Vital signs 2011
Subtitle: the trends that are shaping our future
By: Worldwatch Institute
Contributors: Starke, Linda, editor; Rosbotham, Lyle, Designer; Worldwatch Institute
Series: Vital signs -- 2011; Vital signs -- 2011.
Publisher: Worldwatch Institute
Published: 2011
Place of publication: Washington, D.C
Language: eng
Number of pages: 132
ISBN-13: 9781878071989
Subjects: Forecasting; Monitoring; Consumption (Economics); Economic development; Social indicators; Environmental monitoring; Economic indicators; Agriculture; Population
Description: From economic growth to sea-level rise, Vital Signs 2011 documents the trends that are shaping our future in concise analysis and clear tables and graphs. This volume 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. This volume reveals, for example: Gross world product increased by just 0.3 percent in 2009, a substantial slowdown from the 2000-2008 average yearly increase of 6.6 percent. But China's economy grew by 9.1 percent, and India's by 7.4 percent. From 1993 to 2009, sea level rose 3.0 millimeters per year as warming melted polar and glacial ices, much faster annual rate than the 1.7 millimeter annual average for the preceding 118 years. Solar photovoltaic capacity increased by 20 percent in 2009, and solar thermal electric power plant capacity increased by 26 percent. Global wind power capacity grew more than 31 percent in cumulative installations, the highest rate in the last eight years. Natural gas consumption dropped by 2.1 percent, the largest recorded one-year decline. The planet's biodiversity continued to suffer, with the addition of 365 species to the "threatened" category of the Red List maintained by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), a 2.1 percent increase.
Notes: Includes index to the series.
Table of contents: title: Energy and transportation trends : Global coal use stagnates despite growing Chinese and Indian markets ; Growth of biofuel production slows ; Natural gas use falls but renaissance is in the pipeline ; World nuclear generation stagnates ; Wind power growth continues to break records despite recession ; Record growth in photovoltaic capacity and momentum builds for concentrating solar power ; Auto industry in turmoil but Chinese production surges ; Air travel trends mixed as carbon footprint grows; title: Environment and climate trends : World will completely miss 2010 biodiversity target ; Glacial melt and ocean warming drive sea level upward ; Losses from natural disasters decline in 2009 ; Bottled water consumption growth slows; title: Food and agriculture trends : Grain production strong but fails to set record ; Meat production and consumption continue to grow ; Global fish production continues to rise ; Cocoa production continues growth ; Fertilizer consumption declines sharply; title: Global economy and resources trends : Global output stagnant ; Unemployment and precarious employment grow more prominent ; Materials use up ; Roundwood production plummets; title: Population and society trends : World population growth slows modestly, still on track for 7 billion in late 2011 ; Global chronic hunger rises above 1 billion ; Educational attainment worldwide on the rise ; Mobile phone and internet use grows robustly.