Vital Signs 1999 : The Environmental Trends That Are Shaping Our Future

by BROWN,LESTER R.

• ISBN13: 9780393318937
• ISBN10: 0393318931
• Edition: 00
• Format: Trade Paper
• Copyright: 1999-05-17
• Publisher: W W NORTON

Summary

The global trends documented in Vital Sings 1999--from a decline in nuclear power generating capacity to the proliferation of genetically modified crops--will play a large part in determining the quality of our lives and our children's lives in the next decade.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. 9
Foreword	p. 11
Overview: An Off-the-Chart Year	p. 15
Economic Growth Slows	p. 15
New Energy Economy Emerging	p. 16
Climate Change Accelerates	p. 18
Food: A False Sense of Security	p. 18
Restructuring the Protein Economy	p. 19
The Mobility Factor	p. 20
Electronic Linkages Multiply	p. 20
Smoking Trend Reversed	p. 21
Rise in Life Expectancy Slowing	p. 22
Population Growth Continues	p. 23
War and Peace	p. 24
Trends to Watch	p. 24
Key Indicators
Food Trends	p. 29
Grain Harvest Drops	p. 30
Soybean Harvest Down	p. 32
Meat Production Growth Slows	p. 34
Fisheries Falter	p. 36
Grain Stocks Down Slightly	p. 38
Agricultural Resource Trends	p. 41
Grain Area Declines	p. 42
Irrigated Area Up	p. 44
Energy Trends	p. 47
Growth in Fossil Fuel Burning Slows	p. 48
Nuclear Power Declines Slightly	p. 50
Wind Power Blows to New Record	p. 52
Solar Cells Continue Double-Digit Growth	p. 54
Atmospheric Trends	p. 57
Global Temperature Goes Off the Chart	p. 58
Carbon Emissions Dip	p. 60
Economic Trends	p. 63
Global Economic Growth Slows	p. 64
Third World Debt Still Rising	p. 66
World Trade Declines	p. 68
World Ad Spending Climbs	p. 70
U.N. Finances Decline Further	p. 72
Weather-Related Losses Hit New High	p. 74
Roundwood Production Levels Off	p. 76
Paper Production Inches Up	p. 78
Transportation Trends	p. 81
Automobile Production Dips	p. 82
Bicycle Production Down Again	p. 84
World Air Travel Soaring	p. 86
Communication Trends	p. 89
Satellite Launches Get a Boost	p. 90
Telephone Network Keeps Growing	p. 92
Internet Continues Rapid Expansion	p. 94
Social Trends	p. 97
World Population Swells	p. 98
Life Expectancy Extends to New High	p. 100
Hiv/Aids Pandemic Decimates	p. 102
Polio Nearly Eradicated	p. 104
Refugee Numbers Drop Again	p. 106
Cigarette Production Falls	p. 108
Military Trends	p. 111
Wars Increase Once Again	p. 112
U.N. Peackeeping Expenditures Drop More	p. 114
Nuclear Arsenals Shrink	p. 116
Special Features
Environmental Features	p. 121
Transgenic Crops Proliferate	p. 122
Pesticide-Resistant Species Flourish	p. 124
Harmful Algae Blooming Worldwide	p. 126
Urban Air Taking Lives	p. 128
Biomass Energy Use Growing Slowly	p. 130
Economic Features	p. 133
Transportation Shapes Cities	p. 134
Corporations Driving Globalization	p. 136
Government Corruption Widespread	p. 138
Social Features	p. 141
Unemployment Plagues Many Nations	p. 142
Ngos Proliferate Worldwide	p. 144
Malnutrition Still Prevalent	p. 146
Sperm Counts Dropping	p. 148
People Everywhere Eating More Fast Food	p. 150
Military Features	p. 153
Small Arms Found in All Nations	p. 154
Notes	p. 157
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