¶ … Global Problems Require Solutions by Global Agencies? If So, Which?
Today, the world is rife with problems, but the historical record suggests that it always has been. In sharp contrast to the past, though, modern global problems are truly enormous in terms of their diversity and scope. While emerging economic powerhouses such as China, India, Brazil, Indonesia and Malaysia are reaping the benefits of an increasingly globalized marketplace, the demand for food and fuel has skyrocketed along with their prices. Competition over scarce resources has always been a source of conflict, but current signs indicate that the competition for resources in the future will become truly fierce because current supplies of fossil fuels are being depleted at an increasingly faster rate. In this environment, regional conflicts and even global war are potential outcomes that will require global solutions. To determine which global agencies will play a role in implementing and administering these solutions, this paper provides a review of the relevant literature, followed by a summary of the research in the...
This is what is happening with the world's food supplies as major food producing countries such as the United States transform edible crops into energy in the form of biofuels. A veritable global famine is developing as a result of the diversion of food crops such as corn into biofuels such as ethanol that are barely making a dent in the need while driving food prices up around the world. For instance, according to Searchinger (2011), "To be sure, reducing hunger in a world headed towards more than nine billion people by 2050 is a truly complicated challenge that calls for a broad range of solutions. But this is a long-term problem separate from the sudden rise in food prices" (p. 14). Although higher energy prices and a weaker dollar are responsible for some of the increases in food prices, these factors…
