With the end of the Cold War, after the break-up of the USSR in 1991, the world began a new stage of geopolitical relations, defining the United States as a hegemonic power and the capitalist system as a determinant for the construction of a New Order World. The discussions and analyzes that remained for decades focused on the disputes between the antagonistic ideologies of the Cold War began to share space with other issues, such as the eradication of poverty, environmental degradation and terrorism International.
In 1992, the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development was held, also known as Rio 92, the first major meeting promoted by the UN after the beginning of the New Order World. It is notable that political bodies and the press in general started to pay greater attention to issues related to the global environment. In all segments of society, there was, in fact, a search for environmental actions and public policies closer to social sustainability and environmental, since the debate, until then very concentrated in scientific and academic circles, was extended to the daily life of the population.
Within the scope of globalization, which marked the economy and international relations from the end of the 20th century, there are several manifestations that constituted a unique process called deterritorialization, in which a state implicitly, partially or totally loses sovereignty in its territory with respect to certain decisions. This loss is due to the needs of another State(s) or due to the priorities of globalized capital, acting in the form of transnational corporations whose objectives are often opposed to the objectives of the State and of the society.
In the midst of this so-called New Order, several were the interests that crossed the borders of one or more countries, becoming global interests, forcing, in a certain way, deterritorialization. The environment did not escape this process, as environmental degradation is a problem that does not recognize borders. It is highly questionable to what extent international institutions are able to coordinate actions in direction of global environmental laws and established according to the socioeconomic development of each nation.
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Sometimes, the logic of capital is opposed to ecological awareness, always seeking the economic viability of enterprises, as can be seen by the dissemination of green seals, environmental certificates and various programs of conservation. Many companies achieve greater market value by participating in reforestation and environmental education projects, which is currently called Ecomarketing. Globalization trends print an accelerated economic pace and out of step with the balance ecological, and supranational institutions such as the UN and economic blocs are not yet adequate to these demands.
Solving the problem of climate change, for example, requires a radical change in the current energy system, based on non-renewable and contaminating energies (oil, coal, natural gas) that are used in an inequitable, excessive and with waste. The new system should be based on renewable energies with less environmental impact and less energy consumption, with a more efficient use of energy and allowing the satisfaction of the basic needs of all inhabitants of the world. This change in the pattern of energy generation would cause changes in the economy, society and in the ways of live, in addition to constituting a counterpoint to the consumerism that reigns in our society and the dogma of growth economic.
Julio César Lázaro da Silva
Brazil School Collaborator
Graduated in Geography from Universidade Estadual Paulista - UNESP
Master in Human Geography from Universidade Estadual Paulista - UNESP
Would you like to reference this text in a school or academic work? Look:
SILVA, Julius César Lázaro da. "Environmental Issue in the New World Order"; Brazil School. Available in: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/geografia/questao-ambientalnova-ordem-mundial.htm. Accessed on July 27, 2021.
