Title: State of the world, 1989: a Worldwatch Institute report on progress toward a sustainable society.

POPLINE Document Number: 076912

Author(s):

Starke L

Source citation:

New York, New York, W.W. Norton, 1989. xvi, 256 p.

Abstract:

This 6th annual STATE OF THE WORLD report is being released at a time when more people are being affected by environmental change more than ever before. The destruction of the world's forests is accelerating and deserts continue to expand. Soil erosion is sapping not just agricultural production, but the livelihoods of millions, while the extinction of plant and animal species is rapidly diminishing our biological heritage. The deterioration of the earth's physical condition that has been documented in past volumes of this report is now accelerating. And there is nothing in prospect that will reverse it in the foreseeable future. On the encouraging side, during the past year environmental stories have moved onto the front pages of newspapers, magazine covers, and television talk shows. In the US, devastating heat and drought in 1988 led to the unthinkable--a US grain harvest that fell below consumption. As the evidence of potentially uncontrollable environmental changes mounted, there were scattered signs of national governments beginning to respond. In late October, President Sarney of Brazil announced a 90-day suspension of the tax breaks and other incentives that had spurred the clearing and burning of large tracts of Amazon rain forest. In Lagos, the Nigerian government asked couples to limit the number of children to 4 at most, making it the 1st African country to call for a limit to family size. Notwithstanding these and other national initiatives, the gap between what needs to be done to protect the planet's habitability and what is being done is growing. That is the bad news. The authors conclude this year's report with the notion that the 1990s needs to be the turnaround decade. The looming threats we now face--including climate change, ozone depletion, and population growth--have so much momentum that unless action begins now to reverse them, they will inevitably lead to paralyzingly costly economic consequences and the collapse of social and political institutions.

Keywords:

Global
Environmental Pollution
Natural Resources
Energy Supply
Carrying Capacity
Climate
Population Growth
Transportation
AIDS
War
Planning
Environmental Degradation
Environment
Population Dynamics
Demographic Factors
Population
Economic Factors
HIV Infections
Viral Diseases
Diseases
Political Factors
Organization and Administration