Feeding the World

Feeding the World
Author: Vaclav Smil
Publisher: MIT Press
Total Pages: 396
Release: 2001-08-24
Genre: Science
ISBN: 9780262692717

Download Feeding the World Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle

A realistic yet encouraging look at how society can change in ways that will allow us to feed an expanding global population. This book addresses the question of how we can best feed the ten billion or so people who will likely inhabit the Earth by the middle of the twenty-first century. He asks whether human ingenuity can produce enough food to support healthy and vigorous lives for all these people without irreparably damaging the integrity of the biosphere. What makes this book different from other books on the world food situation is its consideration of the complete food cycle, from agriculture to post-harvest losses and processing to eating and discarding. Taking a scientific approach, Smil espouses neither the catastrophic view that widespread starvation is imminent nor the cornucopian view that welcomes large population increases as the source of endless human inventiveness. He shows how we can make more effective use of current resources and suggests that if we increase farming efficiency, reduce waste, and transform our diets, future needs may not be as great as we anticipate. Smil's message is that the prospects may not be as bright as we would like, but the outlook is hardly disheartening. Although inaction, late action, or misplaced emphasis may bring future troubles, we have the tools to steer a more efficient course. There are no insurmountable biophysical reasons we cannot feed humanity in the decades to come while easing the burden that modern agriculture puts on the biosphere.

World Out of Balance

World Out of Balance
Author: Stephen G. Brooks
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Total Pages: 252
Release: 2008-07-21
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 9780691137841

Download World Out of Balance Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle

Introduction -- Realism, balance-of-power theory, and the counterbalancing constraint -- Realism, balance-of-threat theory, and the "soft balancing" constraint -- Liberalism, globalization, and constraints derived from economic interdependence -- Institutionalism and the constraint of reputation -- Constructivism and the constraint of legitimacy -- A new agenda

The World We'll Leave Behind

The World We'll Leave Behind
Author: Bill Scott
Publisher:
Total Pages: 241
Release: 2018
Genre: Sustainable development
ISBN: 9781783537730

Download The World We'll Leave Behind Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle

It is now clear that human activity has influenced how the biosphere supports life on Earth, and given rise to a set of connected environmental and social problems. In response to the challenge that these problems present, a series of international conferences and summits led to discussions of sustainable development and the core dilemma of our time: How can we all live well, now and in the future, without compromising the ability of the planet to enable us all to live well? This book identifies the main issues and challenges we now face; it explains the ideas that underpin them and their interconnection, and discusses a range of strategies through which they might be addressed and possibly resolved. These cover things that governments might do, what businesses and large organisations can contribute, and the scope for individuals, families and communities to get involved. This book is for everyone who cares about such challenges, and wants to know more about them.

The Worth of Water

The Worth of Water
Author: Gary White
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 241
Release: 2022-03-29
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 0593189973

Download The Worth of Water Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle

From the founders of nonprofits Water.org & WaterEquity Gary White and Matt Damon, the incredible true story of two unlikely allies on a mission to end the global water crisis for good On any given morning, you might wake up and shower with water, make your coffee with water, flush your toilet with water—and think nothing of it. But around the world, more than three-quarters of a billion people can’t do any of that—because they have no clean water source near their homes. And 1.7 billion don’t have access to a toilet. This crisis affects a third of the people on the planet. It keeps kids out of school and women out of work. It traps people in extreme poverty. It spreads disease. It’s also solvable. That conviction is what brought together movie actor Matt Damon and water expert and engineer Gary White. They spent years getting the answer wrong, then halfway right, then almost right. Over time, they and their organization, Water.org, have found an approach that works. Working with partners across East Africa, Latin America, South Asia, and Southeast Asia, they’ve helped over 40 million people access water and/or sanitation. In The Worth of Water, Gary and Matt take us along on the journey—telling stories as they uncover insights, try out new ideas, and travel between the communities they serve and the halls of power where decisions get made. With humor and humility, they illuminate the challenges of launching a brand-new model with extremely high stakes: better health and greater prosperity for people allover the world. The Worth of Water invites us to become a part of this effort—to match hope with resources, to empower families and communities, and to end the global water crisis for good. All the authors’ proceeds from the sale of this book will be donated to Water.org.

Spirits in the Material World

Spirits in the Material World
Author: Gilbert G. Germain
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
Total Pages: 246
Release: 2009
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 9780739133682

Download Spirits in the Material World Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle

Spirits in the Material World: The Challenge of Technology provocatively argues that technology is best understood as an otherworldly or spiritual force. Under its influence, humans are fast becoming spirit-like creatures, beings who assume their bodies are incidental to what it means to be human and the "real world" an accidental quality of the human condition. Technology authorizes such an understanding and legitimates a manner of action that obscures the centrality of embodiment and its significance. Gil Germain challenges many of the assumptions underpinning the technological worldview through a reading of leading contemporary theorists who have addressed the interconnection between technology and disembodiment. The book both reveals and contests the multifarious ways in which technology's spiritual thrust is manifested in contemporary thought and practice. While respecting technology's hold on modernity and its predisposition toward disembodiment, Germain gives important reasons why this inclination toward spiritizaiion ought to be resisted and what shape this resistance must take if it is to be meaningful. Gil Germain is associate professor of political studies at the University of Prince Edward Book jacket.

Challenges of the Developing World

Challenges of the Developing World
Author: Howard Handelman
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
Total Pages: 384
Release: 2019-01-14
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1538116677

Download Challenges of the Developing World Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle

Challenges of the Developing World is a lively, up-to-date, and highly readable introduction to the key dynamics and issues of political, economic and social development in the “developing countries” of Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America.

Jihad vs. McWorld

Jihad vs. McWorld
Author: Benjamin Barber
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Total Pages: 432
Release: 2010-04-21
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 0307874443

Download Jihad vs. McWorld Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle

Jihad vs. McWorld is a groundbreaking work, an elegant and illuminating analysis of the central conflict of our times: consumerist capitalism versus religious and tribal fundamentalism. These diametrically opposed but strangely intertwined forces are tearing apart--and bringing together--the world as we know it, undermining democracy and the nation-state on which it depends. On the one hand, consumer capitalism on the global level is rapidly dissolving the social and economic barriers between nations, transforming the world's diverse populations into a blandly uniform market. On the other hand, ethnic, religious, and racial hatreds are fragmenting the political landscape into smaller and smaller tribal units. Jihad vs. McWorld is the term that distinguished writer and political scientist Benjamin R. Barber has coined to describe the powerful and paradoxical interdependence of these forces. In this important new book, he explores the alarming repercussions of this potent dialectic for democracy. A work of persuasive originality and penetrating insight, Jihad vs. McWorld holds up a sharp, clear lens to the dangerous chaos of the post-Cold War world. Critics and political leaders have already heralded Benjamin R. Barber's work for its bold vision and moral courage. Jihad vs. McWorld is an essential text for anyone who wants to understand our troubled present and the crisis threatening our future.

World Politics and the Challenges for International Security

World Politics and the Challenges for International Security
Author: Chitadze, Nika
Publisher: IGI Global
Total Pages: 427
Release: 2022-03-18
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1799895882

Download World Politics and the Challenges for International Security Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle

World politics as a scientific discipline was established during the second half of the 20th century and has gained rapid distribution in many countries. This field of study focuses attention on current political processes as well as the potential of further development. It is essential to analyze world politics to move progress forward while also strengthening international security and the creation of a safer civilization. World politics cannot be understood without the combined knowledge of history, economics, law, social sciences, and psychology. World Politics and the Challenges for International Security describes the global processes in the field of world politics and international security and discusses global problems, global security, and the threats and challenges that currently affect global society. Covering topics such as digital diplomacy, political corruption, and terrorist psychology, this book is essential for political scientists, researchers, policymakers, global leaders, national security officers, diplomats, professors and students of higher education, and academicians.

The Challenge of Grand Strategy

The Challenge of Grand Strategy
Author: Jeffrey W. Taliaferro
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 361
Release: 2012-08-06
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1107022525

Download The Challenge of Grand Strategy Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle

Historians and political scientists re-examine the conventional wisdom of grand strategies pursued by the great powers during the interwar years.

The Challenge of World Poverty

The Challenge of World Poverty
Author: Gunnar Myrdal
Publisher:
Total Pages: 464
Release: 1971
Genre: Developing countries
ISBN: 9780140213218

Download The Challenge of World Poverty Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle