The Improving State of the World Why We're Living Longer, Healthier, More Comfortable Lives on a Clean Planet

by Goklany, Indur M.

• ISBN13: 9781930865990
• ISBN10: 1930865996
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2007-02-12
• Publisher: Cato Institute

Summary

Relying on a wealth of data, Goklany shows how innovation, increases in affluence, and key institutions have combined to address environmental degradation that sometimes results from growth. The evidence on the use of cropland, trends in air pollution, and diverse experiences in water usage counters the gloomy outlook of some environmentalists. Goklany explains why the state of the world is improving and offers a realistic assessment of the sustainability of the human enterprise, setting priorities for dealing with such challenges as climate change.

Table of Contents

Economic development, technological change, and the human condition
Introduction	p. 3
The improving state of humanity	p. 19
Has globalization widened the gaps in human well-being?	p. 57
The cycle of progress : factors propelling humanity's progress	p. 79
The effects of economic development and technological change on the environment
Competing views regarding affluence, technology, and the environment	p. 103
Long-term environmental trends	p. 117
Are long-term trends consistent with environmental transitions?	p. 187
Factors affecting environmental trends	p. 207
Reconciling human well-being with environmental quality
The promise and peril of bioengineered crops	p. 237
Climate change and sustainable development	p. 289
Sustaining the human enterprise
The future sustainability of human populations	p. 353
Extending the limits : the role of economic development, technological change, and free trade	p. 373
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