If one thing refuses to respect sovereign borders, it is the environment. Not surprisingly, environmental degradation and preservation have emerged as major issues in globalization studies. In many parts of the world, the accelerated economic development brought by globalization has produced negative environmental impacts. Examples abound: global warming caused by increased industrial pollution; privatization of 'public' resources such as water; the clearing of land or marshes to make way for farmers trying to eke out more profits on the international markets or for multinational companies looking to build new factories. However, growing global awareness and campaigns by environmental groups are also having some impacts in saving ecosystems and endangered species. The following articles have been assembled to shed light on these and other related issues.

Polar Bear to Be Designated As Threatened Species Ian Talley and Stephen Power The Wall Street Journal, 15 May 2008 Climate change leaves polar bears – and economies that rely on oil – on thin ice

Bee Emergency: Unexplained Mass Die-Off Hits German Hives Andrew Curry Spiegel Online, 12 May 2008 Pesticides attack all insects – not just the pests

Food for Thought Nayan Chanda Businessworld, 8 May 2008 Misguided environmental choice, while being of little use, will hit poor farmers in developing countries

The Threat of Global Food Shortages – Part II Mira Kamdar YaleGlobal, 7 May 2008 Big agribusiness may boost crops temporarily, but wreaks environmental havoc over the long term

Myanmar Death Toll Rises to 22,000; Thousands Missing Rattaphol Onsanit and Ed Johnson Bloomberg.com, 6 May 2008 Isolation offers no protection from environmental disaster

The Threat of Global Food Shortages – Part I C. Peter Timmer YaleGlobal, 5 May 2008 Hoarding by countries and speculative bidding on food exacerbate scarcity and cause prices to climb

Climate Change and Tourism’s Winners and Losers Eric Heymann YaleGlobal, 2 May 2008 Travel itineraries must plan for higher fuel costs and disagreeable weather

Putting Pollution on Grocery Bills Elisabeth Rosenthal The International Herald Tribune, 1 May 2008 Long-distance food is often less expensive than homegrown crops

The IPCC: The Science Is In on Climate Change YaleGlobal, 21 April 2008 Citizens and scientists demand action from political leaders

Global Approach Required to Tackle Food Prices Dominique Strauss-Khan The Financial Times, 21 April 2008 Governments have a moral obligation to prevent widespread starvation

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