Difficult Choices The Oxford Dictionary defines globalization as “the process by which businesses start operating on a global scale.” To make this possible free trade and open market agreements are signed, allowing companies to invest in developing countries and also giving them access to a wider and cheaper variety of products. The world is changing constantly and with all the advances of technology, communication with remote places is more affordable and faster. Globalization is happening, even when it has some critics. “The Pew Global Attitudes Project” states “people generally view the growth in foreign trade, global communication and international popular culture as good for them and their families as well as their countries.” However, the negative effects of globalization cannot be ignored. Air pollution is rampant and in developing countries like China, people are dying. Globalization has reduced poverty in 3rd world countries but it has also deteriorated their air quality. Globalization feed the hungry. In developing countries as China, poor people live out of nothing. IN “Poverty Facts and Stats” Anup Shah reports that “more than 3 billion people in the world live on less than $2.50 a day. They people have nothing to lose just because they don’t have anything that is a very serious problem, but in a poor country where there is not a lot of money, and for a lot of them, money has to come from somewhere else. When a country is struggling that much, globalization is a good solution. Not only cheaper products are going to be available, also big companies are going to invest in the country opening great opportunities of employment. The labor force grows and the income too. At least more people are going to be working. When people work and make money a lot of things change. They are going to eat better, get a better shelter, and improve their quality of life. Khalid Malik, United Nations Resident Coordinator in his article “Whey has China Grown so Fast for so Long?” reports that “official poverty has fallen by fifteen percentage points since 1984: from 16% to 2 %....China has reduced poverty in over 500 million people from 1981 to today.” Sadly not everything is so perfect and China is paying the consequences of its progress. Air contamination in China is getting really bad. Coal is the principal source of energy in China, when coal is burned it produces a dense smoke that contains a great amount of pollutants. These particles are suspended in the air and form a gray cloud. The blue sky is hardly seen there. These pollutants are also causing respiratory diseases. Jeffrey Hays in “Air Pollution in China” reports that “300,000 die each year from ambient air pollution, mostly from heart disease and lung cancer. An additional 110,000 die from illnesses relate to indoor pollution from poorly ventilated wood and coal stoves and toxic fumes from shoddy construction material.” And these numbers are expected to rise since the Chinese government is not doing much about it. They can’t close the factories that produce the majority of pollution because they are the ones that are making the economy now. This is the way of life, not always fair. It may seem a difficult decision to make, but if it is reduced to these two choices: food or blue skies. It is not so much difficult now. According to “Confronting Anti-Globalism” people want more trade, more free markets, more money. Because money in the world we are living, means less poverty and better quality of life.