Global Issues

Kristen A. Hite teaches international environmental law and global administrative law classes at the Francis King Carey School of Law at the University of Maryland, USA and serves as senior advisor to Victori Tauli-Corpuz, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. She also leads a consulting practice for clients supporting public interest work on climate change, forests, and community rights. Her research focuses on international institutions and the role of social and environmental policies, tenure and human rights in pursuit of sustainable development. She has taught at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies as well as American University s School of International Service, and has lectured extensively around the world in locations ranging from Pekanbaru, Indonesia, to World Bank headquarters in Washington, DC. John L. Seitz is Professor Emeritus of Government at Wofford College, USA. He earned a BA and MPA from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University, and a PhD in political science from the University of Wisconsin. He is a Member of Phi Beta Kappa and has extensive first-hand experience of South Korea, Iran, Brazil, Liberia, and Pakistan. Previous editions of this book, for which he was sole author, have been used around the world and have been translated into a number of languages, including Chinese, Japanese, and Portuguese.

List of Plates List of Figures, Maps, and Tables Acknowledgements Foreword Introduction: The Creation of Global Issues Notes 1 Population The Changing Population of the World Causes of the Population Explosion How Population Growth Affects Development Too rapid Too slow An aging population and low birth rates International conferences on population How Development Affects Population Growth Demographic transition Factors lowering birth rates Governmental Population Policies Controlling growth Promoting growth The Future The growth of the world s population The carrying capacity of the earth Optimum size of the earth s population Population-related problems in our future Conclusions Further Reading Notes 2 Wealth and Poverty The Millennium Development Goals Development Assistance and Foreign Aid Market Approach State Approach Blended Approach Geography and Wealth, Geography and Poverty Globalization Positive aspects Negative aspects An evaluation Conclusions Further Reading Notes 3 Food World Food Production How Many Are Hungry? Causes of World Hunger How Food Affects Development How Development Affects Food The production of food The loss of food The type of food The Green Revolution Fertilizers Pesticides Irrigation The future Governmental Food Policies Future Food Supplies Climate Arable land Energy costs Traditional/sustainable/organic agriculture Biotechnology Fishing and aquaculture Future food production Conclusions Further Reading Notes 4 Energy The Energy-Climate Crisis Energy and Security Government Responses to the Energy-Climate Crisis The United States Western Europe Japan China The Effect of the Energy-Climate Crisis on Countries Development Plans The Relationship between Energy Use and Development A shift in types of energy Increased use The decoupling of energy consumption and economic growth The Energy Transition Nonrenewable energy sources Renewable energy sources Conservation/energy efficiency Nuclear Power: A Case Study The potential and the peril The choice Conclusions Further Reading Notes 5 Climate Change The Evidence and Impacts Uncertainties What is being done at present? What more can be done? Conclusion Further Reading Notes 6 The Environment: Part I The Awakening The Air Smog Airborne lead Acid rain Ozone depletion Climate change (global warming) Water Water Quality Water Quantity The Land Minerals Deforestation The Extinction of Species The Extinction of Cultures Conclusion Notes 7 The Environment: Part II The Workplace and the Home Cancer Pesticides Chemicals Managing Waste Solid wastes Toxic wastes Governmental and industrial responses to the waste problem Responsible Use Resource efficiency Recycling Substitution Reducing needs Environmental Politics Overdevelopment Conclusions Further Reading Notes 8 Technology Benefits of Technology Unanticipated Consequences of the Use of Technology DDT Factory farms Inappropriate Uses of Technology Limits to the Technological Fix War The Threat of Nuclear Weapons: A Case Study The threat New dangers Conclusions Further Reading Notes 9 Alternative Futures Development Pathways: Evaluating Our Current Situation Current Outlook: Business as Usual Collapse and Sustainable Development Choices Improve production Reduce demand Governing the Commons Inclusive Governance and the Role of Civil Society Conclusion Further Reading Notes Appendix 1: Studying and Teaching Global Issues Appendix 2: Relevant Videos Appendix 3: Relevant Internet Websites Glossary Index