Countering 21st Century Social-Environmental Threats to Growing Global Populations (SpringerBriefs in Environmental Science)

This Book Brings Together In A Single Volume A Grand Overview Of Solutions - Political, Economic, And Scientific - To Social And Environmental Problems That Are Related To The Growth Of Human Populations In Areas That Can Least Cope With Them Now. Through Progressive Adaptation To Social And Environmental Changes Projected For The Future, Including Population Growth, Global Warming/climate Change, Water Deficits, And Increasing Competition For Other Natural Resources, The World May Be Able To Achieve A Fair Degree Of Sustainability For Some Time Into The Future. Population Assessments 2012-2050: Growth, Stability, Contraction -- Options To Increase Freshwater Supplies And Accessibility -- Strategies To Increase Food Supplies For Rapidly Growing Populations: Crops, Livestock, Fisheries -- Shelter: Proactive Planning To Protect Citizens From Natural Hazards -- Development Planning: A Process To Protect People, Ecosystems, And Project Productivity And Longevity -- Exertion Of Political Influence By Commodity-base Economic Pressure: Control Of Energy Sources And Mineral Resources -- Global Perils That Reduce Earth’s Capability To Sustain And Safeguard Growing Populations: Tactics To Mitigate Or Suppress Them -- Stressors On People And Ecosystems: Alleviation Tactics -- Progressive Adaptation: The Key To Sustaining A Growing Global Population -- Index. Frederic R. Siegel. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Preface 7 Contents 9 Abbreviations 14 1 Population Assessments: 2013&hx2013;2050&hx2013;2100: Growth, Stability, Contraction 15 1.1 Introduction 15 1.2 Reasons for the Exponential Growth in the Earth’s Population 16 1.2.1 Human 16 1.2.2 Fertility 17 1.2.3 19 1.2.4 Obstacles in Global 20 1.3 Projections for Near-Future (One&hx2013;Two Generations) Populations 20 1.4 Afterword 21 References 21 2 Options to Increase Freshwater Supplies and Accessibility 23 2.1 Introduction 23 2.2 The Earth’s H2O Inventory: Liquid, Solid, Gas 23 2.3 Volumes of Water for Some Agricultural, Industrial, Commercial, and Domestic Use 24 2.4 in 2012 with Recalculations for 2050 25 2.5 Strategies to Improve Water Supplies 28 2.5.1 Import/ 28 2.5.2 Find New 29 2.5.2.1 29 2.5.2.2 The 30 2.5.3 Recycle Wastewater into the Freshwater Inventory 31 2.5.3.1 Domestic 31 2.5.3.2 Wastewater from 32 2.5.3.3 32 2.5.3.4 Agricultural Wastewater 34 2.5.4 Create/ 37 2.5.4.1 37 2.5.4.2 Nanofiltration of Tainted River Water 40 2.5.4.3 Reduction of for Specific Operations 41 2.6 Benefits/ of Improved Water Supply 41 2.6.1 Support Research 42 2.7 Afterword 42 References 43 3 Strategies to Increase Food Supplies for Rapidly Growing Populations: Crops, Livestock, and Fisheries 45 3.1 Introduction 45 3.2 Strategies to 46 3.2.1 Increase the that Can Be Tilled 46 3.2.2 and Nutritional Value: Improve Seed that from Harm by Biological, Physical, Agents 47 3.2.2.1 Traditional Hybridization 48 3.2.2.2 Marker-Assisted Selection for Traditional Hybridization 48 3.2.2.3 Genetic Engineering: Genetic Manipulation/Modification 49 3.2.2.4 Vertical Farming 50 3.3 Agricultural Practices to Prevent Soil and Maintain Soil Fertility Managing Water and Farming Methods that Protect Soil and Nearby Ecosystems 51 3.3.1 Soil Preparation for Planting, Cultivating, and Harvesting 51 3.3.1.1 Tilling 51 3.3.1.2 No-Tilling 52 3.3.1.3 Multispecies or 52 3.3.1.4 Intensified Agriculture 53 3.3.1.5 Sustaining Soil Fertility 53 3.3.1.6 Optimizing Water Use 54 3.3.1.7 Managing the Problem of Soil Salination 54 3.3.1.8 Minimizing Pre-distribution Food Loss 55 3.3.2 Increasing Livestock (Protein) Contribution to the Global Food Supply 56 3.3.2.1 Physical/Biological 56 3.3.2.2 Biological/Pharmaceutical 57 3.3.3 Fishery Contributions to Global Food Stocks Can Help Feed Growing Populations 58 3.3.4 The Impacts of Global Warming/Climate Change on the World’s Food Supply 60 3.3.4.1 Crops 61 3.3.4.2 Livestock 61 3.3.4.3 Fisheries 62 3.4 Afterword 63 References 64 4 Shelter: Proactive Planning to Protect Citizens from Natural Hazards 66 4.1 Introduction 66 4.2 Foresight in Site Selection from Studies of Past and More 66 4.2.1 67 4.2.2 Volcanic Eruptions 68 4.2.3 69 4.2.4 Mass Movements 70 4.2.5 Events 71 4.3 Sociopolitical and Economic Methods to of High Hazard Zones 72 4.4 Practices to Protect Citizens/Property from Occasional Battering by Natural Hazards 73 4.4.1 73 4.4.2 74 4.5 Prediction 75 4.5.1 76 4.5.2 Volcanic Activity 76 4.5.3 77 4.5.4 Tsunamis 77 4.5.5 Events 79 4.6 Pre-planning : Citizen Care, Search, and Rescue Operations 79 4.7 Afterword 80 References 80 5 Development Planning: A Process to Protect People, Ecosystems, and Business Productivity/Longevity 81 5.1emspIntroduction 81 5.2emspThe 81 5.3emspGoals of 82 5.4emspAttracting Development Projects 83 5.5emspStages in 84 5.6emspAfterword 86 References 86 6 Exertion of Political Influence by Commodity-Based Economic Pressure: Control of Energy and Mineral Natural Resources 87 6.1emspIntroduction 87 6.2emspEnergy 87 6.3emspEarth Materials: Metals, Minerals, Rocks 88 6.3.1 — 88 6.3.2 Metals with Specialized Uses: Industry, National Security, Development, Public Health 89 6.3.3 : Critical and Strategic 90 6.4emspControl of Critical/Strategic Materials—Potential Conflict Among Nations, Among Users 91 6.5emspCauses of 91 6.6emspImprove or Extend Critical/ 92 6.7emsp to Access and Strategic Resources 93 6.8emspBetween Suppliers and Users for Access to Critical/Strategic Materials 93 6.8.1 Negotiator Role 93 6.8.2 Example of Conflict that Has to Be Negotiated 94 6.8.3 A Negotiation Process 94 6.8.4 Commodities Not Used for Economic Gain or Political Persuasion 94 6.9emspAfterword 95 References 95 7 Global Perils that Reduce the Earth’s Capacity to Sustain and Safeguard Growing Populations—Tactics to Mitigate or Suppress Them 97 7.1 Introduction 97 7.2 Global Warming/ 97 7.2.1 Rising Sea Level 99 7.2.2 Warmer Ocean Surface Waters and Shifts in Ocean Currents 99 7.2.3 Organism : Consequences for Human Populations 100 7.2.4 Increased Spread of Infectious and Other Diseases to Human Populations 102 7.2.5 Warming/ in Agricultural Zones 104 7.2.6 Increase in Frequency and Intensity (Force) of Events 106 7.2.6.1 106 7.2.6.2 108 7.2.6.3 Droughts 110 7.3 Degradation—Reconstruction 111 7.3.1 Cause of the Loss of Ozone 111 7.3.2 Effects of Thinning: Global Strategy to Halt and Reverse It 112 7.4 , Loss of Fertility, and Other Causes of Soil Degradation 113 7.5 Pollution Threats from Air, Water, and Soil—Human Activities and Natural Sources 115 7.5.1 Perils 115 7.5.1.1 SO2—Sulfur Dioxide 115 7.5.1.2 Hg—Mercury 116 7.5.1.3 Pb—Lead 117 7.5.1.4 118 7.5.1.5 118 7.5.2 120 7.5.2.1 Acid Mine Drainage 120 7.5.2.2 Pollutants and Other Threats to Waters that Sustain 123 7.5.2.3 125 7.5.3 Threats to Human Populations from Soils 126 7.5.4 Biological/Health Dangers for Populations and Ecosystems 128 7.5.4.1 Surveillance, Eradication, Cures, Controls, and Maintenance 129 7.6 Afterword 129 References 130 8 Stressors on Citizens and Ecosystems: Alleviation Tactics 132 8.1 Stress Defined 132 8.2 Stress on Humans 133 8.2.1 From 133 8.2.2 From Economic Conditions 133 8.2.3 From 135 8.3 Ecosystem : From Human Activities/from Nature 137 8.3.1 Human Activities 138 8.3.1.1 138 8.3.1.2 Human Encroachment 139 8.3.1.3 Pollution 141 8.3.2 Natural —Primary, Triggered 143 8.3.2.1 143 8.3.2.2 Tsunamis 143 8.3.2.3 144 8.3.2.4 145 8.3.2.5 Weather 145 8.4 Human Actions/Inactions that Intensify and Concentrate Impacts of 146 8.5 Stress Reduction 146 8.6 Afterword 147 References 147 9 Progressive Adaptation: The Key to Sustaining a Growing Global Population 148 9.1 Adaptation 148 9.2 to 148 9.3 to 151 9.3.1 151 9.3.2 152 9.3.3 152 9.3.4 Conditions 153 9.3.5 Wildfires 154 9.3.6 Preparedness Against 155 9.4 to the Effects of Global Warming/ on Our Earth’s Inhabitants 155 9.4.1 Cause of Global Warming 155 9.4.2 Effects of Global Warming 156 9.4.2.1 Rising Sea Level: /Mitigation 156 9.4.2.2 : to Climate Change by Agriculture 158 9.4.2.3 of and to Climate Change 159 9.5 to the Threat or Onset of Endemic, Epidemic, and Pandemic Disease 160 9.5.1 Adapting to 160 9.5.2 Adapting to Regional Disease Outbreaks 163 9.5.3 (National, City) Health Threats 166 9.5.4 Planning Ahead to Stem Future Health Threats 166 9.6 Afterword 168 9.7 Epilogue 169 References 170 Index 172 Front Matter....Pages i-xv Population Assessments: 2013–2050–2100: Growth, Stability, Contraction....Pages 1-8 Options to Increase Freshwater Supplies and Accessibility....Pages 9-30 Strategies to Increase Food Supplies for Rapidly Growing Populations: Crops, Livestock, and Fisheries....Pages 31-51 Shelter: Proactive Planning to Protect Citizens from Natural Hazards....Pages 53-67 Development Planning: A Process to Protect People, Ecosystems, and Business Productivity/Longevity....Pages 69-74 Exertion of Political Influence by Commodity-Based Economic Pressure: Control of Energy and Mineral Natural Resources....Pages 75-84 Global Perils that Reduce the Earth’s Capacity to Sustain and Safeguard Growing Populations—Tactics to Mitigate or Suppress Them....Pages 85-119 Stressors on Citizens and Ecosystems: Alleviation Tactics....Pages 121-136 Progressive Adaptation: The Key to Sustaining a Growing Global Population....Pages 137-160 Back Matter....Pages 161-164