This eighteenth volume of the Worldwatch Institute series makes it clear that the Great Recession affects many of the world’s leading economic, social, and environmental trends—but that the impact can be very different by country.
The 2002 edition features more than 50 key indicators of long-term trends—from the growth of fish farms and bicycle production to the increase in solar cell and Internet use.
The new Vital Signs 1998 gives you more than 100 charts, graphs and tables that show you the worldwide trends that are changing our lives, for better and for worse. It includes the latest data on critical global trends, presented in simple but compelling graphics, along with concise, thoughtful analysis.
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.
Vital Signs Volume 21 is all about growth. From natural disasters to cars to organic farming, the two dozen trends examined here indicate both increasing pressure on natural resources and scaled up efforts to live more sustainably.
In 2012, world auto production set yet another record with passenger-car production rising to 66.7 million. That same year, the number of natural disasters climbed to 905, roughly one hundred more than the 10-year annual average, and 90 percent were weather related.
From meat consumption to automobile production to hydropower, Vital Signs, Volume 20 documents over two dozen trends that are shaping our future in concise analyses and clear tables and graphs.
What we make and buy is a major indicator of society’s collective priorities. Among twenty-four key trends, Vital Signs Volume 22 explores significant global patterns in production and consumption. The result is a fascinating snapshot of how we invest our resources and the implications for the world’s well-being.
The book examines developments in six main areas: energy, environment and climate, transportation, food and agriculture, global economy and resources, and population and society.
The global trends documented in Vital Signs 1999—from a decline in nuclear power generating capacity to the proliferation of genetically modified crops—will play a large part in determining the quality of our lives and our children's lives in the next decade.
The global trends documented in Vital Signs 2000—from the rapid rise in the sales of energy-efficient compact fluorescent lamps to the worldwide overpumping of growndwater—will play a large role in determining the quality of our lives and our children's lives in the next decade.
The global trends documented in Vital Signs 2001—from the rapid increase in the use of wind power to the continued warming of the planet—will play a large role in determining the quality of our lives and our children's lives in this new century.