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State of the World: 1989. a Worldwatch Institute Report on Progress Toward a Sustainable Society

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State of the World: 1989. a Worldwatch Institute Report on Progress Toward a Sustainable Society DOCUMENT RESUME ED 304 308 SE 050 346 AUTHOR Brown, Lester R.; And Others TITLE State of the World: 1989. A Worldwatch Institute Report on Progress toward a Sustainable Society. INSTITUTION Worldwatch Inst., Washington, D.C. REPORT NO ISBN-0-393-30567-8 PUB DATE 89 NOTE 271p.; Graphs and charts may not reproduce well. AVAILABLE FROMWorldwatch Institute, 1776 Massachusetts Ave, Washington, DC 20036 ($9.95 papers ISBN-0-393-02638-8 hard cover). PUB TYPE Viewpoints (120) -- Reports - Descriptive (141) EDRS PRICE MF01 Plus Postage. PC Not Available from EDRS. DESCRIPTORS Air Pollution; Climate; *Conservation (Environment); Ecology; *Energy Conservation; *Environmental Education; Environmental Influences; *Environmental Research; Hazardous Materials; *Physical Environment; Pollutions *Science and Society; Scientific Research ABSTRACT There are more people being affected by environmental change than ever before. The deterioration of the earth's physical condition appears to be accelerating. This sixth in a series of annual reports is a collection of 10 essays detailing the major threats to global environmental security and possible responses to them. Included are:(1) "A World at Risk" (Lester R. Brown, Christopher Flavin, and Sandra Postel); (2) "Halting Land Degradation" (Sandra Postel); (3) "Reexamining the World Food Prospect" (Lester R. Brown); (4) "Abandoning Homelands" (Jodi L. Jacobson); (5) "Protecting the Ozone Layer" (Cynthia Pollock Shea); (6) "Rethinking Transportation" (Michael Renner); (7) "Responding to AIDS" (Lori Heise); (8) "Enhancing Global Security" (Michael Renner); (9) "Mobilizing at the Grassroots" (Alan B. Durning); and (10) "Outlining a Global Action Plan" (Lester R. Brown, Christopher Flavin, and Sandra Postel). The report concludes with a statement of the belief that the 1990s needs to be a turn-around decade. (CW) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. Y & DEPARTMENT OF EOUCA11061 Once el Educaoonet filealCh and Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) Af This document nes been reproduced es recoil/PS from the Darien or organization *nonstop it O Minor changes have boon made lo improve tOPCOdUehOn flyable Points M vow or opinions stifled in Ms door mein do not necessarily represent Ousel DER' posmon or policy "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS MATERIAL IN MICROFICHE ONLY HAS BE GRANTED BY TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)." I I ID 2 'S' STATE OF THE WORLD 1989 t.0 Other Norton/Worldwatch Books Lester R. Brown et al. State of the World 1934 State of the World 1985 State of the World 1986 State of the World 1987 State of the World 1988 STATE OF THE WORLD 1989 AWorldwatch Institute Reporton ProgressEwardaSustainable Society PROJECT DIRECTOR SENIOR RESEARCHERS Lester R. Brown Lester R. Brown ASSOCIATE PROJECT Alan D towing DIRECTORS Christopher Flavin Christopher Flavin Lori Heise Sandia Postel Jodi Jacobson EDITOR Sandia Postel Linda Starke Michael Renner Cynthia Pollock Shea WWNORTON & COMPANY NEW YORK LONDON Coloright ;E) 1989 In IVorldwattli Institute All rights ITNeTVCd. Published simult.tneoush in Canada by Penguin Books Canada Ltd.. 2801 John Street. Nlarkham. Ontario 13R 104 Primed in the United States of America. First Edition ISBN 0-393-02638-8 ISBN 0-393-30567-8 {PBK} w. W. Norton It: Company. Inc.. 300 Filth Avenue. New York, N.Y. 10110 V. W. Norton & Company Ltd_ 37 Great Russell Street. London WCIB 3NU 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 C; WORLDWATCH INSTITUTE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Orville L. Freeman. Chairman Mahbub ul Hag UNITED STATES PAKISTAN Andrew E. Rice, Vice Chairman Hazel Henderson UNITED STATES UNITED STATES Lester R. Brown (Ex Officio) Anne-Marie Holenstein UNITED STATES SWITZERLAND Carlo M. Cipolla Abd-El Rahman Khane ITALY ALGERIA Edward S. Cornish Larry Minear UNITED S FATES ttNrrED STATES Lynne Gallagher UNITED STATES WORLDWATCH INSTITUTE STAFF Lester R. Brown Lori Heise Linda Doherty Jodi Jacobson Stephen Dujack Reah Janise Kauffman Alan Durning Ann Kip Lori Eaton Nicholas Lenssen Susan Fine Marcia Lowe Christopher Flavin Susan Norris Hilary French Sandra Postel Guy Gorman Michael Renner James Gorman Cynthia Pollock Shea Blondecn Gravely John Young OFFICERS Lester R. Brown Christopher Fla%in PRESIDENT Blondeen Gravely Felix Gorrell Sandra Postel TREASURER VICE PRESIDENTS Timothy Atkeson GENERAL COUNSEL. i Acknowledgments Nine names are inscribed on the cover of id Stiles, Michael Walsh, and Edward Slate of the World 1989, but the book is the Wolf. Any remaining errorsfall,of fruit of countless others' labor. It is a course. to the authors alone. tribute to years of strong support and NVhile the bulk of our research is car- sound advice from Chairman Orville ried out by mail and telephone from our Freeman and the entire Worldwatch offices off Dupont Circle in Washington, Board of Directors. They have never D.C., members of our research team ceased to encourage us to ask the hard journeyed to China, Europe, and Latin questions of how to sustain humanity America during the summer of 1988 to while sustaining the earth. The Rocke- see firsthand the problems and pros- feller Brothers Fund. Winthrop Rocke- pects of those regions. We are deeply felier Trust, and the George Gund indebted to those generous individuals, Foundation supply the backbone of fi- too numerous to name, who shared with nancial support for the Stale of the World us their wisdom, their experience, and series. often their homes. The Institute receives the bulk of re- Nineteen hundred eighty-eight was a search funding from the Geraldine R. year of growth at Worldwatch Institute. Dodge, William and Flora Hewlett, W. With the launch of our new magazine, Alton Jones. Andrew W. Mellon, Edward World Watch, and production beginning John Noble. and Jessie Smith Noyes on a Slate of the Work/ television series, Foundations, as well as project support extraordinarydemandshavebeen from the Public Welfare Foundation and placed on the staff. The quality of this the United Nations Population Fund. volume testifies to their sheer tenacity Without them, State of the World would and to the sirength of their commitment. still be a concept on a drawing board. N'ice President Blondeen Gravely nursed On short notice, ranks of scholars and the Institute through its growth pains. policy experts outside the institute re- while Treasurer Felix Correll skillfully viewed chapters to double-check our maintained the financial health of the or- facts, critique our analysis, and add ganization. depth to our vision. We thank Jeff Alson, Reah Janise Kauffman not only bore Sheldon Annis, Deborah Bleviss, James the full responsibility of assisting the Chin, Douglas Cogan. Clarence Ditiow. president but also managed a fickle and Harold Dregne. Martin Foreman. Laurie expanding computer system. Linda Do- Greenberg, Jeffrey Harris, John Hoff- herty and Guy Gorman deftly juggled man, Kevin Healy, Ken Hughes, William telephones, incoming orders, and visi- Lyerly, Michael Oppenheimer, Mead tors without losing their sense ofhumor. Over, Philip Patterson, Michael Replo- The editorial duo of Stephen Du jack and gle, Sherwood Rowland, Jane Sisk, Dan- James Gorman steered the 11'0r/diva/a (yin) ..iehnowledgments Papers and World if magazine dedicated team. They each contributed through the rapids of Slate of the World to the entire book with their insightful production. Lori Eaton and Ann Kip suggestions, as well as to the particular both put in early mornings and late chapters on which they worked: Susan nights to keep our accounts and drafts Fine and Bruce Goldstein (Chapters 5 on track. Ted Wolf. newly independent and 7). Hilary French (Chapter 4), Nick from the institute. kept us in close con- Lenssen (Chapters1 and 10), Marcia tact with the team working from Boston Lowe (Chapters 2 and 10). and John on the television series. Young (Chapters 1, 15, 6, 8, and 10). The research business is characterized The final and greatest debt is owed to by an enormous volume of paper, coin- those who do the thankless job of turn- ing in and going out. In that department, ing 10 disjointed manuscripts into one three part-thners at the institute bore unified whole. At W.W. Norton & Com- the brunt. Chas Chiodo mailed books pany in New York. lva Ashner and Andy from our offices to almost every country Marasia patiently accommodate our last- onearth.Meanwhile, most of the minute alterations and still produce Slate sources cited in the notes reach the au- of 11w World in record time. And here on thors after photocopying by either our Massachusetts Avenue, the book itself is resident distance runner George Brown made possible only by the unerring red or our resident whitewatet champion pen of our editor, Linda Starke, who Brian Brown. tirelessly works on draft after draft and Those who left the institute for other then coordinates the projecthrough opportunities since the last State of the galleystofinalproduct. Thereal World include Mary jo Allen, Cynthia finalethe indexis once again due to Bainton, Robin Bell, Bill Chandler, and the skills of Bart Brown. Bruce Goldstein. They are each sorely We also all appreciate the ceaseless missed. We also owe an apology to Amy vigilance of Susan Norris. who manages *Mein. who was unintentionally omitted production of the volume and keeps all from the acknowledgments in Stale qf the the details in mind herself while calming World 1988. That is closest to the eye is the fears of eight authors. We thank her sometimes overlooked. in particular for years of spirited service. Talented research assistants Itre the foundation of Worldwatch's work and Lester R. Brown, Christopher Flavin, this year. in particular, we have had a and Sandra Postel Contents l Acknowledgments vii THE THREAT OF INVNDTIoN list of Tables and Figures xi A YARDSTICK OF' HABFLBILFIT Foreword s 5 Protectingthe Ozone Layer,by 1 A World at Risk,by Lester R. Brown. Cynthia Paoli Shm 77 ChristopherFlavin.andSandra THE, OzONE DEPLETIoN PzzIE Poste! 3 EEFF:GTs OF uLTRAvIOLET RDIATION CROSSING pERcEPTUAL THREsIloms CHEMICAL WONDERS.
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