1. Preserving and Enhancing the Global Commons
Chapter 14
Preserving and Enhancing
the Global Commons

2. Toward Sustainable Development

3. The Ecological State of the World
Value of the Earth's ecological systems
State of the world's ecological systems
Environmental pessimists
Environmental scarcities
Environmental optimists
Technological innovation

4. Sustainable Development
Economic development without compromising protection of the environment and human condition
The conundrum of sustainable development
Development issues
Options for sustainable development
Severely restricting development
Paying the price for environmentally responsible development
Example of China
Short-term costs for long-term benefits
The sustainable development debate: What to believe

5. Sustainable Development: Issues and Cooperation

6. Population Issues and Cooperation
High growth rate
Future trends look grim

7. Causes of the population problem
Decreased infant mortality
Increased life span results in large population base
Relationship of poverty and birthrates
Cultural norms
Limited access to birth control

8. International response to the population problem
International organizations and the population problem
Role of UN
UN Population Fund (UNFPA)
UN Children's Fund (UNICEF)
World Health Organization (WHO)
International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF)

9. World Population Conferences
UN Conference on Population and Development (UNCPD)

10. Social approaches to reducing the birthrate
Birth control

11. Economic approaches to reducing the birthrate
Reduce poverty
World Conference on Women (WCW)
UN Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM)
International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women

12. Resource Issues and Cooperation
Petroleum, natural gas, and minerals
Increase in world energy needs versus decrease in nonrenewable resources
Oil consumption
Coal consumption
Nuclear power
Vast majority of all energy consumed by EDCs

13. The resource puzzle Maintain EDCs' economies and standards of living
Promote economic development in the South
Manage problems of resource depletion and environmental damage

14. Forests and land Forest depletion Consequences of deforestation
Global warming
Cost of wood increases
Loss of biodiversity
Land degradation
Soil erosion
Increased risk of floods
Desertification

15. Wildlife
Economic value and loss of diversity

16. Marine life
Overfishing for food

17. Water Most water is not potable
Increased agricultural and industrial use
Contamination
Potable water shortage could cause international conflict

18. Resource Conservation: The Global Response
Progress: International agreements
UN's Law of the Sea Treaty
International Seabed Authority
Convention on Desertification
Growth of Green parties
Ecotourist trade
International Whaling Commission (IWC)
Controversy over whaling
Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES)
Successful protection of elephants

19. Environmental Issues Ground pollution Water pollution Marine pollution
Waste disposal by MNCs
Dodging environmental regulations
Water pollution
Marine pollution
Freshwater pollution
Air pollution
Acid rain
Global warming
Greenhouse effect
Controversial

20. Global warming: What we know
Rise in CO2 emissions
Deforestation
Temperatures rising

21. Global warming: What is in dispute
Environmental pessimists
Climatic changes
Intergovernmental Panel on Climatic Change (IPCC)
Environmental optimists
Natural warming and cooling trends
Global warming and its effects are overexaggerated

22. Global warming: What to do
Economic costs
Economic tradeoffs
Environmental costs

23. Ozone layer depletion Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
Add to greenhouse effect
Increase cancers and life mutations
Destroying basic life forms at the bottom of the food chain

24. Environmental Protection: The International Response
Protecting the ozone layer
Some progress at international level
UN Environmental Programme (UNEP)
Limiting chemicals
Easing global warming
CO2 emissions
Global Warming Convention at the 1992 Earth Summit
Addressing other environmental concerns
Basel Convention
Environment has only received international attention since World War II