nutrition insufficiency.
Over- consumption is an affliction upon the world since modern energy resources will not be able to provide for civilization in the future. Peak oil is an ever-growing issue, whereby removal of the fuel is a collective hardship that causes a decrease in producing a low-priced working source of energy (Tepperman & Curtis, p. 419). The use of oil to fuel vehicles, create objects, and make edible food will have to change. However, if things do not change, oil prices will continue to climb as is presently happening.
A reporter from BBC news stated that “France’s fuel tax aims to encourage motorists to use their cars less or switch to electric versions.” This is becoming a trend not only in France; car companies around the world are introducing a new initiative where electricity is used to power vehicles. They also provide charging stations in gas stations and other places where they see fit, so people can charge their cars while out on their day to day business.
The World Energy Organization made an estimate that by the year 2030, the price for a barrel of oil will rise to two-hundred dollars, which is more than double the price today (Owen et al, p.4748). With this in mind, America has almost no recoverable oil left to use for consumption. The BBC news article about the fuel-tax riot in France noted that the U.K. was also faced with oil price increase issues.
The reporter found “That so-called carbon tax had already increased diesel by 7.6 cents per litre and petrol by 3.9 cents in the last year, and it was due to rise again in January.” The link here is that oil will not bring humans into a reasonable, reliable future because products will become useless, causing tons of waste each year all made from the procedure of extracting oil (Tepperman & Curtis, p. 418).
Renewable resources hold potential but cannot supply the energy needed for many people (Puckett & Ahmed). Precise alternate energy suppliers include solar, wind, geothermal and hydro-electric, all of which are renewable but require oil to set up the structures needed to connect the energy.
Development needs more energy than the quantity of power the sources can provide. In short, there needs to be a joint effort by all people to use less oil in their day to day life. Economic inequalities are increasing and can be resolved by degrading establishments who consume this resource (Tepperman & Curtis, p. 22).
In today’s society, people flourish by living far beyond their means with sizeable debt, low paid jobs, and no plans for the future, demonstrating that the economic crises will surely be a disadvantage to the global scheme. The economic downturn in 2008 was a burden upon the U.S. which affected Canada drastically and led to the financial devastation of banks (Puckett & Ahmed).
This led to many home foreclosures, evictions, and poverty seizures. The U.S. government was more worried about banks’ exposure, rather than attending to citizens. The country cannot succeed in the future if the taxpayers are left to fight for themselves, while desirous financial groups are allowed to benefit for their own improvement. This signifies a double standard of financial aid.
Financial inequality leads to the horrible circumstance of poverty creating homelessness (Tepperman & Curtis, pp. 38-39). While walking the streets one can see people that have been living homeless some for more than two years. There is a lack of affordable housing for individuals with low income which leads to congested shelters (Tepperman & Curtis, pp. 38-40).
Not having somewhere to live can lead to the potential unemployment, violence & crime, and drug & alcohol abuse (Tepperman & Curtis, pp. 45-46). Homeless people are principally those who suffer the consequences of inequality and economic negligence (Tepperman & Curtis, p. 22). As a result, this population should make use of community care, government benefits, and higher education to better their life (Tepperman & Curtis, pp. 51-52).
The concern of environmental devastation is an important topic to bring forward. The disturbance of the ozone layer is an issue that should not be forgotten. In 2006, the ozone layer experienced a hole, allowing harmful access to radiation (Tepperman & Curtis, p. 412).
Climate change is displaying noticeable effects on the world as global warming ambushes the atmosphere’s greenhouse gases (Tepperman & Curtis, p. 413). Global temperature increase will end in disasters similar to floods from increasing sea-levels. With this being a worldwide problem, the BBC news article stated “… almost 94% of French citizens believe climate change is at least partly caused by human activity, with 73.7% believing the impacts will be bad.”
This causes economic trouble through the damage of lands and possessions. For instance, floods cost Japan an estimated 3.4 billion dollars and the U.S. 0.06 billion dollars. The forests logging leads to insufficient benefits for the procedure of photosynthesis (Tepperman & Curtis, p. 418). Soil destruction is also an irrevocable concern that will create landscapes not suitable for farming due to air confiscating rich soil. This is a perfect result of deforestation.
To grow new trees can be a tedious process that will take over fifty years for a forest to recover. In addition, water is a requirement of all living things in order for them to flourish and produce. The contamination of this vital element comes from the industry and the use of man power and machinery (Tepperman & Curtis, p. 415). These contaminants originate daily from acidic rainfall, industrial lavishness, stimulants, and oil leakage into freshwater.
The emergency of having states with little or no water while their people are irritated and worried with this global inequality may lead to the conflict of war. Accordingly, the growth of human consciousness for the need to live in agreement with the natural environment is the best answer to save nature from human protection and hatred shown by other countries that may have a hard time using their resources.
The worldwide food crisis is another risk for the breakdown of the global system. Food on a global scale involves the partnership of producing, making, and transporting food to people which is essential for life (BeVier, p. 77). The shifting of the environment through climate change will affect the way crops are grown in different regions due to changing temperatures and declining growing seasons.
Utilizing biofuels to balance the request for oil to power the needs of many is also a concern. As around seventy percent of agriculture is for energy expansion. The corn for making of ethanol has made the vegetable more expensive to customers because of request for food and energy in many parts of the world. The need to meet the necessity of food will possibly double in 2050, due to the increase in the population of the world.
An alarming finding is the estimate that 105 million people will be living in poverty in time to come because of food price increases. People living in countries that have the potential for growing, may end up facing health complications if hunger persist. Some possible issue may include weak immune systems, diseases, lack of learning growth, damage of organs in the body, and even death. (Tepperman & Curtis, p. 48).
It is possible that these difficulties will affect children as they grow. These complications can negatively affect their education and actions. Correspondingly, a worldwide response is essential through an effort by all to decrease global inconsistency by encouraging the practice to eat what you grow and grow what you eat, and not to waste food.
Beneath all these situations, the threat of terrorism is rampant as there is resistance between thoughts that create crime and violence due to organizational, social, and financial effects, which results in citizens being left to suffer (Tepperman & Curtis, p. 263). With the U.S. being a patron to terrorism this is how conflicts are solved with other nations at hand (Tepperman & Curtis, p. 264).
To be precise, the U.S. used Taliban and Osama Bin Laden as associates to initiate rivals. However these associates were identified as terrorist years later, and now the U.S. is in contradiction to these Middle East organizations, and the community is starting to perceive this perception (Puckett & Ahmed). A sign of the U.S. producing conflict for its own benefits are the attacks on 9/11.
This has been considered as a result of hampering the public acknowledgement of memorizing that before these attacks, the U.S forcefully initiated an oil pipeline for its people despite outcry from the outraged Taliban organization who did not want to make economic agreements with the U.S., and resulting in global panic for the war on terror (Puckett & Ahmed). The U.S. has actually increased the risk of terrorism greatly as a result of their national dependence on oil.
Terrorism is not only creating crises of war, but it is also affecting the west as well, as many citizens are encouraging their governments to deregulate privacy and freedom of legislation for the public against their appropriate governments. To describe, this would permit governments to closely monitor civilians through surveillance telecommunications. This may, in turn, lead to the abuse of government authorization of spying without justification and probable grounds to do so in the first place.
With the access to the internet by many people in this modern era, terrorism can occur through the technological systems being used by the smallest of children today. Concerns that arise includes internet sites that encourage activities of terrorism and partnering to educate the youths on how to track terrorism around the world.
To overcome terrorism the countries should join together to control technical improvement in ways that do not deny individuals opportunities to learn, understand, and prevent worldwide battles. The resistance amongst the thoughts and the constant terrorism actions continue to increase.
Hopefully, the inequalities that are emerging around the world make individuals reevaluate their means of consumption. The community’s urgent understanding to the global crisis outlined will decide if the world will make an affirmative adjustment for the people.
The conflict theory of Karl Marx’s allows for the problems that occur to be prevented if individuals recognize the true value to the features of life. The world should unite and join in a rally that fight these problems from the world.
