An introduction to the most important issues facing an increasingly globalized world with this thoroughly updated and revised sixth edition.
Global Issues is an accessible, wide-ranging introduction to the major environmental and development issues confronting the modern world. Spanning disciplines such as political science, economics, sociology, ecology, international relations, and development studies, this popular textbook enables students to develop a broad perspective on the relationships between nations, society, corporations, and the environment in various contexts. Exploring issues surrounding wealth, poverty, inequality, climate change, natural resources, pollution, technology, and others, the text illustrates the importance of global solutions to the issues facing increasingly interdependent nations around the world.
This sixth edition has been extensively revised to ensure contemporary relevance, featuring updated case studies and compelling research on food security, poverty, and the impact of climate change on development. New discussions explore energy, the UN Sustainable Development Goals, differences in the social and economic conditions of rich and poor countries, and environmental trends. Providing an integrated, multidisciplinary perspective, this unique text:
* Examines the intersection of development, inequality, environment, and society
* Covers topically relevant issues such as population growth, shifting demographics, renewable energy, and the threats that development poses to the environment
* Discusses possible future scenarios and governance concerns related to global issues
* Explores shifts in traditional development pathways and policies around the world
Global Issues: An Introduction, Sixth Edition is an ideal entry-level textbook for a range of courses including global studies, international studies, environmental studies, geography, politics, sociology, sustainable development, and more.
Autorentext
KRISTEN A. HITE leads climate work for Oxfam America and teaches on global issues at the graduate level. Professor Hite has consulted for UN and nonprofit organizations, served as an attorney for the US government and environmental clients, and instructed graduate students at Georgetown, Johns Hopkins, American University, and the University of Maryland. Her approach centers on working across geographies to bridge the intersections of rights, land, and climate in pursuit of sustainable development.
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.
Klappentext
Global Issues is an accessible, wide-ranging introduction to the major environmental and development issues confronting the modern world. Spanning disciplines such as political science, economics, sociology, ecology, international relations, and development studies, this popular textbook enables students to develop a broad perspective on the relationships between nations, society, corporations, and the environment in various contexts. Exploring issues surrounding wealth, poverty, inequality, climate change, natural resources, pollution, technology, and others, the text illustrates the importance of global solutions to the issues facing increasingly interdependent nations around the world.
This sixth edition has been extensively revised to ensure contemporary relevance, featuring updated case studies and compelling research on food security, poverty, and the impact of climate change on development. New discussions explore energy, the UN Sustainable Development Goals, differences in the social and economic conditions of rich and poor countries, and environmental trends.
Global Issues: An Introduction, Sixth Edition is an ideal entry-level textbook for a range of courses including global studies, international studies, environmental studies, geography, politics, sociology, sustainable development, and more.
Inhalt
List of Plates xiii
List of Figures, Maps, and Tables xv
Acknowledgements xix
Introduction 1
The Creation of Global Issues 1
1 What is Development? 3
Developing Toward What? 3
TwentiethCentury Approach: Development as Economic Growth 4
TwentyFirstCentury Approach: Developing towards Sustainability 6
Wave of Hope: The Millennium Development Goals (20002015) 7
Sustainable Development Goals (20152030) 8
Development Assistance and Foreign Aid 10
Culture and Development 14
Conclusion 16
Notes 18
Further Reading 19
2 Wealth and Poverty 21
Can We Eradicate Poverty? 23
Mainstreaming Sustainable Development 27
A Pessimistic View: The Persistence of Poverty 29
Systematic Approaches 33
A Market Approach 33
The State as Economic Actor 36
A Blended Approach 40
Trade and Global Economic Interdependence 41
Global Interdependence 43
Positive aspects 43
Negative aspects 44
Geography and Wealth, Geography and Poverty 45
Conclusions 46
Notes 48
Further Reading 52
3 Population 55
The Changing Population of the World 56
Shifting Demographics: Rural to Urban 61
Causes of the Population Explosion 67
Demographic transitions: population and development 68
How Population Growth Affects Development 74
Rapid growth 74
Slow growth 76
An aging population and low birth rates 76
How Development Affects Population Growth 79
Factors lowering birth rates 80
International Conferences on Population 82
Governmental Population Policies 84
Managing growth 84
Mexico 86
India 88
China 88
Promoting growth 89
The Future 92
The growth of the world's population 92
The carrying capacity of the Earth 92
Optimum size of the Earth's population 94
Populationrelated challenges in our future 96
Conclusions 98
Notes 99
Further Reading 105
4 Food 108
How Many Are Hungry? 109
World Food Production 110
Arable land 111
Climate 112
How Development Affects Food 113
United States: Industrial Agriculture and Farm Consolidation 114
Brazil: Becoming a Food Exporter by Expanding the
Agricultural Frontier 116
Contents ix
China: Limited Land to Grow, Many Mouths to Feed 116
Feeding a Growing Population 118
The Green Revolution 119
Fertilizers 120
Pesticides 121
Energy 121
Irrigation 122
Biotechnology 122
Fishing and aquaculture 125
Traditional/sustainable/organic agriculture 126
Causes of World Hunger 128
How Food Affects Development 132
The type of food 134
What's your Footprint? 138
Food Waste and Food Loss 139
The Future 140
Governmental Food Policies 141
Future Food Supplies 143
Conclusions 145
Notes 146
Further Reading 156
5 Energy 158
The Relationship between Energy Use and Development 159
Nonrenewable Energy Sources 161
Oil 162
Global Oil Supplies and Price Shocks 163
Coal 165
Natural Gas 166
The Energy Transition 167
Renewable Energy Sourc…