economic aspects

Worldwide, over 1.3 billion people lack access to electricity and another 1 billion have unreliable access, with enormous consequences for their everyday lives. In addition, many countries spend a high share of their GDP on fossil fuel imports, making them dependent on foreign energy supplies and vulnerable to price fluctuations. The burning of fossil fuels pollutes local environments, endangers the health of citizens, and exacerbates global climate change.

Contends that creativity can thrive in the face of piracy, arguing that the imitation of great designs forces an industry to innovate more quickly, and looks at examples of areas in which the practice has been accepted.

A pioneering urban economist poses arguments for the city's potential for securing the world's future, challenging common perceptions to reveal why cities are actually more environmentally sound and are comprised of healthier and wealthier populations.

This book is a collection of articles in which authors debate whether global population growth poses a serious challenge, whether population is a threat to the environment, and whether continued population growth will harm economies worldwide.

Discusses factors that contribute to the cycle of poverty, examines the effects of poverty on people and the environment, and discusses possible solutions to the problem. Includes primary and secondary source documents, photographs, sidebars, and study questions.

Reveals the hidden environmental consequences of what societies make and buy, and how that knowledge can drive the changes necessary to save the planet.

Explores the history of food from antiquity to the twenty-first century, and describes how food allowed for the formation of civilizations and societies, and discusses innovations in agriculture, egalitarianism, trade, and other topics.

Examines the important issue of population growth and how it has global significance in this anthology of essays. Includes sidebars and world maps.