State of the World; A Worldwatch Institute Report on Progress Toward a Sustainable Society

by Lester R. Brown; Christopher Flavin; Molly O'Meara

• ISBN13: 9780393047134
• ISBN10: 039304713X
• Edition: Yearly Ed.
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1999-01-01
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company

Summary

This State of the World Millennium Edition provides national leaders and concerned citizens with a comprehensive framework for the global debate about our future in the twenty-first century. This annual survey by the award-winning Worldwatch Institute has become an indispensable analysis of negative environmental trends and a guide to emerging solutions. State of the World 1999 takes an insightful look at the sweeping changes of the last one hundred years and the challenges we face in the next century to build a sustainable economy that reuses and recycles materials, is powered by renewable energy sources, and has a stable population. Written in clear and concise language, with easy-to-read charts and tables, State of the World 1999 presents a view of our changing world that we, and our leaders, cannot afford to ignore.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	vii	(6)
List of Tables and Figures	xiii	(4)
Foreword	xvii
1 A New Economy for a New Century	3	(19)
Lester R. Brown
Christopher Flavin
THE ACCELERATION OF HISTORY
THE GROWTH CENTURY
OVERWHELMING THE EARTH
THE SHAPE OF A NEW ECONOMY
RETHINKING PROGRESS
2 Reinventing the Energy System	22	(19)
Christopher Flavin
Seth Dunn
PRIME MOVERS
SYSTEMIC CHANGE
AN INDUSTRY TRANSFORMED
GREAT POWERS, GEOPOLITICAL PRIZES
ENERGY AND SOCIETY
3 Forging a Sustainable Materials Economy	41	(19)
Gary Gardner
Payal Sampat
CONSTRUCTING A MATERIAL CENTURY
THE SHADOW SIDE OF CONSUMPTION
A MATERIAL REVOLUTION
SHIFTING GEARS
4 Reorienting the Forest Products Economy	60	(18)
Janet N. Abramovitz
Ashley T. Mattoon
THE CHANGING TIMBER LANDSCAPE
THE TREES IN OUR HOMES
PAPER: FROM FISHING NETS TO SILICON
WOOD ENERGY
THE FUTURE OF FOREST PRODUCTS
5 Charting a New Course for Oceans	78	(18)
Anne Platt McGinn
ECONOMIC AND ECOLOGICAL VALUES
A SEA OF PROBLEMS
OCEAN GOVERNANCE
BUILDING POLITICAL WILL
6 Appreciating the Benefits of Plant Biodiversity	96	(19)
John Tuxill
INTO THE MASS EXTINCTION
OF FOOD AND FARMERS
OF MEDICINES AND MATERIAL GOODS
BIO-UNIFORMITY RISING
STORED FOR SAFEKEEPING
KEEPING DIVERSITY IN PLACE
SHARING THE BENEFITS
7 Feeding Nine Billion	115	(18)
Lester R. Brown
A CENTURY OF GROWTH
OVERFED AND UNDERFED
LAND: A FINITE RESOURCE
WATER: EMERGING CONSTRAINT ON GROWTH
RAISING LAND PRODUCTIVITY
CHANGING COURSE
8 Exploring a New Vision for Cities	133	(18)
Molly O'Meara
AN URBANIZING WORLD
IMPROVING WATER SUPPLY AND QUALITY
MINING URBAN WASTE
MOVING PEOPLE AND GOODS
BUILDING BETTER NEIGHBORHOODS
REALIZING THE VISION
9 Ending Violent Conflict	151	(18)
Michael Renner
WAR IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY
PEACE AND DISARMAMENT IN THIS CENTURY
THE CHANGING NATURE OF GLOBAL SECURITY
SETTING THE NEW SECURITY AGENDA
A WORLD WITHOUT BORDERS?
10 Building a Sustainable Society	169	(20)
David Malin Roodman
GETTING THE SIGNALS RIGHT
REINVENTING REGULATION
GLOBAL CHALLENGES, GLOBAL COOPERATION
AN ECO-INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION
CIVIL SOCIETY FOR A SUSTAINABLE SOCIETY
THE POWER OF AN EDUCATED CITIZENRY
Notes	189	(60)
Index	249