Global problems of humanity and possible ways to solve them. Global problems of humanity: example, solutions
Introduction
The development of human society has never been a conflict-free, consistent process. Throughout the history of the existence of intelligent life on Earth, questions have invariably arisen, the answers to which forced us to radically reconsider the already familiar ideas about the world and man. All this gave rise to countless problems that faced man most acutely in the second half of the 20th century, when his destructive activities acquired global proportions. Conditions, processes, and phenomena have arisen on our planet that have placed humanity in danger of undermining the very foundations of its existence. The range of problems whose solution ensures the survival of humanity is called the global problems of our time.
The concept of globalization became truly key at the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries. For the first time in its history, the human race was faced with the possibility of its general destruction. The very existence of life on Earth was called into question, i.e. global problems of humanity cover all countries, the Earth’s atmosphere, the World Ocean and near-Earth space; affect the entire population of the Earth.
A distinctive feature of modern civilization is the increase in global threats and problems. We are talking about the threat of nuclear war, the growth of armaments, the unreasonable waste of natural resources, diseases, hunger, poverty, etc., therefore, the study of the phenomenon of globalization attracts scientists, public and politicians, representatives of the business world.
The purpose of this work: a comprehensive study and characterization of modern global problems of humanity, as well as the causes of their occurrence.
To do this, we will solve the following problems:
the essence, causes, features of each of the global problems, possible ways to solve them;
possible consequences of the manifestation of global problems on modern stage development of societies.
The work consists of an introduction to three chapters of the main part, a conclusion, a list of sources used and applications.
1. Modern global problems of humanity
1 Concept, essence, origin and nature of global problems
Second half of the 20th century marked by the processes of globalization. According to the view of most researchers, the main content of the globalization process is the formation of humanity as a single society. In other words, if in the 19th century. Since humanity was still a system of independent societies, then in the 20th century, and especially in its second half, certain signs emerged indicating the formation of a single global civilization.
Globalization is a natural and inevitable process, its basis is internationalization, a high degree of division of labor, the development of high, and above all, information technologies, and the formation of global markets. The end of the 20th and the beginning of the 21st centuries. led to the development of a number of local, specific issues of development of countries and regions into the category of global ones. The problems that have arisen have given rise to a threat that is of a worldwide, planetary nature and is therefore called global.
The importance of global problems especially increased in the second half of the twentieth century, by which time the territorial division of the world was completed, two poles had formed in the world economy: at one pole there were industrialized countries, and at the other there were countries with agrarian and raw materials appendages. The latter were drawn into the international division of labor long before the emergence of national markets there. The world economy formed in this way, even after the former colonies gained independence, preserved the relationship between the center and the periphery for many years. This is where the current global problems and contradictions originate.
Thus, the global problems of our time should be understood as a set of problems on the solution of which the further existence of civilization depends.
Global problems are generated by the uneven development of different areas of life of modern humanity and the contradictions generated in the socio-economic, political-ideological, socio-natural and other relations of people. These problems affect the life of humanity as a whole.
Despite all the diversity and internal differences, global problems have common features:
have acquired a truly planetary, worldwide character, and therefore affect the interests of the peoples of all states;
threaten (if their solution is not found) humanity with either the death of civilization as such, or a serious regression in the further development of productive forces, in the conditions of life itself, in the development of society;
need urgent solutions and actions to overcome and prevent dangerous consequences and threats to the livelihoods and safety of citizens;
For their solution, they require collective efforts and actions on the part of all states and the entire world community.
The global problems of our time are in organic connection and interdependence with each other, forming a single, integral system, characterized by their well-known subordination, hierarchical subordination.
This circumstance allows us to classify these problems on the basis of establishing cause-and-effect relationships between them, as well as taking into account the degree of their severity and, accordingly, the priority of solutions. The main criteria for classifying a problem as global are its scale and the need for joint efforts to eliminate it. According to their origin, nature and methods of solution, global problems, according to the accepted international classification, are divided into 3 groups.
The first group consists of problems determined by the main socio-economic and political tasks of humanity. These include maintaining peace, ending the arms race and disarmament, non-militarization of space, creating favorable conditions for global social progress, and overcoming the development gap of countries with low per capita incomes.
The second group covers a complex of problems revealed in the triad “man - society - technology”. These problems should take into account the effectiveness of using scientific and technological progress in the interests of harmonious social development and the elimination of the negative impact of technology on people, population growth, the establishment of human rights in the state, its liberation from the excessively increased control of state institutions, especially over personal freedom as the most important component of human rights.
The third group is represented by problems related to socio-economic processes and the environment, i.e. problems of relations between society and nature. This includes solving raw materials, energy and food problems, overcoming the environmental crisis, which is spreading to more and more new areas and can destroy human life.
Note that the above classification is relative, because various groups of global problems taken together form a single, extremely complex, multifactorial system in which all components are interconnected.
The scale, location and role of individual global problems are changing. Until recently, the struggle to preserve peace and disarmament occupied a leading place; now the environmental problem has taken first place.
Changes are also taking place within global problems: some of their components lose their former significance and new ones appear. Thus, in the problem of the struggle for peace and disarmament, the main emphasis began to be placed on reducing funds mass destruction, non-proliferation of mass weapons, development and implementation of measures for the conversion of military production; in the fuel and raw materials problem, a real possibility has arisen of the depletion of a number of non-renewable natural resources, and in the demographic problem, new tasks have arisen associated with a significant expansion of international migration of the population, labor resources, etc. It is also necessary to take into account that global problems do not arise somewhere nearby with pre-existing and local problems, but grow organically from them.
2 Contemporary problems caused by globalization
In the scientific literature you can find various lists of global problems, where their number varies from 8-10 to 40-45. This is explained by the fact that, along with the main, priority global problems (which will be discussed further in the textbook), there are a number of more specific, but also very important problems: for example, crime, drug addiction, separatism, democratic deficit, man-made disasters, natural disasters, etc. .
In modern conditions, the main global problems include:
The North-South problem is a problem of economic relations between developed countries and developing countries. Its essence is that in order to bridge the gap in the levels of socio-economic development between developed and developing countries, the latter require various concessions from developed countries, in particular, expanding access for their goods to the markets of developed countries, increasing the influx of knowledge and capital (especially in the form assistance), debt write-off and other measures in relation to them. The backwardness of developing countries is potentially dangerous not only at the local level, but also for the global economic system as a whole. The backward South is its integral part and, therefore, its economic, political and social problems will inevitably find and are already finding manifestation outside. Concrete evidence of this can be, for example, large-scale forced migration from developing countries to developed ones, as well as the spread in the world of both new and previously considered infectious diseases. That is why the North-South problem can be rightfully interpreted as one of the global problems of our time.
The problem of poverty is one of the main global problems. Poverty refers to the inability to provide the simplest and most affordable living conditions for most people in a given country. High levels of poverty, especially in developing countries, pose a serious danger not only to national, but also to global sustainable development. According to World Bank estimates, the total number of poor people, i.e. There are 2.5-3 billion people living on less than $2 a day in the world. Including the total number of people living in extreme poverty (less than $1 a day) - 1-1.2 billion people. In other words, 40-48% of the world's population are poor, and 16-19% are ultra-poor. Most of the poor are concentrated in rural areas of developing countries. In some developing countries, the problem of poverty has long reached critical levels. For example, at the beginning of the 21st century. 76% of the population of Zambia, 71% of Nigeria, 61% of Madagascar, 58% of Tanzania, 54% of Haiti are forced to live on less than $1 a day. What makes the global problem of poverty especially acute is that many developing countries, due to low income levels, do not yet have sufficient opportunities to alleviate the problem of poverty. This is why broad international support is required to eliminate pockets of poverty.
The world food problem lies in the inability of humanity to date to fully provide itself with vital food products. This problem appears in practice as a problem of absolute food shortage (malnutrition and hunger) in the least developed countries, as well as nutritional imbalance in developed countries. Over the past 50 years, significant progress has been made in food production - the number of undernourished and hungry people has almost halved. At the same time, don't small part The world's population still faces food shortages. The number of people in need exceeds 850 million people, i.e. Every seventh person experiences absolute food shortages. More than 5 million children die every year from the consequences of starvation. Its decision will largely depend on effective use natural resources, scientific and technological progress in agriculture and the level state support.
The global energy problem is the problem of providing humanity with fuel and energy now and in the foreseeable future. The main reason for the global energy problem should be considered the rapid increase in the consumption of mineral fuels in the 20th century. On the supply side, it is caused by the discovery and exploitation of huge oil and gas fields in Western Siberia, in Alaska, on the North Sea shelf, and on the demand side - by an increase in the vehicle fleet and an increase in the production of polymer materials. The increase in the production of fuel and energy resources has entailed a serious deterioration in the environmental situation (expansion of open-pit mining, offshore mining, etc.). And the growing demand for these resources has increased competition both between countries exporting fuel resources for the best sales conditions, and between importing countries for access to energy resources. At the same time, there is a further increase in mineral fuel resources. Under the influence of the energy crisis, large-scale geological exploration activities intensified, leading to the discovery and development of new energy deposits. Accordingly, the availability of the most important types of mineral fuel has also increased: it is believed that at the current level of production, proven coal reserves should be enough for 325 years, natural gas- for 62 years, and oil - for 37 years. If developed countries are now solving this problem, first of all, by slowing down the growth of their demand by reducing energy intensity, then in other countries there is a relatively rapid increase in energy consumption. Added to this may be growing competition in the global energy market between developed countries and newly large industrialized countries (China, India, Brazil). All these circumstances, combined with military-political instability in some regions, can cause significant fluctuations in the level of world prices for energy resources and seriously affect the dynamics of supply and demand, as well as the production and consumption of energy goods, sometimes creating crisis situations.
The global demographic problem is divided into two aspects: rapid and poorly controlled growth (demographic explosion) of the population of countries and regions developing world; demographic aging of the population of developed and transition countries. For the former, the solution is to increase economic growth and reduce population growth. For the second - emigration and reform of the pension system.
Never in the entire history of mankind have the world population growth rates been as high as in the second half of the 20th - early 21st centuries. During the period from 1960 to 1999, the planet's population doubled (from 3 billion to 6 billion people), and in 2007 it amounted to 6.6 billion people. Although the average annual growth rate of the world's population has decreased from 2.2% in the early 60s. to 1.5% in the early 2000s, the absolute annual growth increased from 53 million to 80 million people. The demographic transition from the traditional (high birth rate - high death rate - low natural increase) to the modern type of population reproduction (low birth rate - low death rate - low natural population growth) was completed in developed countries in the first third of the 20th century, and in most countries with transition economies - in the middle of the last century. At the same time, in the 1950-1960s, a demographic transition began in a number of countries and regions of the rest of the world, which begins to end only in Latin America, Eastern and South East Asia and continues in East Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, the Near and Middle East. The rapid rate of population growth compared to the rate of socio-economic development in these regions leads to aggravation of problems of employment, poverty, food situation, land issue, low level of education, and deterioration of public health. These countries see the solution to their demographic problem in accelerating economic growth and simultaneously reducing the birth rate (China could be an example). In European countries, Japan and a number of CIS countries with last quarter XX century There is a demographic crisis, manifested in slow growth and even natural decline and aging of the population, stabilization or reduction of its working population. Demographic aging (increase in the proportion of the population over 60 years of age to over 12% of the total population, over 65 years of age - over 7%) is a natural process, which is based on advances in medicine, improved quality of life and other factors that contribute to the extension of life of a significant part of the population. population.
For the economies of developed and transition countries, increasing life expectancy has both positive and negative consequences. The first includes the possibility of extending the working life of older citizens beyond the current retirement age threshold. The second includes problems of both material support for elderly and elderly citizens, and their medical and consumer services. The fundamental way out of this situation lies in the transition to a funded pension system, in which the citizen himself is primarily responsible for the size of his pension. As for the aspect of the demographic problem in these countries, such as a reduction in the economically active population, its solution is seen primarily in the influx of immigrants from other countries.
The relationship between population growth and economic growth has long been the subject of research by economists. As a result of research, two approaches to assessing the impact of population growth on economic development. The first approach is, to one degree or another, associated with the theory of Malthus, who believed that population growth is faster than food growth and therefore the world population is inevitably becoming poorer. The modern approach to assessing the role of population on the economy is comprehensive and identifies both positive and negative factors in the impact of population growth on economic growth. Many experts believe that the real problem is not population growth per se, but the following problems: underdevelopment - underdevelopment; depletion of the world's resources and environmental destruction.
The problem of human development is the problem of matching the qualitative characteristics of the labor force with the nature of the modern economy. Human potential is one of the main types of total economic potential and is distinguished by specific and qualitative characteristics. In the conditions of post-industrialization, the requirements for the physical qualities and especially for the education of the worker increase, including his ability to constantly improve his skills. However, the development of the qualitative characteristics of the labor force in the world economy is extremely uneven. The worst indicators in this regard are demonstrated by developing countries, which, however, act as the main source of replenishment of the world labor force. This is what determines the global nature of the problem of human development.
The problem of disarmament and maintaining peace on Earth. The history of mankind can be viewed as the history of wars. Only in the 20th century. There were two world wars and many local wars (in Korea, Vietnam, Angola, the Middle East and other regions). Only after the Second World War until the beginning of the 21st century. There were more than 40 international and about 90 intrastate conflicts, where tens of millions of people died. Moreover, if in international conflicts the ratio of civilian and military deaths is approximately equal, then in civil and national liberation wars the civilian population dies three times more than the military. And today, dozens of potential international or interethnic conflicts continue to exist on the planet.
The problem of ensuring human safety. Increasing globalization, interdependence and the reduction of time and spatial barriers create a situation of collective insecurity from various threats, from which a person cannot always be saved by his state. This requires the creation of conditions that enhance a person’s ability to independently withstand risks and threats. Over the past two decades, the concept of security has undergone significant revision. Its traditional interpretation as the security of the state (its borders, territory, sovereignty, population and material values) was supplemented by human security (human security).
Human security is a state of people being protected from internal and external threats and risks and freedom from fear and want, which is achieved through the joint and purposeful activities of civil society, the nation state and the international community. The main conditions ensuring human security include: personal freedom; peace and personal security; full participation in management processes; protection of human rights; access to resources and basic necessities of life, including access to medical services and education; a natural environment favorable for human life. Creating these conditions involves, firstly, eliminating the root causes or establishing effective control over the sources of threat and, secondly, increasing the ability of each individual to withstand threats. To ensure these conditions, it is possible to use two groups of measures: preventive, or long-term, and immediate, extraordinary. The first group includes activities aimed at overcoming problems that are most often sources of instability and local conflicts. The second set of measures includes activities to resolve ongoing conflicts or post-conflict reconstruction measures and humanitarian assistance.
The problem of the World Ocean is a problem of conservation and rational use its spaces and resources. The essence of the global problem of the World Ocean lies in the extremely uneven development of Ocean resources, in increasing pollution marine environment, in using it as an arena for military activity. As a result, over the past decades, the intensity of life in the World Ocean has decreased by 1/3. That is why the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, adopted in 1982, which is called the “Charter of the Seas,” is very important. It established economic zones of 200 nautical miles from the coast, within which the coastal state can also exercise sovereign rights to exploit biological and mineral resources. Currently, the World Ocean is a closed ecological system can hardly withstand the man-made load that has increased many times over, and there is a real threat of its death. Therefore, the global problem of the World Ocean is, first of all, the problem of its survival. The main way to solve the problem of using the World Ocean is rational oceanic environmental management, a balanced, integrated approach to its wealth, based on the combined efforts of the entire world community. The essence of this problem lies in the difficult finding of ways to optimize the exploitation of the ocean's biological resources.
The environmental situation is currently one of the most acute and difficult to resolve. A feature of our time is the intense and global human impact on the environment, which is accompanied by intense and global negative consequences. Contradictions between man and nature can become aggravated due to the fact that there is no limit to the growth of human material needs, while the ability natural environment satisfying them is limited. The contradictions in the “man - society - nature” system have acquired a planetary character.
There are two aspects of the environmental problem:
environmental crises arising as a consequence of natural processes;
crises caused by anthropogenic impact and irrational environmental management.
The main problem is the inability of the planet to cope with the waste of human activity, with the function of self-cleaning and repair. The biosphere is being destroyed. Therefore, there is a great risk of self-destruction of humanity as a result of its own life activity.
Nature is influenced in the following ways:
use of environmental components as resource base production;
the impact of human production activities on the environment;
demographic pressure on nature (agricultural use of land, population growth, growth major cities).
Many global problems of humanity are intertwined here - resource, food, demographic - they all have access to environmental issues.
The environmental potential of the global economy is increasingly undermined economic activity humanity. The answer to this was the concept of environmentally sustainable development. It involves the development of all countries of the world, taking into account current needs, but not undermining the interests of future generations. The problem of ecology and sustainable development is the problem of stopping the harmful effects of human activities on the environment.
Even in the middle of the last century, ecology was an internal matter of each country, because pollution as a result of industrial activity manifested itself only in areas with a high concentration of environmentally hazardous industries. However, in the second half of the 20th century. The economic impact on nature has reached levels at which it began to lose its ability to self-heal. In the 1990s. The environmental problem has reached a global level, which is manifested in the following negative trends:
the world ecosystem is being destroyed, more and more representatives of flora and fauna are disappearing, upsetting the ecological balance in nature;
More and more large areas of the planet are becoming a zone of environmental disaster;
The most complex and potentially the most dangerous problem is possible climate change, which is expressed in an increase in average temperature, which, in turn, leads to an increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme natural and climatic events: droughts, floods, tornadoes, sudden thaws and frosts that cause significant economic damage to nature, people and the economies of countries. Climate change is usually associated with an increase in greenhouse effect» - an increase in the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, which enter there from fuel combustion, associated gas in places of extraction, on the one hand, and deforestation and land degradation, on the other.
The main consequences of environmental pollution are as follows: harm to human health and farm animals; contaminated areas become unsuitable or even unsuitable for human habitation and their economic activities, and pollution can lead to disruption of the biosphere’s ability to self-purify and its complete destruction. The main directions of exacerbation of the environmental crisis include the withdrawal from land use of saline soils subject to wind and water erosion; excessive use of chemical fertilizers, etc.; increasing chemical impact on food, water, and the human environment; destruction of forests, i.e. everything that in one way or another affects the life and health of people; growing emissions of pollutants into the atmosphere leading to the gradual destruction of the protective ozone layer; rapid growth of waste, proximity to landfills of various industrial and domestic wastes of the human environment.
In principle, the level of environmental pressure can be reduced in three ways: reducing the population; reducing the level of consumption of material goods; making fundamental changes in technology. The first method is, in fact, already being implemented naturally in developed and many transition economies, where the birth rate has decreased significantly; this process is gradually covering an increasing part of the developing world, but the growth of the total world population will continue. Reducing consumption levels is hardly possible, although recently a new consumption structure has emerged in developed countries, in which services and environmentally friendly components and reusable products predominate. Therefore, technologies aimed at preserving the planet’s environmental resources are of paramount importance for the sustainable development of the world economy:
tightening measures to prevent environmental pollution. Today, there are strict international and national regulations regarding the content of harmful substances, for example, in car exhaust gases, which forces automobile companies to produce environmentally less harmful cars. As a result, NOCs, concerned about the negative reaction of their consumers to environmental scandals, strive to follow the principles of sustainable development in all countries where they operate;
creating cost-effective products that can be reused. This makes it possible to reduce the growth in consumption of natural resources;
creation of clean technologies. The problem here is that many industries use outdated technologies that do not meet the needs of sustainable development. For example, in the pulp and paper industry, many production processes are based on the use of chlorine and its compounds, which are one of the most dangerous pollutants, and only the use of biotechnology can change the situation.
The number of global problems is not constant and is growing steadily. As human civilization develops, the understanding of existing global problems changes, their priority is adjusted, and new global problems arise (space exploration, weather and climate control, etc.).
Currently, other global problems are emerging.
The twenty-first century, having just begun, has already added its own problems: international terrorism. In the context of globalization, international terrorism represents the most serious security problem. International terrorism aimed at undermining the stability of society, destroying borders and usurping territories. The goals of globalization are the same: to achieve influence, power, wealth and redistribution of property at the cost of public or international security.
The social danger of international terrorism is expressed, first of all, in the transnational scale of its activities; expanding its social base; changing the nature and increasing the scope of goals; increasing the severity of the consequences; rapid changes in growth rates and level of organization; in the appropriate material, technical and financial support for its nature.
Thus, the problem of international terrorism poses a real planetary threat to the world community. This problem has its own specificity, which distinguishes it from other universal human difficulties. However, this problem is closely interconnected with most of the global problems of modern international relations, and therefore can be considered as one of the most pressing global problems of our days.
Terrorist acts of recent years, and above all the tragic events of September 11, 2001 in New York, have become unprecedented in the history of mankind in their scale and influence on the further course of world politics. The number of victims, the extent and nature of the destruction caused by terrorist attacks at the beginning of the 21st century were comparable to the consequences of armed conflicts and local wars. The response measures caused by these terrorist acts led to the creation of an international anti-terrorist coalition, which included dozens of states, which previously took place only in the case of major armed conflicts and wars.
Retaliatory anti-terrorist military actions have acquired a planetary scale.
Under these conditions, the global problem of international terrorism cannot be considered only as an independent phenomenon. It began to turn into an important component of a more general military-political global problem related to fundamental issues of war and peace, on the solution of which the further existence of human civilization depends.
In modern conditions, a new, already formed global problem is the exploration of outer space. The urgency of this problem is quite obvious. Human flights in near-Earth orbits have helped us create a true picture of the surface of the Earth, many planets, the terra firma and ocean expanses. They gave a new understanding of the globe as a center of life and an understanding that man and nature are an inextricable whole. Cosmonautics has provided a real opportunity for solving important national economic problems: improving international communication systems, long-term weather forecasting, and developing navigation of sea and air transport. The entry of man into space was an important impetus for the development of both fundamental science and applied research. Modern communication systems, forecasting of many natural disasters, remote exploration of mineral resources are only a small part of what has become a reality thanks to space flights. At the same time, the scale financial costs, necessary for further exploration of outer space, today already exceed the capabilities of not only individual states, but also groups of countries. The extremely expensive components of research are the creation and launch of spacecraft and the maintenance of space stations. Enormous investments are required to implement projects related to the exploration and future development of other planets solar system. As a consequence, the interests of space exploration objectively imply broad interstate interaction in this area, the development of large-scale international cooperation in the preparation and conduct of space research.
Emerging global problems currently include the study of the structure of the Earth and the management of weather and climate. Like space exploration, the solution to these two problems is only possible on the basis of broad international cooperation. Moreover, weather and climate management requires, among other things, global harmonization of behavioral norms of business entities in order to universally minimize the harmful impact of economic activity on the environment.
An independent problem of a planetary scale is the problem of man-made disasters that have no natural disasters no relation.
One of the most pressing global problems of our time in the scientific literature is identified with the process of urbanization.
According to many scientists, natural phenomena can be identified as an independent global problem of our time.
Another emerging global problem is the problem of suicide (voluntary death). According to open statistics, in most countries of the world the suicide curve is creeping up today, which indicates the global nature of this problem. There is a point of view according to which it is suicide (not drugs, AIDS or road accidents) that is becoming an increasingly common cause of death in peaceful conditions. This is an inevitable payment for the benefits of technological progress in all its manifestations: industrialization, urbanization, acceleration of the pace of life, complications of human relationships and, of course, lack of spirituality.
The concept, essence, classification and ways to solve global problems of our time are clearly shown in the Appendix.
2. Causes of global problems and ways to solve them
An objective prerequisite for the emergence of global problems is the internationalization of economic activity. The global development of labor has led to the interconnectedness of all states. The scale and degree of involvement of various countries and peoples in world economic relations have acquired unprecedented proportions, which has contributed to the development of local, specific problems of development of countries and regions into the category of global ones. All this indicates that there are objective reasons for the emergence of such problems in the modern world that affect the interests of all countries. Contradictions on a global scale are emerging, affecting the foundations of the existence of life on earth.
The UN appeals to all countries: if we want to take the best of globalization and avoid the worst, we must learn to govern better together. These calls could work well if most countries were at a sufficiently high level of economic development, and there were not such significant differences in per capita income between countries. The vast inequality in the distribution of wealth in today's world, the miserable conditions in which more than a billion people live, the prevalence of ethnic conflicts in some regions of the world and the rapid deterioration of the natural environment - all these factors combine to make the current development model unsustainable. We can rightfully say that in order to reduce tension on a number of global problems, it is necessary to completely discard the factors of class and political confrontation between social systems and groups of people, and use the principle of spatial institutionality when considering global problems that influence the formation of the world economy.
Thus, the reasons for the emergence of global problems: on the one hand, are the enormous scale of human activity, which has radically changed nature, society, and people’s way of life; on the other hand, it is a person’s inability to rationally manage this power.
The following ways to solve global problems of our time are identified:
preventing world war using thermo nuclear weapons and other means of mass destruction that threaten the destruction of civilization. This involves curbing the arms race, prohibiting the creation and use of weapons systems of mass destruction, human and material resources, the elimination of nuclear weapons, etc.;
overcoming economic and cultural inequality between the peoples inhabiting the industrialized countries of the West and East and the developing countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America;
overcoming the crisis state of interaction between humanity and nature, which is characterized by catastrophic consequences in the form of unprecedented environmental pollution and depletion of natural resources. This makes it necessary to develop measures aimed at the economical use of natural resources and the reduction of pollution of soil, water and air by waste from material production;
reducing population growth rates in developing countries and overcoming the demographic crisis in developed capitalist countries;
preventing the negative consequences of the modern scientific and technological revolution;
overcoming the downward trend in social health, which involves combating alcoholism, drug addiction, cancer, AIDS, tuberculosis and other diseases.
Therefore, the priority global goals of humanity are as follows:
in the political sphere - reducing the likelihood and, in the future, completely eliminating military conflicts, preventing violence in international relations;
in the economic and environmental spheres - the development and implementation of resource- and energy-saving technologies, the transition to non-traditional energy sources, the development and widespread use of environmental technologies;
in the social sphere - improving living standards, global efforts to preserve people's health, creating a global food supply system;
in the cultural and spiritual sphere - the restructuring of mass moral consciousness in accordance with today's realities.
Solving these problems is an urgent task for all of humanity today. The survival of people depends on when and how they begin to be resolved.
Thus, summarizing the above, we note that the global problems of our time are a set of key problems that affect the vital interests of all humanity and require coordinated international actions within the global community for their resolution.
Global problems include the problems of preventing thermonuclear war and ensuring peaceful conditions for the development of all peoples, overcoming the growing gap in economic levels and per capita income between developed and developing countries, problems of eliminating hunger, poverty and illiteracy on the globe, demographic and environmental problems.
A distinctive feature of modern civilization is the increase in global threats and problems. We are talking about the threat of thermonuclear war, the growth of armaments, the unreasonable waste of natural resources, diseases, hunger, poverty, etc.
All global problems of our time can be reduced to three main ones:
the possibility of the destruction of humanity in a global thermonuclear war;
the possibility of a worldwide environmental disaster;
spiritual and moral crisis of humanity.
It is important to note that when solving the third problem, the first two are solved almost automatically. After all, a spiritually and morally developed person will never accept violence either towards another person or towards nature. Even a simply cultured person does not offend others and will never throw garbage on the sidewalk. From little things, from incorrect individual behavior of a person, global problems grow. We can say that global problems are rooted in human consciousness, and until he transforms it, they will not disappear in the outside world.
Conclusion
Thus, global problems are the key problems that confronted all of humanity in the second half of the twentieth century, on the solution of which its existence, preservation and development of civilization depend. These problems, which previously existed as local and regional, have acquired a planetary character in the modern era. Thus, the time of the emergence of global problems coincides with the achievement of the apogee of industrial civilization in its development. This happened approximately in the middle of the 20th century.
Global problems emerged under the conditions of the scientific and technological revolution in the second half of the twentieth century; they are interconnected, cover all aspects of people’s lives and affect all countries of the world without exception.
Many problems are considered global; in the scientific literature their number varies from 8-10 to 40-45. This is explained by the fact that, along with the main, priority global problems (which will be discussed further in the textbook), there are a number of more specific, but also very important problems: crime, drug addiction, separatism, democratic deficit, man-made disasters, natural disasters.
There are various classifications of global problems, usually distinguished: problems of the most “universal” nature, problems of a natural-economic nature, problems of a social nature, problems of a mixed nature. There are also “older” and “newer” global problems. Their priority may also change over time. So, at the end of the twentieth century. Environmental and demographic problems came to the fore, while the problem of preventing a third world war became less pressing.
Among modern global problems, the main groups are distinguished:
Problems of a socio-political nature. These include: preventing global thermonuclear war, creating a nuclear-free, non-violent world, bridging the growing gap in the level of economic and cultural development between the advanced industrial countries of the West and the developing countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America.
Problems related to the relationship between humanity and society. We are talking about eliminating poverty, hunger and illiteracy, fighting disease, stopping population growth, anticipating and preventing the negative consequences of the scientific and technological revolution and rationally using its achievements for the benefit of society and the individual.
Ecological problems. They arise in the sphere of relations between society and nature. These include: protection and restoration of the environment, atmosphere, soil, water; providing humanity with the necessary natural resources, including food, raw materials and energy sources.
The problem of international terrorism has recently acquired particular relevance and, in fact, has become one of the highest priorities.
The causes of global problems are:
the integrity of the modern world, which is ensured by deep political and economic ties, for example - war;
the crisis of world civilization is associated with the increased economic power of man: the impact of man on nature in its consequences is comparable to the most formidable natural forces;
uneven development of countries and cultures: people living in different countries, with different political systems, according to the achieved level of development, they live in historically different cultural eras.
Global problems of humanity cannot be solved by the efforts of one country; jointly developed regulations on environmental protection, coordinated economic policies, assistance to backward countries, etc. are needed.
In general, the global problems of humanity can be schematically represented as a tangle of contradictions, where from each problem various threads stretch to all other problems.
Solving global problems is possible only through the joint efforts of all countries coordinating their actions on international level. Self-isolation and development features will not allow individual countries to remain aloof from the economic crisis, nuclear war, the threat of terrorism or the AIDS epidemic. To solve global problems and overcome the danger that threatens all of humanity, it is necessary to further strengthen the interconnection of the diverse modern world, change the interaction with the environment, abandon the cult of consumption, and develop new values.
globalization economic growth crisis
Bibliography
1.Bulatov A.S. World economy / A.S.Bulatov. - M.: Economy, 2005. 734 p. P.381-420.
2.Golubintsev V.O. Philosophy. Textbook / V.O. Golubintsev, A.A. Dantsev, V.S. Lyubchenko. - Taganrog: SRSTU, 2001. - 560 p.
.Maksakovsky V.P. Geography. Economic and social geography of the world. 10th grade / V.P.Maksakovsky. - M.: Education, 2009. - 397 p.
.Nizhnikov S.A. Philosophy: course of lectures: textbook / S.A. Nizhnikov. - M.: Publishing house "Exam", 2006. - 383 p.
.Nikolaikin N.I. Ecology: Textbook. for universities / N.I. Nikolaikin, N.E. Nikolaikina, O.P. Melekhova. - M.: Bustard, 2004. - 624 p.
.Rostoshinsky E.N. Formation of the disciplinary space of cultural studies / E.N. Rostoshinsky // Materials of the scientific and methodological conference 01/16/2001. - St. Petersburg: St. Petersburg Philosophical Society. - No. 11. - 2001. - P.140-144.
Application
Interrelation of global problems of humanity
Tutoring
Need help studying a topic?
Our specialists will advise or provide tutoring services on topics that interest you.
Submit your application indicating the topic right now to find out about the possibility of obtaining a consultation.
Global problems of humanity - problems and situations that cover many countries, the Earth's atmosphere, the World Ocean and near-Earth space and affect the entire population of the Earth
Global problems, having ceased to be a subject of interest only to a narrow circle of specialists, became widely known by the 60s of the twentieth century, at the same time the interest of the general public in this topic first appeared, and the process of discussing it in the widest circles began.
The reason for this increased interest in this topic was a number of factors. In the process of its development, connections between different regions of the world have invariably strengthened, as a result of which humanity has naturally arrived at a situation where serious problems arising in one region of the earth inevitably affect the state of the entire planet. This effect is observed both in economic, environmental, energy, and many other areas.
An equally important reason was the development of scientific and technological progress, the consequences of which manifested themselves in literally all spheres of people’s lives. For example, the incredibly increased capabilities of man have allowed him to create the most advanced weapons of mass destruction: chemical, bacteriological, and nuclear weapons. In this context, the issues of maintaining peace on earth and preventing various kinds of conflicts that can lead to irreversible consequences for humanity arise especially seriously.
We can say that a system of qualitatively new, closely interrelated problems, called global, is becoming more and more clearly recorded in the public consciousness. It is obvious that various problems, to one degree or another, accompanied the process of formation and development of civilization. And before, both all of humanity and at the local level faced food, energy and raw material problems, environmental disasters occurred, and at all times people suffered from wars and conflicts.
The scale and severity of the problems that existed before cannot be compared with the phenomena and processes characteristic of the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
Universal problems grow out of local and national ones, but at the same time, their solution requires not isolated efforts of individual countries, but joint actions of the world community
All of the above factors determined relevance our research.
Target work - to consider and analyze the priorities of Russian diplomacy in the modern world
In accordance with the set goal, the following were decided main goals :
Describe the global problems of humanity;
Consider the threat of thermonuclear catastrophe and new world wars;
Study the global problem of international terrorism;
Consider the problem of overcoming poverty and backwardness;
Analyze the demographic problem;
Study the socio-economic aspects of the food problem;
Identify global environmental problems.
Research methods:
Processing, analysis of scientific sources;
Analysis of scientific literature, textbooks and manuals on the problem under study.
Object of study - global problems of the world
Subject of study– analysis and ways to solve global problems of humanity
1. POLITICAL GLOBAL PROBLEMS OF HUMANITY
1.1 The essence and signs of global problems of humanity
The modern era has presented society with new problems that require philosophical understanding. Among them are the so-called global problems. The very name of these problems comes from the French word global - universal and from the Latin globus (terrae) - globe. It means a set of pressing problems of humanity, the solution of which depends social progress and the preservation of civilization.
Global problems of our time are a set of contradictory processes that make up the content of the modern crisis of world civilization.
The sources of global problems of our time can be divided into two groups: deepening disagreements between man and nature (environmental, food, energy and other problems); relations between people (the problem of war and peace, protection and development of the spiritual sphere, demography, the fight against crime, etc.)
Both the global problems of our time and the identification of ways to solve them are complex, interdisciplinary in nature, and this requires not only global integration efforts of all countries of the world, but also, according to Vernadsky’s teaching on the noosphere, the integration of philosophical-political, natural and technical-economic knowledge in the relevant spheres of human activity. One of the most important prerequisites for such “double” integration and the following solutions to global problems is a radical change in policy principles: the departure of all countries of the world from a conflict orientation, the transition to cooperation on the basis of recognition of the priority of universal human values, a common search for the most effective ways to form a global - “viable society” "
Let us note the features inherent in global problems of humanity and distinguishing them from others
· global scale of manifestation, beyond the boundaries of one state or group of countries;
· severity of manifestation;
· complex nature: all problems are closely intertwined with each other;
· influence on the further course of human history;
· the possibility of solving them only through the joint efforts of the entire world community, all countries and ethnic groups
According to the classification proposed by the World Economic Forum, global problems affecting the economy are divided into 4 groups:
a) Oil prices/energy consumption
b) Asset prices/huge debt
c) US current account deficit
d) Money crisis
e) The rise of China
2) Environmental problems:
a) Biological diversity
b) Climate change
c) Water supply/quality
d) Natural disasters
e) Air, water and soil pollution
e). The problem of shortage of energy resources
3) Social problems:
a) Radical Islam
b) The threat of religious wars
c) Demographic: aging population, lack of population in developed countries, predominance of the male population
d) Forced migration
f) Poverty
and) Ambiguous attitude public to technological achievements (biotechnology, nanotechnology, other fields of science)
5) Geopolitical problems:
a) Terrorism
b) Organized crime
c) Hot spots (Israel/Palestine, India/Pakistan, Iraq, Chechnya, Korean Peninsula, China/Taiwan, Iran, Saudi Arabia)
d) Conflicts due to lack of resources
f) Creation of weapons of mass destruction
These are the questions that confronted scientists at the beginning of the second half of the 20th century and are becoming increasingly important today.
As human civilization develops, new global problems can and are already arising. Thus, the problem of the development and use of the resources of the World Ocean, as well as the problem of the development and use of space, began to be classified as global.
Changes that occurred in the 70-80s and especially in the 90s. allow us to talk about a change in priorities in global problems. If in the 60-70s. While the main problem was considered to be preventing a global nuclear war, now some experts put the environmental problem first, others the demographic problem, and still others the problem of poverty and backwardness.
The issue of prioritizing global problems is not only scientific, but also important practical significance. According to various estimates, the annual costs of humanity to solve global problems should be at least 1 trillion. dollars, or 2.5% of world GDP.
1.2 The threat of thermonuclear catastrophe and new world wars
The complex of global problems of our time rests on the theory of global balances, according to which the stability of processes (the stability of their state) in nature and society depends on the degree of their balance. There are up to two dozen global balances, starting with generally accepted ones, such as fuel and energy, materials and raw materials, intersectoral, food, transport, trade, environmental, demographic, etc., and ending with more or less debatable ones, such as the balance of weapons, security forces and violations public order, loss and training of personnel in social production, demolition and development of buildings, morbidity and recovery, drug addiction and denarcotization of society (consumption of nicotine, alcohol and stronger drugs), destruction and creation of cultural values, various balances in international relations, in information systems, etc.
About two decades ago, the key global problem of our time was the arms race, which absorbed the lion's share of the total gross product of almost all countries of the world, and, moreover, threatened a new world war. Actually, as it has now become clear, it was essentially the main battlefield of the Third World War of 1946-1991, which went down in history under the pseudonym “Cold War”. A real war with tens of millions of killed, wounded, disabled, refugees, orphans, monstrous destruction and devastation. Wars in which one side (the world socialist system"led by the USSR) was defeated, capitulated and disintegrated, because it was four times inferior to the enemy (NATO led by the USA) economically and by an order of magnitude - technologically.
In the 90s, the key global problem, instead of the arms race, which took on a qualitatively different character with the invention and production of fundamentally new weapons, became the confrontation between the so-called Third and First Worlds, i.e. developing countries in Asia, Africa, Latin America and developed countries in North America, Western Europe, plus Japan and a number of others. This confrontation is hopeless in many respects, because the Third World is still following the path of development of the First World, and this path is unpromising on a global scale: it is “blocked” by the limitations of global energy, ecology and culture.
The threat of a thermonuclear catastrophe has now become global, i.e. planetary in nature, have gone beyond state borders and continents and represent a universal human task. Currently special meaning has the interaction of the cultures of the West and the East, since this is where most scientists see the key to human progress and overcoming global problems. The idea gradually matured that the cultures and civilizations of the West and the East are complementary and represent a certain integrity, and the rationalism of the West and the intuitionism of the East, the technological approach and humanistic values should be combined within the framework of a new planetary civilization.
Three technical aspects of thermonuclear weapons made thermonuclear war a threat to the very existence of civilization. This is a huge destructive force thermonuclear explosion, the relative cheapness of thermonuclear missile weapons and the practical impossibility of effective defense against a massive nuclear missile attack.
However, weapons of mass destruction are literally floating into the hands of adventurers - chemical, bacteriological and, possibly, nuclear. As soon as they more or less get used to it, a repetition of Desert Storm is inevitable, but this time with a much more unfavorable balance of forces for the West. The situation is increasingly reminiscent of the last years of the Roman Empire. No one knows how to solve this problem under existing conditions.
1.3 International terrorism as a global problem
Recently, the problem of international terrorism has become one of the most pressing global problems of our time related to the sphere of international relations. This transformation is due, in our opinion, to the following reasons:
Firstly, international terrorism, unfortunately, is becoming increasingly widespread on a planetary scale. It manifests itself both in regions of traditional international conflicts (for example, the Middle East, South Asia), and from this dangerous phenomenon Even the most developed and prosperous countries (in particular the USA and Western Europe) were not immune.
Secondly, international terrorism poses a serious threat to the security of individual states and the entire world community as a whole. Every year hundreds of acts of international terrorism are committed in the world, and the sad count of their victims amounts to thousands of killed and maimed people;
Thirdly, the efforts of one great power or even a group of highly developed states are not enough to combat international terrorism. Overcoming international terrorism as an escalating global problem requires the collective efforts of the majority of states and peoples on our planet, the entire world community.
Fourthly, the connection between the modern phenomenon of international terrorism and other pressing global problems of our time is becoming increasingly clear and visible. At present, the problem of international terrorism should be considered as an important element of the entire complex of universal, global problems.
The problem of international terrorism has many common features characteristic of other universal human difficulties, such as the planetary scale of manifestation; great sharpness; negative dynamism, when the negative impact on the life of humanity increases; need for an urgent solution, etc. At the same time, the global problem of international terrorism also has specific, characteristic features. Let us consider in more detail the most important of them.
First of all, you should pay attention to the fact that the problem of international terrorism is connected with the main spheres of life of the world community and societies of individual countries: politics, national relations, religion, ecology, criminal communities, etc. This connection is reflected in the existence of various types of terrorism, which include: political, nationalist, religious, criminal and environmental terrorism.
Members of groups carrying out political terror set as their task the achievement of political, social or economic changes within a particular state, as well as the undermining of interstate relations and international law and order. Nationalist (or as it is also called national, ethnic or separatist) terrorism pursues the goals of solving national question, which in recent years have increasingly acquired the character of separatist aspirations in various multi-ethnic states.
The religious type of terrorism is caused by attempts by armed groups professing one or another religion to fight against a state dominated by another religion or another religious trend. Criminal terrorism is formed on the basis of any criminal business (drug trafficking, illegal arms trafficking, smuggling, etc.) with the aim of creating chaos and tension in the conditions of which it is most likely to receive excess profits. Environmental terrorism is carried out by groups that use violent methods in general against scientific and technological progress, environmental pollution, the killing of animals and the construction of nuclear facilities
Another distinctive feature of the global problem of international terrorism is significant influence international criminal communities, certain political forces and some states are attacking it. This influence undoubtedly leads to an aggravation of the problem under consideration.
In the modern world, there are manifestations of state terrorism associated with attempts to eliminate heads of foreign states and other political figures; with actions aimed at overthrowing the governments of foreign countries; creating panic among the population of foreign countries, etc.
International terrorism is now an integral part of the proliferation of transnational criminal organizations supported by corrupt government officials and politicians
Another specific feature of the global problem of international terrorism is its difficulty in predicting. In many cases, the subjects of terrorism become mentally unbalanced people, overly ambitious politicians. Terrorism is often seen as a way to achieve goals on the world stage and in international relations that cannot be achieved by any other methods. In modern conditions, the forms of terrorist activity are becoming more and more complex, and are increasingly in conflict with universal human values and the logic of world development.
Thus, the problem of international terrorism poses a real planetary threat to the world community. This problem has its own specificity, which distinguishes it from other universal human difficulties. However, the problem of terrorism is closely interconnected with most global problems of modern international relations. It can be considered one of the most pressing global problems of our days.
However, the latest terrorist attacks, primarily the tragic events of September 11, 2001 in New York, have become unprecedented in the history of mankind in their scale and influence on the further course of world politics. The number of victims, the extent and nature of the destruction caused by terrorist attacks at the beginning of the 21st century were comparable to the consequences of armed conflicts and local wars. The response measures caused by these terrorist acts led to the creation of an international anti-terrorist coalition, which included dozens of states, which previously took place only in the case of major armed conflicts and wars. Retaliatory anti-terrorist military actions have also acquired a planetary scale.
2. SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS
2.1 The problem of overcoming poverty and backwardness
The most important problem of the world economy at the beginning of the 21st century. - overcoming poverty and backwardness. In the modern world, poverty and backwardness are characteristic primarily of developing countries, where almost 2/3 of the world's population lives. Therefore, this global problem is often called the problem of overcoming the backwardness of developing countries.
Most of these countries, especially the least developed ones, are characterized by severe backwardness. As a result, many of these countries experience appalling levels of poverty. Thus, 1/4 of the population of Brazil, 1/3 of the inhabitants of Nigeria, 1/2 of the population of India consume goods and services for less than $1 per day.
As a result, about 800 million people suffer from malnutrition in the world. In addition, a significant portion of poor people are illiterate. Thus, the share of illiterate people among the population over 15 years of age is 17% in Brazil, 43% in Nigeria and 48% in India.
The huge scale of poverty and backwardness raises doubts about whether it is even possible to talk about normal development and progress of human society, when most of the planet's inhabitants find themselves below the line of a decent human existence. The problem is aggravated by the fact that the achievements of global scientific and technical progress are bypassed by many developing countries, their enormous labor resources are little used, and these countries themselves, for the most part, do not actively participate in global economic life.
It would be extremely unreasonable not to see the dangers that arise from the continuation of such a situation. Thus, it forms in the broad public consciousness of these countries a negative attitude towards the existing order in the world. This is expressed in various ideas about the responsibility of developed countries for the situation in developing countries, as well as in demands for the redistribution of income in the world economy, a kind of “equalization” on a global scale (for example, the movement of developing countries to establish a new international economic order).
Most economists agree that the development of effective national development strategies in developing countries, based on domestic economic resources based on an integrated approach, is of decisive importance in solving the problem of poverty and underdevelopment. With this approach, not only industrialization and post-industrialization, liberalization of economic life and transformation of agrarian relations are considered as prerequisites for creating a modern economy and achieving sustainable economic growth, but also educational reform, improving the healthcare system, mitigating inequality, pursuing a rational demographic policy, and stimulating problem solving employment
They are carried out primarily through the so-called official development assistance from developed countries in the form of providing financial resources. For the poorest countries (namely, they are the main recipients of this assistance), official development assistance is 3% in relation to their GDP, including for countries in tropical Africa - more than 5%, although per each inhabitant of this region it is only $26 in year.
Even greater opportunities for overcoming backwardness are provided by attracting foreign private investment - direct and portfolio investment, as well as bank loans. The influx of these financial resources into developing countries is growing particularly rapidly and is currently the basis of external financing for Third World countries. But the effectiveness of all these financial flows is often negated by corruption and simple theft, which are quite widespread in developing countries, as well as by the ineffective use of the funds received.
Unemployment problem
In the annual report International organization Labor (ILO) states that in 2006, the unemployment rate in the world remained extremely high - 195.2 million people were unemployed, or 6.3% of the total number of people of working age. This figure has remained virtually unchanged compared to 2005. In the countries of Central and Eastern Europe that are not members of the European Union, as well as in the CIS countries, the situation is even worse - 9.3% of the working population is unemployed. A decade ago the figure was little better - 9.7%.
The global unemployment rate rose in 2006 as global economic development fails to meet the needs of all people seeking work - particularly young people, whose unemployment numbers continue to rise. A number of natural disasters, rising energy prices, as well as the “powerlessness” of the economies of many countries to direct GDP growth to open new jobs and increase wages, have seriously affected the situation of the so-called “low-income workers”.
The significant economic growth experienced in many countries around the world in recent years has not led to a noticeable reduction in unemployment. Over the past decade, the world's working population has grown by only 16.6%, but most of the working poor have not been able to escape poverty.
It is worth noting that in 2006, 18.6% of young people living in the CIS remained unemployed. Low level employment in this region leads to the formation of large-scale migration flows - many people, including young professionals, emigrated to the West.
Moreover, in 2006, of the more than 2.8 billion people working in the world, 1.4 billion still did not earn enough money to raise their standard of living and lift their families out of poverty. This is almost impossible to do on wages, amounting to approximately 2 US dollars per day and practically unchanged over the past 10 years.
However, between 2001 and 2006, the total number of workers living on $2 a day in Central and Eastern European (non-EU) and CIS countries fell significantly.
In 2006, 10.5% of all workers in the region had such low incomes, while in 1996 - 33%. The most noticeable reduction in the unemployment rate was observed in industrialized countries - from 2005 to 2006, the number of unemployed decreased by 0.6% and amounted to 6.2%.
Even economic development is unable to resolve the problems of global unemployment. This confirms the fact that although poverty levels have decreased in many countries, this still has not led to a solution to the problem. The gigantic scale of global unemployment, and the lack of concrete measures to overcome this situation, requires a review of policies and practices related to this problem
2.2 Demographic problem
The demographic problem affects not only the situation of individual countries of the world. but it also influences the development of the world economy and international relations and requires serious attention from both scientists and governments of various states.
The demographic problem has the following main components. First of all, we are talking about the birth rate and the population dynamics of both the world as a whole and individual countries and regions, which largely depend on it.
The population of the planet has been constantly increasing throughout the existence of mankind. By the beginning of our era, 256 million people lived on Earth, in 1000 - 280; by 1500 -427 million, in 1820 - 1 billion; in 1927 - 2 billion people.
The modern population explosion began in the 1950s and 1960s. In 1959, the world population was 3 billion; in 1974 - 4 billion; in 1987 5 billion people,
It is expected that by 2050 the planet's population will stabilize at 10.5-12 billion, which is the limit of the biological population of humanity as a species.
Currently, the global demographic situation has its own characteristics:
1) The demographic crisis in a number of developed countries has already led to a disruption in the reproduction of the population, its aging and a reduction in its population.
2) Rapid population growth in Asia, Africa and Latin America.
3) 3 times more people live in third world countries than in developed ones.
4) Unfavorable socio-economic conditions persist.
5) Environmental problems are increasing (maximum permissible loads on the ecosystem, environmental pollution, desertification and deforestation are exceeded).
Scientists note that the peak of the population explosion, which occurred in the 60s, is already behind us and there is a constant decline in the birth rate in all countries with the second type of population reproduction, excluding Africa. To solve current demographic problems, world demographic policy must be accompanied by an improvement in economic and social living conditions. Educational work among believers is important (the church needs to change its focus on high birth rates and the ban on contraception). According to modern calculations, the optimal option for minimum population reproduction is 2.7 children per 1 woman.
In developed countries, scientific and technological progress has led to an increase in unemployment, which in turn has led to a decrease in the birth rate. And in countries with a transitional type of reproduction, the decrease in mortality is not accompanied by a corresponding decrease in the birth rate. In developing countries, a specific age structure is being formed, where a large proportion is occupied by young people under 17 years of age (more than 2/5 of the population, while in Europe this figure is 1/3).
The main areas of UN activity in the field of population:
· collection, processing and dissemination of demographic information;
· research of population problems, including analysis of the interaction of demographic, social, environmental and economic processes;
· organization and holding, under the auspices of the UN, of international conferences on population at the intergovernmental level.
From 1946 to the mid-1960s, the leading areas of UN activity in the field of population were problems of population registration and statistics. With the technical assistance of the UN, within the framework of population censuses, they were carried out in many developing countries, and the programs of a number of national censuses were unified. After the 1970-1980s, issues of accounting and use of demographic factors in demographic activities of economic and social policy and international cooperation in the field of ecology. In order to solve the demographic problem, the UN adopted the “World Plan of Action on DV” (an important place was given to family planning).
In the field of fertility and population growth in the modern world, two opposing trends have developed:
Stabilization or reduction in developed countries;
Sharp growth in developing countries.
This situation is largely reflected by the so-called Demographic Transition Concept.
Demographic transition concept.
It assumes that in a traditional society the birth and death rates are high and the population is growing slowly.
The demographic transition to the modern stage of population reproduction (low birth rate - low mortality - low natural increase) is carried out almost simultaneously with the formation of industrial society. In European countries it ended by the middle of the 20th century, in China, some countries of Southeast Asia and Latin America - in its last quarter.
At the first stage of this transition, the decrease in mortality (due to improved quality of nutrition, the fight against epidemics and improved sanitary and hygienic living conditions of people) occurs faster than the decrease in the birth rate, resulting in a sharp increase in natural population growth (demographic explosion).
In the second stage, mortality continues to decline, but the birth rate falls even faster. As a result, population growth slows down.
The third stage is characterized by a slowdown in the decline in the birth rate with a slight increase in mortality, so that the natural increase remains at a low level. Industrialized countries, including Russia, are currently close to completing this phase. At the fourth stage, the birth and death rates become approximately the same, and the process of demographic stabilization ends.
2.3 Socio-economic aspects of the food problem
The world food problem is called one of the main unresolved problems. Over the past 50 years, significant progress has been made in food production - the number of undernourished and hungry people has almost halved. At the same time, a large part of the world's population still experiences food shortages. The number of people in need exceeds 800 million people, i.e. Every seventh person experiences an absolute food shortage (in terms of calories).
The problem of food shortages is most acute in many developing countries (according to UN statistics, these also include a number of post-socialist states). Togo and Mongolia are among the countries in greatest need, where average per capita food consumption by energy value is less than 2000 kcal per day and continues to decline. At the same time, in a number of developing countries, per capita consumption currently exceeds 3000 kcal per day, i.e. is at a completely acceptable level. This category includes, in particular, Argentina, Brazil, Indonesia, Morocco, Mexico, Syria.
Global agricultural production is constrained by limited land in both developed and developing countries. This is due to the high level of urbanization, the need to preserve forest areas, limited water resources. The problem of food shortages is most acute in the poorest countries, which are unable to allocate significant funds for food imports.
Although most food is consumed where it is produced, international food trade is intense. The volume of global food exports is more than $300 billion per year. The main participants in international food trade are developed countries: the USA, France, the Netherlands, Germany, etc. They account for 60% of world exports and imports. Approximately a third of food purchases and sales occur in countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America. The share of countries with economies in transition is insignificant and amounts to less than 5%.
The most active international trade is in grain products, and to a lesser extent in meat and dairy products and sugar. The main grain suppliers are the USA, Canada, the EU (mainly France), Argentina and Australia. They account for 9/10 of world exports of wheat and coarse grains.
Countries that are leading food exporters are also major food buyers. Thus, the United States, having secured a key position in the supply of strategic food raw materials, imports large quantities of fruits and vegetables, coffee, cocoa, tea, spices and a number of other goods.
The system of international trade in agricultural products, including food, is currently undergoing fundamental changes. The need to implement reforms in this area was caused by the growth of government support and protectionism in many countries, especially developed ones.
The ongoing policy of supporting high domestic prices led to overproduction of a number of agricultural goods and widespread export subsidies and import restrictions, which in turn complicated interstate relations in the foreign economic sphere. The lack of internationally agreed upon rules and procedures has repeatedly given rise to contradictions that could undermine the stability of international trade and lead to trade wars. The main “battles” took place between the EU and the USA, which, due to problems with sales, practiced large-scale use of subsidies when supplying their grain to foreign markets. These actions were actively opposed by Canada, Australia and other smaller exporters, whose financial position does not allow the use of large subsidies.
The issue of easing protectionism in foreign trade agricultural products is one of the main activities of the World trade organization(WTO) An important place in its main documents is occupied by the Agreement on Agriculture, which involves the transfer of all non-tariff barriers into tariff equivalents and a gradual reduction of tariffs, a reduction in export subsidies, and a reduction in the level of state support for agricultural production.
At the same time, developing countries accept reduced obligations (2/3 of the obligations of developed countries), and they are put into effect over 10 years. Least developed countries are generally exempt from obligations.
As a result of the implementation of these measures, we can expect a strengthening of the position in the world food market of countries that have the most developed agriculture, focused on the needs of the external market (USA, EU, Canada, Australia, Argentina, etc.). At the same time, agricultural producers in countries that are net food importers, if they fail to adapt to new conditions, will suffer significant losses due to reduced subsidies for their production. The population of these countries may face increasing imports of basic types of agricultural products, primarily grain, sugar, meat and dairy products, and, accordingly, an increase in the price of sold food, because local products will no longer be subsidized.
Many international experts agree that food production in the world in the next 20 years will generally be able to satisfy the population's demand for food, even if the planet's population grows by 80 million people annually. At the same time, the demand for food in developed countries, where it is already quite high, will remain approximately at the current level (the changes will mainly affect the structure of consumption and the quality of products). At the same time, the efforts of the world community to solve the food problem are expected to lead to a real increase in food consumption in countries where there is a shortage, i.e. in a number of countries in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Eastern Europe.
2.4 Global environmental problems
The environmental crisis in the modern world is directly related to the huge increase in the world's population. The current population is more than 6 billion people. In science, such a concept as a population explosion has appeared.
The demographic explosion - a periodic, sharp increase in population, was characteristic of the 60-70s. XX century, is currently in decline. However, it is the rapid growth of the world population that has already created a kind of foundation for all other global problems of humanity, because the more people there are, the greater the load on the territory, the more food and natural resources are required.
Today environmental situation in the world can be described as close to critical. Among the global environmental problems The following can be noted:
Thousands of species of plants and animals have been destroyed and continue to be destroyed;
Forest cover has been largely destroyed;
The available reserves of mineral resources are rapidly declining;
The world's oceans are not only depleted as a result of the destruction of living organisms, but also cease to be a regulator of natural processes;
The atmosphere in many places is polluted to the maximum permissible levels, and clean air is becoming scarce;
The ozone layer, which protects all living things from cosmic radiation, is partially damaged;
Surface pollution and disfigurement of natural landscapes: not a single one can be found on Earth square meter surfaces, wherever there are no artificially created elements.
The harmfulness of man’s consumer attitude towards nature only as an object for obtaining certain wealth and benefits has become completely obvious. It is becoming vitally necessary for humanity to change the very philosophy of attitude towards nature.
In the last quarter of the 20th century. sudden warming has begun global climate, which in boreal regions is reflected in a decrease in the number of frosty winters. average temperature The surface layer of air has increased by 0.7°C over the past 25 years. In the equatorial zone it has not changed, but the closer to the poles, the more noticeable the warming. The temperature of subglacial water in the North Pole region increased by almost two degrees, as a result of which the ice began to melt from below.
Now most climatologists in the world recognize the role of the anthropogenic factor in climate warming.
The level of the World Ocean is rising at a rate of 0.6 mm per year, or 6 cm per century. At the same time, vertical rises and falls of coastlines reach 20 mm per year. Thus, transgressions and regressions of the sea are determined by tectonics to a greater extent than by the rise in the level of the World Ocean.
At the same time, climate warming will be accompanied by increased evaporation from the surface of the oceans and climate humidification, as can be judged from paleogeographic data. Just 7–8 thousand years ago, during the Holocene climatic optimum, when the temperature at the latitude of Moscow was 1.5–2°C higher than today, a savannah with acacia groves and high-water rivers spread out in place of the Sahara, and Central Asia The Zeravshan flowed into the Amu Darya, the Chu River into the Syr Darya, the level of the Aral Sea was at around 72 m, and all these rivers, wandering through the territory of modern Turkmenistan, flowed into the sagging depression of the Southern Caspian Sea. Similar things happened in other now arid regions of the world.
Environmental pollution is the introduction into an ecosystem of living or nonliving components or structural changes that are not characteristic of it, interrupting the cycle of substances, the flow of energy, as a result of which the system is destroyed or its productivity decreases.
A pollutant can be any physical agent Chemical substance or biological species, entering the environment or appearing in it in quantities beyond their normal concentration.
The ingredients of pollution are thousands of chemical compounds, especially metals or their oxides, toxic substances, aerosols.
According to WHO, up to 500 thousand chemical compounds are currently used in practice. Moreover, about 40 thousand compounds have properties that are very harmful to living organisms, and 12 thousand are toxic. The most common pollutants are ash and dust of various compositions, oxides of non-ferrous and ferrous metals, various compounds of sulfur, nitrogen, fluorine, chlorine, radioactive gases, aerosols, etc.
The greatest atmospheric pollution comes from carbon oxides - about 200 million tons per year, dust - about 250 million tons per year, ash - about 120 million tons, hydrocarbons - about 50 million tons per year.
The saturation of the biosphere with heavy metals - mercury, germanium, zinc, lead, etc. - is progressing. It should be noted that when burning fuel, especially coal, with ash and waste, more is released into the environment than is extracted from the ground: magnesium - 1.5 times, molybdenum - 3; arsenic - in 7; uranium and titanium - in 10; aluminum, cobalt, iodine - 15; mercury - 50; lithium, vanadium, strontium, beryllium, zirconium - hundreds of times, helium and germanium - thousands of times; yttrium - in tens of thousands.
The percentage of harmful emissions produced by countries is approximately as follows: USA - 23%; China - 13.9%; Russia - 7.2%; Japan -5%; Germany - 3.8%; all others - 47.1%.
Pollutants are also divided according to their state of aggregation into 4 masses: solid, liquid, gaseous and mixed. For all of humanity, their volume is 40-50 billion tons per year. By 2025, their number may increase 4-5 times. Currently, only 5-10% of all extracted and received raw materials goes into final products, while 90-95% of it turns into waste during processing.
The structure of solid waste is dominated by industrial and especially mining waste. They are especially large in Russia, the USA, and Japan. And in terms of per capita indicator, the United States leads, where each resident produces an average of 500-600 kg of garbage per year. Despite the ever-increasing recycling of solid waste: in most countries it is either at an early stage or completely absent.
Currently, the main environmental problems that have arisen under the influence of anthropogenic activities are: violation of the ozone layer, deforestation and desertification of territories, pollution of the atmosphere and hydrosphere, deposition acid rain, decrease in biodiversity. In this regard, the most extensive research and in-depth analysis of changes in the field of global ecology are needed, which could help in making fundamental decisions at the highest level in order to reduce damage to natural conditions and ensure a favorable habitat.
First of all, we must move from the consumer-technocratic approach to nature to the search for harmony with it. For this, in particular, a number of targeted measures are needed to green production: environmentally friendly technologies, mandatory environmental assessment of new projects, creation waste-free technologies closed cycle.
Another measure aimed at improving the relationship between man and nature is reasonable self-restraint in the consumption of natural resources, especially energy sources (oil, coal), which are of utmost importance for the life of mankind. Calculations by international experts show that, based on the current level of consumption, coal reserves will last for another 430 years, oil for 35 years, and natural gas for 50 years. The period, especially for oil reserves, is not that long. In this regard, reasonable structural changes in the global energy balance are necessary towards expanding the use of nuclear energy, as well as the search for new, efficient, safe and maximally harmless to nature energy sources, including space energy.
Nowadays, interstate forms of cooperation are reaching a qualitatively new level. International conventions on environmental protection are concluded (fish quotas, a ban on whaling, etc.), and a variety of joint developments and programs are carried out. Activities have intensified public organizations for environmental protection - “green” (“Greenpeace”). The environmental international Green Cross and Green Crescent is currently developing a program to solve the problem of “ozone holes” in the Earth’s atmosphere. However, it should be recognized that, given the very different levels of socio-political development of the countries of the world, international cooperation in the environmental sphere is still very far from being perfect.
Another direction for solving the environmental problem, and perhaps in the future the most important of all, is the formation in society of environmental consciousness, people’s understanding of nature as another living being that cannot be dominated without damage to it and oneself. Environmental education and upbringing in society should be placed at the state level and carried out from early childhood. Regardless of any insights generated by reason and aspirations, the constant vector of human behavior should remain its harmony with nature.
CONCLUSION
Thus, the term (“global problems”) has been widely used since the 60s to designate a whole complex of the most pressing human problems considered on a planetary scale.
These primarily include: preventing a global thermonuclear war and ensuring peaceful conditions for the development of all peoples; overcoming the growing contrast in economic levels and per capita income between developed and developing countries by eliminating the backwardness of the latter, as well as eliminating hunger, poverty and illiteracy across the globe; stopping rapid population growth (population explosion in developing countries) and eliminating the danger of depopulation in developed countries; prevention of catastrophic anthropogenic pollution of the environment, including the atmosphere, the World Ocean, etc.; ensuring the further economic development of mankind with the necessary natural resources, both renewable and non-renewable, including food, industrial raw materials and energy sources; prevention of immediate and long-term negative consequences of the scientific and technological revolution.
Currently, problems of health care (for example, the threat of the AIDS pandemic), international crime (especially terrorism and drug mafia), education and upbringing of the younger generation, preservation of social and cultural values, familiarizing the population with planetary environmental consciousness, overcoming national and social egoism are also becoming global in nature. . Global problems, which to one degree or another existed before as local and regional contradictions, have acquired a planetary character in recent decades due to a sharp exacerbation of the unevenness of socio-economic and scientific and technological progress, as well as the growing process of internationalization of the entire social activities and the associated integration of humanity.
The threatening nature of global problems is largely due to the enormously increased means of human influence on the world around us and the enormous scope (scale) of its economic activity, which has become comparable to geological and other planetary natural processes.
Global problems of humanity cannot be solved by the efforts of one country; jointly developed regulations on environmental protection, coordinated economic policies, assistance to backward countries, etc. are needed.
LIST OF REFERENCES USED
1. Avdokushin E.F. International economic relations. M. 2004.
2. Andrianov V.D. Russia in the world economy. M. 2002.
3. Begak M.V., Titova G.D. Environmental safety of a megacity: regional legislation // NTB "Ecological safety". – 2003. – No. 5.
4. Donchenko V.K. Ecological integration. Part 1. Socio-economic aspects of Russia's environmental integration into the world community. – St. Petersburg, 2003. – 163 p.
5. Vladimirova I.G. Globalization of the world economy: problems and consequences // Management in Russia and abroad - 2001, No. 3
6. Globalization of the world economy: Problems and risks. entrepreneurship / V.P. Obolensky, V.A. Pospelov; Commerce and industry Chamber of Russia Federation, Russian Federation acad. Sci. Center for Foreign Economics research - M.: Nauka, 2001. - 216 p.
7. Globalization of the economy and foreign economic relations of Russia / [I.P. Faminsky, E.G. Kochetov, V.Yu. Presnyakov and others]; Ed. I.P.Faminsky. - M.: Republic, 2004. - 445 p.
8. Kashepov A.M., Problems of preventing mass unemployment in Russia // Economic Issues.-2006.-No.5.-P.53-58.
9. Kireev A.P. International Economics. In 2 parts. M. 1998.
10. The concept of Russian foreign policy: Contours of renewal. Discussion materials / Ed. A.I. Nikitin and V.E. Petrovsky. - M., 2004.
11. Kosov Yu.V. International terrorism as a global problem // Collection “Human Perspectives in a Globalizing World”. – 2005, No. 5.
12. Lebedev M.A. Pugwash: The dialogue continues. Highly enriched uranium poses a serious danger to humanity // In the world of science. – 2003. No. 4.
13. Litovka O.L., Mezhevich N.M. Globalism and regionalism are trends in world development and a factor in the socio-economic development of Russia. St. Petersburg: Kult-inform-press, 2002. P.6
14. Lomakin V.K. World economy. M. 2004.
15. Lyubetsky V.V. World Economy Training course. – M.: Phoenix, 2006
16. International economic relations: Textbook / Ed. B.M. Smitienko. - M.: INFRA - M, 2005. - 512 p.
17. World economy: Textbook. manual for university students studying economics. specialties and directions / I.A. Spiridonov; Moscow state open university - M.: INFRA-M, 2002. - 256 p.
18. World economy. -/Ed. A.S. Bulatova. M. 2003.
19. Nikitin A.I. Problems of countering terrorism. M., 2004. - (Analytical note on international research. MGIMO (U) Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia. 2004. Issue 2, December).
20. Nikitin A.I. Theses on the role and place of the Collective Security Treaty Organization in the system of international relations in the post-Soviet space // Collective Security Treaty Organization. - M., 2006. - (appendix to the magazine "Peace and Harmony").
21. Social studies. Study guide for applicants. Ed. Serbinovsky B.Yu., Rostov n/d, 2000
22. Fundamentals of foreign economic knowledge. - /Ed. I.P.Faminsky. M. 2001.
23. Puzakova E.P. World economy. Series "Textbooks and teaching aids". Rostov n/a: “Phoenix” 2001.
24. Spiridonov I.A. World economy. M. 2003.
25. Khalevinskaya E.D. World economy. M., 2004.
26. Chernikov G.P. Europe at the turn of the XX-XXI centuries: Problems of economics: a manual for universities / G.P. Chernikov, D.A. Chernikova. - M.: Bustard, 2006. - 415 p.
27. International economic forum// http://www.weforum.org/
International Economic Forum // http://www.weforum.org/
Puzakova E.P. World economy. Series "Textbooks and teaching aids". Rostov n/a: “Phoenix” 2001.
Lebedev M.A. Pugwash: The dialogue continues. Highly enriched uranium poses a serious danger to humanity // In the world of science. – 2003. No. 4.
Kosov Yu.V. International terrorism as a global problem // Collection “Human Perspectives in a Globalizing World”. – 2005, No. 5.
World Economy: Textbook. manual for university students studying economics. specialties and directions / I.A. Spiridonov; Moscow state open university - M.: INFRA-M, 2002. - 256 p.
Kashepov A.M., Problems of preventing mass unemployment in Russia // Economic Issues.-2006.-No.5.-P.53-58.
Chernikov G.P. Europe at the turn of the XX-XXI centuries: Problems of economics: a manual for universities / G.P. Chernikov, D.A. Chernikova. - M.: Bustard, 2006. - 415 p.
Khalevinskaya E.D. World economy. M., 2004.
International economic relations: Textbook / Ed. B.M. Smitienko. - M.: INFRA - M, 2005. - 512 p.
Lyubetsky V.V. World Economy Training course. – M.: Phoenix, 2006
Avdokushin E.F. International economic relations. M. 2004.
Social science. Study guide for applicants. Ed. Serbinovsky B.Yu., Rostov n/d, 2000
Begak M.V., Titova G.D. Environmental safety of a megacity: regional legislation // NTB "Ecological safety". – 2003. – No. 5.
Donchenko V.K. Ecological integration. Part 1. Socio-economic aspects of Russia's environmental integration into the world community. – St. Petersburg, 2003. – 163 p.
Throughout their existence, people face problems on a global scale. The growth of scientific and technological progress has influenced the fact that there are more negative processes affecting the planet as a whole. Modern philosophy requires their in-depth understanding in order to predict the consequences of such influence. Global problems of our time and ways to solve them concern all countries on earth. Therefore, not so long ago a new concept appeared - global studies, which is based on a scientific and philosophical strategy for eliminating unpleasant phenomena on an international scale.
There are many specialists working in the field of global studies, and this is no coincidence. The reasons that prevent humanity from developing harmoniously and moving forward are complex in nature and do not depend on one factor. That is why it is necessary to analyze the slightest changes in the political, social, economic state of states and peoples. The life of all humanity depends on whether the world community can decide on time.
How problems are classified
The problems of humanity, which are global in nature, affect the lives of all people and lead to serious social and economic losses. When they escalate, they can threaten the existence of the world's population. To solve them, governments of all countries must unite and act together.
There is a scientific and philosophical classification of problems, formed on the basis of long-term research. It consists of three large groups.
- The first includes problems that affect the political and economic interests of different countries. They can be roughly divided into confrontation between “East and West”, between backward and developed countries, and into the prevention of terrorism and war. It also includes maintaining peace and establishing a fair economic order on the planet.
- The second group contains problems arising from the interaction of humanity with nature. This is a shortage of raw materials, fuel and energy, a problem of preserving the World Ocean, flora and fauna of the earth.
- The third group includes problems that may be associated with the individual and society. The main ones are overpopulation of the earth, education and health care.
Global studies carefully examines the problems of our time, based on philosophy and scientific and technical basis. Philosophy explains that their occurrence is not an accident, but a pattern associated with progress in society and influencing the development of mankind.
- do everything to preserve peace;
- reduce rapid population growth;
- reduce the use of natural resources;
- stop and reduce planetary pollution;
- reduce the social gap between people;
- eradicate poverty and hunger everywhere.
Scientific and philosophical theory requires not only to state problems, but also to give a clear answer on how to solve them.
Causes and solutions to problems
Understanding global problems is very important for humanity. This is the first step towards eliminating them.
The main condition for preserving life is peace on earth, therefore it is necessary to eliminate the threat of a third world war. The scientific and technological revolution gave people thermonuclear weapons, the use of which can destroy entire cities and countries. Ways to solve this problem could be:
- stopping the arms race, a complete ban on the creation and use of weapons of mass destruction;
- strict control over chemical and nuclear warheads;
- reduction in military spending and a ban on the arms trade.
To solve global environmental problems, humanity needs to try hard. There is a threat hanging over people. This is due to the expected warming that is caused by emissions. If it happens, it will be catastrophic for the earth. The geosystem of the planet will begin to change. As a result of the melting of glaciers, the level of the World Ocean will rise, thousands of kilometers of the coastal zone will be flooded. The planet will be subject to a barrage of hurricanes, earthquakes and other extreme events. This will lead to death and destruction.
The high concentration of harmful substances in the atmosphere leads to another global problem - the destruction of the ozone layer and the appearance of ozone holes. They are the cause and have a detrimental effect on all living things. The concept “has not been fully studied, but scientists have some information.
- These problems can be solved by reducing environmental pollution.
- It is necessary to reduce industrial emissions into the atmosphere, using the latest scientific and technological progress, and make every effort to preserve forests.
The demographic problem has long been relevant for humanity. Today, most developing countries are experiencing a baby boom and the population is growing rapidly. In developed countries, on the contrary, this indicator is falling and the nation is aging. Social philosophy suggests looking for a solution in a competent demographic policy, which should be carried out by governments of all countries.
The fuel and raw materials problem threatens the world community with a shortage of various resources necessary to ensure the lives of people in the modern world. Already, many countries suffer from insufficient fuel and energy.
- To eliminate this disaster, natural resources must be distributed economically.
- Use non-traditional types of energy sources, for example, wind, solar power plants.
- Develop nuclear energy and wisely use the power of the World Ocean.
Food shortages are severely affecting many countries. According to official data, about 1.2 million people are undernourished in the modern world. There are two ways to solve this global problem for humanity.
- The essence of the first method is that it is necessary to increase the area for pastures and crops in order to produce more food for consumption.
- The second method recommends not increasing territories, but modernizing existing ones. Productivity can be improved by using scientific and technical innovations. For example, biotechnology, with the help of which frost-resistant and high-yielding plant varieties are created.
The global problem of backwardness of underdeveloped countries is carefully studied by social philosophy. Many experts believe that the reason for the slow development of states is rapid population growth amid the lack of a developed economy. This leads to total poverty of people. To support these states, the world community must provide financial assistance, build hospitals, schools, various industrial enterprises and promote the development of the economy of backward peoples.
Problems of the World Ocean and human health
Recently, the threat to the World Ocean has become acutely felt. Environmental pollution and irrational use of its resources have led to the fact that it is on the verge of destruction. Today, the goal of humanity is to preserve the ecosystem, because without it the planet cannot survive. This requires a certain strategy:
- prohibit the burial of nuclear and other hazardous substances;
- improve the structure of the world economy by creating separate places for oil production and fishing;
- protect recreational resources from destruction;
- improve industrial complexes located on the ocean shore.
The health of the world's inhabitants is an important global problem of our time. Scientific and technological progress stimulates the emergence of new drugs for serious illnesses. The latest equipment for diagnosis and treatment has been invented. But despite this, epidemics often occur that claim thousands of lives, so scientists continue to actively develop advanced methods of control.
However, medicine is not a panacea. By and large, the health of each individual person is in his own hands. And above all, it's about lifestyle. After all, the causes of terrible diseases, as a rule, are:
- poor nutrition and overeating,
- immobility,
- smoking,
- alcoholism,
- stress,
- bad ecology.
Without waiting for solutions to global world problems, everyone can take care of their own health and the well-being of loved ones - and the world's population will become much healthier and happier. Why not a massive success?
The action plan is simple and clear, and the main thing here is to move from theory to practice. Review your diet in favor of natural products, fresh vegetables and fruits; if you smoke - as soon as possible, do the same with your addiction to alcohol; if your life is full of stress, identify their sources and deal with negative factors, eliminating them if possible. Be sure to start moving more. As for ecology, it matters on the most local scale - in your apartment, workplace. Try to create a healthy environment around you and seriously consider moving to another area if your air quality is poor. Remember: what we breathe every day (including tobacco smoke) and what we eat every day has a key impact on our health.
Each problem has its own specifics and methods of elimination, but they all affect the common interests of humanity. Therefore, their resolution will require the efforts of all people. Modern philosophy warns that any problems can become global, and our task is to promptly notice and prevent their development.
Modernity is a series of social problems of the development of civilization, which, however, are not limited exclusively to the social aspect, and affect almost all areas of society: economic, political, environmental, psychological. These problems have been formed over many years, which are characterized by the rapid development of various spheres of human life, and therefore the methods for solving them do not have clear options.
Philosophy and global problems of our time
Awareness of any problems is the first stage in solving them, because only understanding can lead to effective actions. For the first time, the global problems of our time were comprehended by philosophers. Indeed, who else but philosophers will be engaged in understanding the dynamics of the development of civilization? After all, global problems require full analysis and consideration of different points of view.
The main global problems of our time
So, he studies global processes. They arise as an objective factor of human existence, i.e. arise due to human activities. Global problems of our time are not numerous:
- The so-called “neglectable aging”. This problem was first raised in 1990 by Caleb Finch. Here we're talking about about expanding the boundaries of life expectancy. A lot has been devoted to this topic. scientific research, which were aimed at studying the causes of aging and methods that can slow it down or even reverse it. However, as practice shows, the solution to this issue is quite a long way off.
- The North-South problem. It includes understanding the large development gap between northern and southern countries. Thus, in most countries of the South, the concepts of “hunger” and “poverty” are still a pressing problem large parts population.
- The problem of preventing thermonuclear war. It implies the damage that could be caused to all of humanity in the event of the use of nuclear or thermonuclear weapons. The problem of peace between peoples and political forces, the struggle for common prosperity, is also acute here.
- Preventing pollution and maintaining ecological balance.
- Global warming.
- The problem of diseases: AIDS, cancer and cardiovascular diseases.
- Demographic imbalance.
- Terrorism.
Global problems of our time: what are the solutions?
- Negligible aging. Modern science is taking steps towards studying aging, but the question of the feasibility of this still remains relevant. In the mythological legends of different peoples one can find the idea of eternal life, however, the elements that make up the concept of evolution today conflict with the idea of eternal life and prolongation of youth.
- The problem of the North and South, which is illiteracy and poverty of the population of southern countries, is solved with the help of charitable actions, but it cannot be solved until the countries lagging behind in development become developed in political and economic aspects.
- The problem of preventing the use of nuclear and thermonuclear weapons, in fact, cannot be exhausted as long as the capitalist understanding of relations dominates in society. Only with the transition to another level of assessment human life and peaceful coexistence the problem can be solved. Acts and agreements concluded between countries on non-use are not a 100% guarantee that war will not break out one day.
- The problem of maintaining the ecological balance of the planet today is being solved with the help of political forces that are concerned about this, as well as with the help of organizations that are trying to preserve endangered species of animals, are engaged in planting and organize events and campaigns that are aimed at attracting public attention to this problem . However, a technological society is unlikely to be able to preserve the environment 100%.
- Questions about global warming have long worried scientists, but the causes that cause warming cannot currently be eliminated.
- The problems of incurable diseases at the present stage find a partial solution offered by medicine. Fortunately, today this issue is relevant for scientific knowledge and the state is allocating funds to ensure that these problems are studied and effective medicines are invented by doctors.
- The demographic imbalance between the countries of the south and the north finds a solution in the form of legislative acts: for example, Russian legislation encourages high birth rates in the form of additional payments to large families, and, for example, Japanese legislation, on the contrary, limits the ability of families to have many children.
- Currently, the problem of terrorism is very acute after a number of high-profile tragic incidents. Internal security services of states are doing everything possible to counter terrorism on the territory of their country and prevent unification terrorist organizations on an international scale.
The global problems of our time should be understood as a set of problems on the solution of which the further existence of civilization depends.
Global problems are generated by the uneven development of different areas of life of modern humanity and the contradictions generated in the socio-economic, political-ideological, socio-natural and other relations of people. These problems affect the life of humanity as a whole.
Global problems of humanity- these are problems that affect the vital interests of the entire population of the planet and require the joint efforts of all states of the world to be solved.
The global problems of our time include:
This set is not constant and as human civilization develops, the understanding of existing global problems changes, their priority is adjusted, and new global problems arise (space exploration, weather and climate control, etc.).
North-South problem is a problem of economic relations between developed countries and developing countries. Its essence is that in order to bridge the gap in the levels of socio-economic development between developed and developing countries, the latter require various concessions from developed countries, in particular, expanding access for their goods to the markets of developed countries, increasing the influx of knowledge and capital (especially in the form assistance), debt write-off and other measures in relation to them.
One of the main global problems is poverty problem. Poverty refers to the inability to provide the simplest and most affordable living conditions for most people in a given country. Large levels of poverty, especially in developing countries, pose a serious threat not only to national but also to global sustainable development.
World food problem lies in the inability of humanity to date to fully provide itself with vital food products. This problem appears in practice as a problem absolute food shortage(malnutrition and hunger) in the least developed countries, as well as nutritional imbalances in developed countries. Its solution will largely depend on the effective use of agriculture, scientific and technological progress in agriculture and the level of government support.
Global energy problem is the problem of providing humanity with fuel and energy now and in the foreseeable future. The main reason for the global energy problem should be considered the rapid increase in the consumption of mineral fuels in the 20th century. While developed countries are now solving this problem primarily by slowing the growth of their demand by reducing energy intensity, in other countries there is a relatively rapid increase in energy consumption. Added to this may be growing competition in the global energy market between developed countries and newly large industrialized countries (China, India, Brazil). All these circumstances, combined with military-political instability in some regions, can cause significant fluctuations in the level of energy resources and seriously affect the dynamics of supply and demand, as well as the production and consumption of energy goods, sometimes creating crisis situations.
The ecological potential of the world economy is increasingly undermined by human economic activity. The answer to this was environmentally sustainable development concept. It involves the development of all countries of the world, taking into account current needs, but not undermining the interests of future generations.
Environmental protection is an important part of development. In the 70s 20th century economists realized the importance of environmental issues for economic development. Processes of environmental degradation can be self-replicating, which threatens society with irreversible destruction and resource depletion.
Global demographic problem falls into two aspects: in a number of countries and regions of the developing world and the demographic aging of the population of developed and transition countries. For the former, the solution is to increase economic growth and reduce population growth. For the second - emigration and reform of the pension system.
The relationship between population growth and economic growth has long been the subject of research by economists. As a result of research, two approaches to assessing the impact of population growth on economic development have been developed. The first approach is to one degree or another connected with the theory of Malthus, who believed that population growth is faster than growth and therefore the world population is inevitable. The modern approach to assessing the role of population on the economy is comprehensive and identifies both positive and negative factors in the influence of population growth on.
Many experts believe that the real problem is not population growth per se, but the following problems:
- underdevelopment - retardation in development;
- depletion of the world's resources and environmental destruction.
The problem of human development- this is the problem of matching qualitative characteristics with the nature of the modern economy. In the conditions of post-industrialization, the requirements for the physical qualities and especially for the education of the worker increase, including his ability to constantly improve his skills. However, the development of the qualitative characteristics of the labor force in the world economy is extremely uneven. The worst indicators in this regard are demonstrated by developing countries, which, however, act as the main source of replenishment of the world labor force. This is what determines the global nature of the problem of human development.
Increasing interdependence and reduction of time and space barriers create a situation of collective insecurity from various threats, from which a person cannot always be saved by his state. This requires the creation of conditions that enhance a person’s ability to independently withstand risks and threats.
Ocean problem is the problem of preserving and rationally using its spaces and resources. Currently, the World Ocean, as a closed ecological system, can hardly withstand the greatly increased anthropogenic load, and a real threat of its destruction is created. Therefore, the global problem of the World Ocean is, first of all, the problem of its survival and, consequently, the survival of modern man.
Ways to solve global problems of our time
Solving these problems is an urgent task for all of humanity today. The survival of people depends on when and how they begin to be resolved. The following ways to solve global problems of our time are identified.
Preventing World War with the use of thermonuclear weapons and other means of mass destruction that threaten the destruction of civilization. This involves curbing the arms race, prohibiting the creation and use of weapons systems of mass destruction, human and material resources, the elimination of nuclear weapons, etc.;
Overcoming economic and cultural inequalities between the peoples inhabiting the industrialized countries of the West and East and the developing countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America;
Overcoming a crisis interaction between humanity and nature, which is characterized by catastrophic consequences in the form of unprecedented environmental pollution and depletion of natural resources. This makes it necessary to develop measures aimed at the economical use of natural resources and the reduction of pollution of soil, water and air by waste from material production;
Declining population growth rate in developing countries and overcoming the demographic crisis in developed capitalist countries;
Preventing the negative consequences of the modern scientific and technological revolution;
Overcoming the downward trend in social health, which involves combating alcoholism, drug addiction, cancer, AIDS, tuberculosis and other diseases.