Vital Signs 2012: The Trends that are Shaping Our Future
by The The Worldwatch Institute
Island Press, 2012 eISBN: 978-1-61091-373-7 | Paper: 978-1-61091-371-3 Library of Congress Classification GE140.V58 2012+ Dewey Decimal Classification 363.7063
ABOUT THIS BOOK | AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY | REVIEWS | TOC | REQUEST ACCESSIBLE FILE
ABOUT THIS BOOK
Just as people schedule regular check-ups with physicians, our planet needs regular check-ups to catch issues as early as possible, before they become more serious and harder to heal. That is the much-needed service provided on a global scale by the Worldwatch Institute in this new book, Vital Signs 2012.
By taking stock of global consumption, Vital Signs 2012 offers the facts that need to guide our stewardship of the Earth's resources-and some of these facts are shocking. The report covers topics from obesity to ecosystem services, from grain production to nuclear power. Taken as a whole, it paints a picture of skyrocketing population, disappearing forests, and increasing consumption peppered with bright spots like growing investment in high-speed trains and other efficient transportation systems.
Vital Signs 2012 is based on Worldwatch's online project of the same name, which provides up-to-date figures on important global concerns, as well as the Institute's own additional research. The book compiles the most important of these into an accessible, informative resource for policymakers and anyone who wants a realistic look at the state of our planet.
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY
Founded in 1974 by farmer and economist Lester Brown, Worldwatch was the first independent research institute devoted to the analysis of global environmental concerns. Worldwatch quickly became recognized by opinion leaders around the world for its accessible, fact-based analysis of critical global issues. Now under the leadership of population expert and author Robert Engelman, Worldwatch develops innovative solutions to intractable problems, emphasizing a blend of government leadership, private sector enterprise, and citizen action that can make a sustainable future a reality.
REVIEWS
"Each trend report is concise, using quantitative metrics and graphs to assess and present the trend in a few pages."
— Reference & Research Book News
"These lines that tie the world together are surreptitiously hidden just beyond our field of view, but Vital Signs does an amazing job of bringing everything into focus."
— Spacing
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgments
Preface
Energy Trends
-Oil Market Resumes Growth after Stumble in 2009
-Global Natural Gas Consumption Regains Momentum
-Nuclear Generation Capacity Falls
-Global Wind Power Growth Takes a Breather in 2010
-Another Record Year for Solar Power, but Clouds on the Horizon
-Biofuels Regain Momentum
-Global Hydropower Installed Capacity and Use Increase
-Energy Poverty Remains a Global Challenge for the Future
Transportation Trends
-Auto Industry Stages Comeback from Near-Death Experience
-High-Speed Rail Networks Expand
Environment and Climate Trends
-Carbon Markets Struggle to Maintain Momentum
-Carbon Capture and Storage Attracts Government Attention
Food and Agriculture Trends
-World Grain Production Down in 2010, but Recovering
-Organic Agriculture Sustained through Economic Crisis
-Sugar Production Dips
-Fish Production from Aquaculture Rises While Marine Fish Stocks Continue to Decline
-Meat Production and Consumption Continue to Grow
Global Economy and Resources Trends
-World’s Forests Continue to Fall as Demand for Food and Land Goes Up
-Tropical Forests Push Payments for Ecosystem Services onto the Global Stage
-Value of Fossil Fuel Subsidies Declines, National Bans Emerging
-Energy Intensity Is Rising Slightly
Population and Society Trends
-World Labor Force Growing at Divergent Rates
-Women Slowly Close Gender Gap with Men
-Numbers of Overweight on the Rise
-Notes
The Vital Signs Series
REQUEST ACCESSIBLE FILE
If you are a student who cannot use this book in printed form, BiblioVault may be able to supply you
with an electronic file for alternative access.
Please have the accessibility coordinator at your school fill out this form.
Vital Signs 2012: The Trends that are Shaping Our Future
by The The Worldwatch Institute
Island Press, 2012 eISBN: 978-1-61091-373-7 Paper: 978-1-61091-371-3
Just as people schedule regular check-ups with physicians, our planet needs regular check-ups to catch issues as early as possible, before they become more serious and harder to heal. That is the much-needed service provided on a global scale by the Worldwatch Institute in this new book, Vital Signs 2012.
By taking stock of global consumption, Vital Signs 2012 offers the facts that need to guide our stewardship of the Earth's resources-and some of these facts are shocking. The report covers topics from obesity to ecosystem services, from grain production to nuclear power. Taken as a whole, it paints a picture of skyrocketing population, disappearing forests, and increasing consumption peppered with bright spots like growing investment in high-speed trains and other efficient transportation systems.
Vital Signs 2012 is based on Worldwatch's online project of the same name, which provides up-to-date figures on important global concerns, as well as the Institute's own additional research. The book compiles the most important of these into an accessible, informative resource for policymakers and anyone who wants a realistic look at the state of our planet.
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY
Founded in 1974 by farmer and economist Lester Brown, Worldwatch was the first independent research institute devoted to the analysis of global environmental concerns. Worldwatch quickly became recognized by opinion leaders around the world for its accessible, fact-based analysis of critical global issues. Now under the leadership of population expert and author Robert Engelman, Worldwatch develops innovative solutions to intractable problems, emphasizing a blend of government leadership, private sector enterprise, and citizen action that can make a sustainable future a reality.
REVIEWS
"Each trend report is concise, using quantitative metrics and graphs to assess and present the trend in a few pages."
— Reference & Research Book News
"These lines that tie the world together are surreptitiously hidden just beyond our field of view, but Vital Signs does an amazing job of bringing everything into focus."
— Spacing
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgments
Preface
Energy Trends
-Oil Market Resumes Growth after Stumble in 2009
-Global Natural Gas Consumption Regains Momentum
-Nuclear Generation Capacity Falls
-Global Wind Power Growth Takes a Breather in 2010
-Another Record Year for Solar Power, but Clouds on the Horizon
-Biofuels Regain Momentum
-Global Hydropower Installed Capacity and Use Increase
-Energy Poverty Remains a Global Challenge for the Future
Transportation Trends
-Auto Industry Stages Comeback from Near-Death Experience
-High-Speed Rail Networks Expand
Environment and Climate Trends
-Carbon Markets Struggle to Maintain Momentum
-Carbon Capture and Storage Attracts Government Attention
Food and Agriculture Trends
-World Grain Production Down in 2010, but Recovering
-Organic Agriculture Sustained through Economic Crisis
-Sugar Production Dips
-Fish Production from Aquaculture Rises While Marine Fish Stocks Continue to Decline
-Meat Production and Consumption Continue to Grow
Global Economy and Resources Trends
-World’s Forests Continue to Fall as Demand for Food and Land Goes Up
-Tropical Forests Push Payments for Ecosystem Services onto the Global Stage
-Value of Fossil Fuel Subsidies Declines, National Bans Emerging
-Energy Intensity Is Rising Slightly
Population and Society Trends
-World Labor Force Growing at Divergent Rates
-Women Slowly Close Gender Gap with Men
-Numbers of Overweight on the Rise
-Notes
The Vital Signs Series
REQUEST ACCESSIBLE FILE
If you are a student who cannot use this book in printed form, BiblioVault may be able to supply you
with an electronic file for alternative access.
Please have the accessibility coordinator at your school fill out this form.
It can take 2-3 weeks for requests to be filled.
ABOUT THIS BOOK | AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY | REVIEWS | TOC | REQUEST ACCESSIBLE FILE