Global issues: an introduction (paperback)

Fully revised and updated to reflect today"s rapidly changing world, the Fourth Edition of Global Issues offers a comprehensive introduction to the most important environmental, economic, social, and political concerns of modern life. Opening with an overview of the complex origins of world problems, the book moves on to examine the reasons why some nations are rich and some are poor. Important issues such as population growth, hunger, the extinction of species, global warming and climatic change, ozone depletion, energy use, deforestation, and the misuse of technology are then discussed in depth. A range of perspectives on developed and developing societies are also covered, and readers gain important critical thinking skills necessary to see how choices must be faced if these crucial problems are to be solved.

To consider shifting global priorities, the new edition features the addition of a section dedicated to nuclear energy. Chapter boxes highlight ways in which individuals can have a positive impact on issues raised in the readings. The text is extensively illustrated with diagrams and photographs, contains guides to further reading, media, and internet resources, and includes suggestions for discussing and studying the material.

With its unique approach in revealing the interrelationships and consequences of global issues through the concept of development, the Fourth Edition of Global Issues remains the most accessible introduction to the topic available today.

List of Plates xi

List of Figures, Maps, and Tables xiii

Foreword xv

Notes xvii

Introduction: The Creation of Global Issues 1

1 Population 3

The Changing Population of the World 3

Causes of the Population Explosion 10

How Population Growth Affects Development 14

Too rapid 14

Too slow 16

An aging population and low birth rates 16

International conferences on population 18

How Development Affects Population Growth 20

Demographic transition 20

Factors lowering birth rates 22

Governmental Population Policies 25

Controlling growth 25

Promoting growth 30

The Future 32

The growth of the world's population 32

The carrying capacity of the earth 33

Optimum size of the earth's population 35

Population-related problems in our future 36

Conclusions 38

Notes 39

Further Reading 42

2 Wealth and Poverty 44

The Millennium Development Goals 49

Development Assistance and Foreign Aid 52

The Market Approach 55

The State Approach 58

The Civil Society Approach 61

Geography and Wealth, Geography and Poverty 64

Globalization 66

Positive aspects 67

Negative aspects 68

An evaluation 69

Conclusions 70

Notes 72

Further Reading 74

3 Food 76

World Food Production 76

How Many Are Hungry? 78

Causes of World Hunger 80

How Food Affects Development 82

How Development Affects Food 84

The production of food 84

The loss of food 87

The type of food 89

The Green Revolution 94

Fertilizers 95

Pesticides 96

Irrigation 96

The future 96

Governmental Food Policies 97

Future Food Supplies 100

Climate 100

Arable land 100

Energy costs 102

Alternative/sustainable/organic agriculture 102

Biotechnology 103

Fishing and aquaculture 105

Future food production 106

Conclusions 107

Notes 108

Further Reading 112

4 Energy 114

The Energy Crisis 114

Responses by Governments to the Energy Crisis 118

The United States 118

Western Europe 120

Japan 120

China 121

The Effect of the Energy Crisis on the Development Plans of Less Developed Nations 123

The Relationship between Energy Use and Development 124

A shift in types of energy 124

Increased use 125

The decoupling of energy consumption and economic growth 126

Climate Change 129

The evidence 129

Probable effects 132

Uncertainties 135

What is being done at present? 136

What more can be done? 137

The Energy Transition 139

Nonrenewable energy sources 139

Renewable energy sources 140

Conservation/energy effi ciency 147

Nuclear Power: A Case Study 149

The potential and the peril 150

The choice 152

Conclusions 155

Notes 156

Further Reading 161

5 The Environment 163

The Awakening 163

The Air 166

Smog 166

Airborne lead 170

Acid rain 171

Ozone depletion 173

Climate change (global warming) 175

The Water 175

The Land 178

Solid wastes 179

Toxic wastes 181

Governmental and industrial responses to the waste problem 182

Deforestation 183

The Workplace and the Home 186

Cancer 186

Pesticides 187

Chemicals...