State of the World 2005: Redefining Global Security (State of the World (Paperback))

State of the World 2005 takes a new and deeper look at the theme that has dominated international politics since 9/11: security. Not the armed conflicts that occur when it breaks down, but the underlying social, economic and environmental pressures which determine how threatened and vulnerable people feel. These include food, water, other natural resources, exposure to environmental change and health threats. Without equitable and sustainable management of these conditions, lasting security cannot be achieved. The result is a fascinating and illuminating volume that offers a new definition of security and the means to achieve it. [Published annually in 28 languages, each edition draws on the breadth of expertise of the Worldwatch Institute's team of writers and researchers. State of the World is relied upon by national governments, UN agencies, development workers and law-makers for its authoritative and up-to-the-minute analysis and information. It is essential for anyone concerned with building a positive, global future.] Cover -- Half Title -- Title Page -- Copyright Page -- Acknowledgments -- Contents -- List of Boxes, Tables, and Figures -- Foreword -- Preface -- State of the World: A Year in Review -- 1 Security Redefined -- The need for international cooperation has grown stronger in this new century, even as rifts and divides have opened up. -- The Roots of Insecurity -- Throughout history, big powers have repeatedly intervened in resource-rich countries in order to control lucrative resources. -- Most worrisome in some ways is the vast reservoir of unemployed young people in many developing countries. -- Bad Neighborhoods and Shared Vulnerabilities -- Controlling Weapons, Defusing Conflicts -- The Impact of the War on Terrorism -- The war on terror threatens to sideline the struggle against poverty, health epidemics, and environmental degradation. -- Principles for a More Secure World -- A new security policy must above all be preventive in nature. -- There is a danger that a global form of apartheid-highly unequal power relations- will only be further cemented and ratified. -- 2 Examining the Connections Between Population and Security -- The Clash of the Ages -- According to the United Nations, more than 100 countries worldwide had "youth bulges" in 2000. -- Death rates have actually reversed their decline in more than 30 countries worldwide. -- The Emerging Threat of HIV/AIDS -- Rapid Urban Growth -- Countries with rapid rates of urban population growth were roughly twice as likely as other countries to experience civil confli -- Competing for Water and Cropland -- Competing claims over fresh water may complicate efforts to resolve long-standing conflicts in the Middle East. -- Minimizing Risks, Moving Forward -- For most developing countries faced with dwindling resources and rapidly growing populations, there is little immediate promise Tackles the pressing issue of international security and its ramifications on the health of our planet. Since September 11, 2001, many governments have reasserted the centrality of traditional, military-focused security. Yet the aftermath of the ensuing wars in Afghanistan and Iraq underlines once more that lasting security is not found in soldiers, bullets, and tanks. "Security" concerns are only in part about violent conflict, a worst-case outcome that results from a broad range of underlying vulnerabilities. Worldwatch offers a broader perspective on these issues by reaffirming the importance of other, less-publicized threats to global stability and security: the complex interactions between environmental degradation, poverty, and inequity; growing human populations; and the international proliferation of deadly weapons. Emphasizing the opportunities for creating a less vulnerable, more secure world, State of the World 2005 addresses a broad range of needed reforms, including those related to governance, economics, ethics, and education. With easy-to-read charts and tables, this volume presents a view of our changing world that we, and our leaders, cannot afford to ignore. Charts and tables Security concerns remain high on the world's agenda. In this year's annual report, Worldwatch researchers explore underlying sources of global insecurity including poverty, infectious disease, environmental degradation, and rising competition over oil and other resources. Find out [in this book] why terrorism is just symptomatic of a far broader set of complex problems that require more than a military response. This work presents a collection of essays that examine the global security environment in 2005, and posit an argument that a key component in lasting safety lies with policy changes such as moving away from dependence on oil, managing water conflicts, containing infectious diseases, and moving toward global disarmanment Foreword -- Mikhail S. Gorbachev State of the World : a year in review -- Lori Brown Security redefined -- Michael Renner Examining the connections between population and security -- Lisa Mastny, -- Richard P. Cincotta Containing infectious disease -- Dennis Pirages Cultivating food security -- Danielle Nierenberg, -- Brian Halweil Managing water conflict and cooperation -- Aaron T. Wolf ... [et al.] -- Changing the oil economy / -- Tom Prugh Disarming postwar societies -- Michael Renner Building peace through environmental cooperation -- Ken Conca ... [et al.] -- Laying the foundations for peace / Hilary French ... [et al.]. Takes a new look at the theme that has dominaated international politics since 9/11: security. Not the armed conflicts but the underlying social, economic and environmental pressures which determine how threatened and vulnerable people feel. These include food, water, natural resources, environmental and health threats A little more than a decade after the end of the cold war seemed to herald a new era of peace, security concerns are once more at the top of the world's agenda. Some 40,000-50,000 years ago, a group of Middle Eastern people developed a type of tool that seems to have precipitated a radical expansion of the human mind.