Yiyang Zhang
T00623142
HUMN 3981
Assignment 2
May 14 2018
Part A: Critical Reflection: Synthesis of the module’s three sections
- Distribution of Wealth
- Globalization and Regional Integration
- The Consequences of Development.
Distribution of wealth: There is an inequality of wealth distribution between rural and urban Latin America. Inequality in the distribution of resources and wealth has encouraged rural to urban migration. As countries industrialize workers leave the farm for industrial jobs in the cities. It is no different for LA. People move to the urban centers to seek new opportunities or to access high quality employment which are associated with Higher income. In 1930, the total urban migration in Latin America was 20 million and it has since grown to approximately 470 million (Green 127). What percent of the total population? Rural urban migration results into regional integration because people from different places come together and interact with each other. Expansion and development of urban areas is one effect of rural urban migration and there are consequences for it. Although rural urban migration often promises a better quality of life, that is not always realized because it leads to rapid and uncontrolled urbanization which causes challenges to urban dwellers.
In my view, urban migration in search of opportunities and better services is unnecessary because it is possible to access them in the countryside. You are wrong. As population increase the agricultural land is insufficient for economic size farms and wages are low. There are a lot of resources and wealth in rural areas not per capita. Just look at Canada’s size relative to its population. which if utilized well can result in opportunities for residents and delivery of high quality services(Almandoz 76). The government can also invest where will the taxes come from? in the infrastructure of rural areas to ensure that people in these areas have access to basic amenities such as electricity, water, quality healthcare and adequate security. In Latin America, there are migrants who abandoned agriculture in rural areas to pursue the promise of a better quality of life promised in urban areas (Filho, et al. 53).Although some of the migrants do not get the opportunities they were looking for in the cities and major towns, they still prefer being squatters in urban centers than dealing with rural poverty. Without industrial jobs people are doomed to poverty.
Migrating from Latin American countries to the US is a difficult process. Once they are in the U.S they work and live there illegally. Not all of them. The answer is high paying industrial jobs in LA. They may get job opportunities but lack necessary documentation that allows them to work freely like other citizens. Migration between Latin American countries is different. Emigrants easily move between these countries because there are more job and education opportunities. However, economic and social disparities still exist between these countries. Influx in rural areas forces people to be squatters in idle lands in Latin America and the Carribean. For instance, the people in the “favelas,” “villas miseries,” and “callampas” are mostly low income earners.“Favelas,” live in the shanty towns in the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil while “villas miseries,” live in Argentina and “callampas” live in squatter settlements in Chile.
In conclusion, you have not dealt with globalization or the consequences of development. Globalization has brought western factories which provide many jobs paying higher wages. equal distribution of wealth and resources is an ideal way of managing rural urban migration. It also ensures uniform development in the region. The problems associated with rural urban migration are minimized. Development should be encouraged both in rural and urban areas. A high quality of life can be achieved both in rural and urban areas. 20/30
Part B: Essay: Explain how the process of industrialization in Latin America has created environmental problems.
Industrialization in Latin America like all parts of the world has had a negative impact on the environment. Countries must recognize this trade-off and balance the need for economic growth with the need to minimize environmental degradation. Some of the effects of industrialization on the environment in Latin America include soil degradation due to erosion and pollution, deforestation and overexploitation of marine resources. Although it is impossible to have zero environmental problems where there is industrialization, Cut the first tree down to build a sheleter and you damage the environment, consistent monitoring and assessment of the environment can provide useful indicators of the necessary measures to take to protect the environment. Its a trade-off. Poverty and starvation or prestine environment.
Most of the industrial pollution by Latin American counties occurs in Brazil, Argentina, and Mexico because it is here that most manufacturing and production happens(Oyelaran-Oyeyinka and Lal 187). Environmental challenges are also experienced in Costa Rica where the mangroves swamps which are a buffer against wind and waves have been destroyed by industrialists who have built upon them. Another effect of industrialization is that there is excessive and uncontrolled aquaculture. The Amazon forest has also been greatly affected by rapid industrialization in Latin America. The forest has been greatly destroyed to provide raw materials for industries. As industrialization increases and demand for their products increases, the demand for the raw materials also increases.
Industrialization in Latin America led to increased demand for fossil fuels. The ozone layer is destroyed when fossil fuels are used in excess. These fuels also pollute the air because they produce a lot of carbon (IV) oxide which is trapped in the atmosphere. Research indicates that the amount of air pollutants in many cities in Latin America exceeds the World Health Organization (WHO) limit for air quality standards (Jackson 213). This trend necessitates the use of less pollution intensive industrial techniques. For instance the use of alternatives that have less harmful impact on the environment. Additionally, there should also be stringent environmental policies that limit foreign investors from taking advantage of lenient regulations to pollute the environment.
Industrialization also causes environmental degradation due to the waste materials produced in industries either directly or indirectly. The direct waste is because industries do not use up all the raw materials and some of it becomes waste while the indirect waste is because there are by products of the production process which also contribute to waste. Disposing the waste from industries can cause environmental pollution. Some industries direct their waste to rivers which affects water sources and destroys aquatic life. Some industries also release harmful gases and toxins into the atmosphere. Improper disposal of waste from industries pollutes the environment endangering human, animal and plants live. Additionally, some of the waste disposal strategies of industries may not have immediate effects but they may have long term effects on the environment. There is need to ensure that the waste from industries is well managed and properly disposed.
Although industrialization is not the only cause of air pollution and environmental degradation in urban areas, it is a significant contributor. The effect of uncontrolled industrialization is that it causes more damage to the environment and it could lead to inadequacy or depletion of resources. Various resources are utilized in the industrialization process. However, these resources which are mostly used as raw materials in industries can easily be depleted if their demand is excessive. These raw materials are mostly sourced from the land and water. The more resources are extraction the greater impact it has on the environment. The quality of the natural environment is destroyed by over exploitation of natural resources.
In Latin America, there were protectionist policies that aimed at supporting the local industries. These policies also ensured that the environment was protected even as industrialization advanced. The impact of these policies was not significant. However, Latin America’s industrialization was impressive compared to other countries in Asia. Both Asia and Latin America used import substitution strategies to promote industrialization. Balancing importation and industrialization can significantly contribute to reduction of pollution. Industrialization should not be done at the expense of the environment.
In conclusion, industrialization is necessary for any country that wants to create employment and improve the living standards of its citizen. But you say almost nothing about this necessity. The growth of the economy can not be possible without industrialization. Even high income countries like the US chase after economic growth at the expense of the environment. Since environmental degradation is inevitable where there is industrialization, countries must ensure that they establish measures of having a more sustainable industrialization process, where possible, accepting that there will be some damage. If the environment is completely destroyed, future industrialization would be impossible. The evidence suggest that it can be cleaned up. Resources would be depleted and there would be nothing to be used in the industries. Consequently, the government would not be able to create employment for its citizens or to provide them with the devices that they need. Countries must therefore ensure that they practice sustainable industrialization. You miss the point of the essay. Firstly, recognize that no country has removed poverty without industrialization. Take environmental damage as a given and provide objective measures of how much environmental damage has been done relative to growth in jobs and incomes. Is Latin America doing a better or worse job compared to other countries like Canada, England, China etc.?
You need to explain industrialization, when it took place, how it took place, its benefits and then its costs on the environment. By jumping to its impact on the environment you are ignoring the poverty, diseases and deaths which would occur from starvation and lack of jobs without industrialization.
It creates more jobs than it destroys. Without industrialization the exploding rural population of Latin America would have no jobs and no way to feed their families.
Environmental damage is more of an issue for the entire world and especially for rich countries like Canada not countries where people are dying of starvation.
55/70
Works Cited
Almandoz, Arturo. Modernization, Urbanization and Development in Latin America, 1900s – 2000s. Abingdon-on-Thames: Routledge, 2014.
Filho, Walter L., et al., editors. Handbook of Sustainability and Social Science Research. New York: Springer, 2017.
Green, Duncan. Faces of Latin America. New York: NYU Press, 2016.
Jackson, Tim. Material Concerns: Pollution, Profit and Quality of Life. Abingdon-on-Thames: Taylor and Francis, 2013.
Oyelaran-Oyeyinka, Banji, and Kaushalesh Lal. Structural Transformation and Economic Development: Cross Regional Analysis of Industrialization and Urbanization. Abingdon-on-Thames: Taylor & Francis, 2017.
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