1. GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

The global aspect of environmental way of thinking has become the focus of attention, because environmental problems usually occur on a global scale, caused by the progress of science and technology. The environmental problems rise in importance mainly due to increased economic integration. What is more, globalization has brought significant conceptual change in the way of thinking about the environment. Many of us now see environmental problems as problems of international significance, not only as a national interest in terms of protection of the oceans and the atmosphere from warming. The environment is considered "common heritage of mankind", and environmental issues are increasingly the subject of international efforts due to their cross-border effects, as Environmental Aspects of the Process of Globalization – Negative Implications and Crisis 111 well as the inability of only one or a few nations to solve these problems alone (Basler, 2011).

From an environmental perspective, the observed process of globalization causes severe consequences for the environment. In this regard, there are two prevailing standpoints. The first standpoint is that the process of globalization creates assumptions and possibilities for solving environmental problems present at the global level. In contrast to this view, there is the opinion that the process of globalization itself causes deep environmental crises, as it is characterized by the absolute dominance of the sociopolitical and economic model of the western highly developed countries, thus creating a global society with pronounced social inequality (Smrečnik, 2002). Globalization caused international trade growth and accelerated financial flows, as well as greater cooperation among countries and innovations in science and technology. However, it also contributed to environmental degradation. The main causes of environmental problems, in terms of environmental protection and sustainable development, are: industrial production, growth of energy production, development of traffic, uncontrolled exploitation of natural resources, development of technics and technology, and chemical contamination of agriculture.

With the development of society and the increasing population, due to which the demand for products necessary for life increases, it has become necessary to shift to the industrial mode of production. Industrial production certainly has positive sides, in terms of increased production, but, on the other hand, it endangers environment through the emission of harmful gases into the air, water, and soil. The negative effects of industrialization are also manifested through the devastation of plants, destruction of animals, and deterioration of human health. Violation of the environment through depletion of raw materials and excessive accumulation of waste of all kinds that the nature cannot decompose are the characteristics of industrial production.

Virtually all energy sources have an impact on the environment and its pollution. Energy production, in addition to occupation and changes in the use of land rich in coal deposits, affects the level and regime of the ground water and waterways, reduces the 112 I. ILIĆ, P. HAFNER land available for agricultural production, pollutes the air with dust, changes land relief and climate. In addition to the visible negative consequences that increased energy production has on nature, there are other effects that are not noticeable, but that still affect the health of humans and animals. The main pollutants resulting from the increased energy production are: flue gases, fly ash, slag, and waste water.

Globalization, as a planetary process (Siriner et al., 2011), has led to the development of traffic, thus bringing another cause of environmental degradation. Increasingly developed transport infrastructure has brought a series of environmental problems, in terms of increased air pollution, noise levels, taking up space, and uncontrolled release of harmful and hazardous substances. The consequences of climate change are common in areas with the developed road traffic. Specifically, road traffic is largely dependent on oil, which has a share of 14% in emissions of harmful gases into the atmosphere, which directly affects human health (Jovanović et al., 2012). All the above causes are the main drivers of the uncontrolled use of resources, which directly affects the reduction of environmental quality and causes significant environmental problems. Excessive depletion of these resources diminishes their ability to regenerate naturally, brings ecosystem disturbances, and threatens disappearance of resources, which would call into question the survival of the world. Globalization has had far-reaching consequences for our way of life. This is due to faster access to technologies, improved communication networks, and innovation. The development of technics and technology leads to industry concentration, which negatively affects the environment in the way that has been described. The application of modern technology greatly contributes to global warming and increased emission of harmful gases. The problem of global warming is of an ecological nature and affects many vital functions of the planet Earth. Rapid development of technics and technology generates increasing disorder in the world, in terms of serious environmental problems.

In order to achieve higher agricultural production and protect against various parasites, chemical contamination of agriculture occurs. Furthermore, the use of chemicals to destroy weeds and other noxious plants disturbs the balance in the ecosystem. Toxic waste from this process pollutes the environment and damages plants. The products obtained after the application of chemicals in agriculture are considered to be harmful to human health. The positive impact of the process of globalization on the environment exists to some extent, but the key negative impacts of globalization are by far greater. Among the significant positive impacts of globalization on the environment, the progress in the use of resources, increased environmental awareness, and the development of environmental technology are worth mentioning.

Improved use of resources and preservation of the environment are achieved by promoting growth through sustainable development, improving education and income. An example of this is the activity of the World Bank in 1990, when it helped Mexico reduce the number of unhealthy ozone days (World Bank, 1990). Due to the impact of globalization, many multinational companies have focused on the creation of technology that reduces the impact of humans on the environment. Therefore, they created "green" technology, exemplified by the hybrid car and a new "green" Apple Mac.

Unfortunately, the negative impacts of globalization on the environment outweigh the positive ones. The main negative impact is reflected in the export-oriented environmental destruction. Excessive use of natural resources due to increased demand, and the removal of the ecosystem due to population growth have a major detrimental impact on the Environmental Aspects of the Process of Globalization – Negative Implications and Crisis 113 environment. Unplanned deforestation causes loss of biodiversity on the planet. In Australia, about 90% of native forest trees is exported, thus destroying the natural heritage of this part of the world. Throughout the process of civilization and globalization, about one-half of the forests that once covered the Earth disappeared (World Wide Fund for Nature Europe).

Global warming is particularly caused by increase in transport, i.e. harmful exhaust emissions from vehicles. According to the Office for National Statistics, the share of traffic-borne gas emissions in the greenhouse effect has increased by 47% since 1990 (Office for National Statistics). From an environmental point of view, the negative effects of globalization are higher, compared to the positive effects. The positive impact is only reflected in increased awareness of environmental issues and encouraging of multinational companies to take steps to protect the environment. Negative impacts are mainly based on export-oriented destruction, as well as on carbon and harmful gases emissions.