Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Table 2.4
Growth in the second half of the
twentieth century
1950 Changes
1950-1975 (%)
1975
Changes
1950-2000 (%)
2000
World population (100 million)
25.2
160
40.8
247
60.7
Registered vehicles (millions)
70
470
328
1030
723
Petroleum (million barrels)
3800
540
20,512
727
27,635
Natural gas (trillion cubic feet)
6.5
680
44.4
1454
94.5
Coal (million tons)
1400
230
3,300
364
5100
Generation capacity (million kW) 154
1040
1,606
2104
3240
Maize production (million tons)
131
260
342
453
594
Timber production (million tons) 12
830
102
1425
171
Steel production (million tons)
134
350
468
455
580
current situation, Dr. Meadows (et al.) pointed out that the global economy will ap-
proach its limits by environmental pollution and consumption of resources, in “The
Limits to Growth” which was published in 1972. (D. H. Meadows,
1972
). They also
published “The Limits to Growth: a 30-Year Update” in 2004. They speculated on
multiple scenarios around the world from an environmental stance which is increas-
ingly worse through “desire” and “overkill” by humankind. (D. H. Meadows,
2004
)
In his report in 2009, Dr. Rockstrom also pointed out how some human activities
have already exceeded their limits.
Such high rates of consumption may lead to resource shortages as described in
the next chapter by Professor Taniguchi. But it has also exceeded the ability of the
planet to provide a range of ecosystem services and natural resources on a sustain-
able basis (see environmental management tools in the next chapter), while at the
same time actually making some of the economic indicators of sustainability worse-
as evidenced by the widening gap between the rich and poor (Fig.
2.3
). Indeed the
widening inequality only serves to exacerbate poverty. In turn, poverty is not only
one of the biggest problems in our society, but it is also has a deep relationship with
Fig. 2.3
World income
distribution
(Source: Data from Dikha-
nov, Y. (2005). Trends in
global income distribution,
1970-2000, and scenarios
for 2015. New York, NY:
United Nations Development
Programme.)
