Global problems humanity - problems and situations that cover many countries, the Earth's atmosphere, the World Ocean and the near-Earth space and affect the entire population of the Earth

Global problems, having ceased to be the subject of interest only to a narrow circle of specialists, by the 60s of the twentieth century became widely known, at the same time, the interest of the general public in this topic first appeared, and the process of its discussion 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, ties between different regions of the world have invariably strengthened, as a result of which humanity has naturally come to a situation where serious problems that arise in a certain region of the earth inevitably affect the state of the entire planet. This effect is observed both in economic, environmental, energy, and in many other areas.

An equally important reason was the development of scientific and technological progress, the consequences of which manifested themselves literally in all spheres of people's lives. For example, the unspeakably increased capabilities of man made it possible for him to create the most perfect weapons of mass destruction: chemical, bacteriological, 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 are especially serious.

It can be said that a system of qualitatively new, closely interconnected problems, called global ones, is more and more clearly fixed in the public consciousness. It is obvious that various problems in one way or another accompanied the process of formation and development of civilization. And earlier, food and energy and raw materials problems arose before all mankind, as well as at the local level, environmental disasters occurred, 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.

Human problems grow out of local, national, but at the same time, their solution requires not the scattered efforts of individual countries, but the joint actions of the world community

All of the above factors have led to relevance our research.

Target work - to consider and analyze the priorities of Russian diplomacy in the modern world

In accordance with the goal, the following main tasks :

Describe the global problems of mankind;

Consider the threat of thermonuclear catastrophe and new world wars;

Explore a global problem international terrorism;

Consider the problem of overcoming poverty and backwardness;

Analyze the demographic problem;

To study the socio-economic aspects of the food problem;

Identify global environmental issues.

Research methods:

Processing, analysis of scientific sources;

Analysis scientific literature, textbooks and manuals on the problem under study.

Object of study - global problems of the world

Subject of study– analysis and ways of solving global problems of mankind

1. POLITICAL GLOBAL PROBLEMS OF HUMANITY

1.1 Essence and signs of global problems of mankind

The modern era has posed new problems for society that require philosophical reflection. 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) - the globe. It means a set of urgent problems of mankind, on the solution of which social progress and the preservation of civilization depend.

The global problems of our time are a set of contradictory processes that make up the content modern crisis world civilization.

The sources of global problems of our time can be conditionally 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, the protection and development of the spiritual sphere, demography, the fight against crime, etc.)

Both the global problems of modernity themselves and the determination of ways to solve them are of a complex, interdisciplinary nature, and this requires not only the global integration of the efforts of all countries of the world, but also, according to Vernadsky's doctrine of the noosphere, the integration of philosophical and political, natural and technical and economic knowledge in relevant areas human activity. One of the most important prerequisites for such a “double” integration and the next solution to global problems is a radical change in the principles of politics: the departure of all countries of the world from conflict orientation, the transition to cooperation based on the recognition of the priority of universal human values, the common search for the most effective ways to form a global – “viable society”. ".

We note the signs inherent in the global problems of mankind and distinguish them from others

· the global scale of manifestation, which goes beyond the limits 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 their solution 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:

1) Economic problems:

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 issues:

a) Biodiversity

b) Climate change

c) Water supply/quality

d) Natural disasters

e) Air, water and soil pollution

e). The problem of lack of energy resources

3) Social problems:

a) Radical Islam

b) The threat of religious wars

c) Demographic: population aging, lack of population in developed countries, male predominance

d) Forced migration

e) Infectious diseases

f) Poverty

g) Ambiguous attitude of the public to technological advances (biotechnology, nanotechnology, other fields of science)

5) Geopolitical issues:

a) Terrorism

b) Organized crime

c) Hotspots (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 faced 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 may arise and are already arising. So, the problem of the development and use of the resources of the World Ocean, as well as the problem of the exploration and use of outer space, began to be classified as global.

Changes that occurred in the 70s-80s and especially in the 90s. allow us to talk about a change in priorities in global problems. If in the 60s and 70s the main problem was considered to be the prevention of a world nuclear war, now some experts put the environmental problem in the first place, others - the demographic problem, and still others - the problem of poverty and backwardness.

The issue of establishing the priority of global problems is not only of scientific but also of great practical importance. According to various estimates, the annual cost of humanity to solve global problems should be at least 1 trillion. dollars, or 2.5% of world GDP.

1.2 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 the generally recognized ones, such as fuel and energy, material 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 disruption of public order , decline and training of social production, demolition and construction of buildings, morbidity and recovery, drug addiction and denarcotization of society (consumption of nicotine, alcohol and stronger drugs), destruction and creation cultural property, 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 consumed the lion's share of the total gross product of almost all countries of the world, and besides, it threatened a new world war. Actually, as it has now become clear, it was, in fact, the main battlefield of the Third World War of 1946-1991, which went down in history under the pseudonym "Cold". most real war with tens of millions of dead, wounded, disabled, refugees, orphans, monstrous destruction and devastation. A war 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 a whole order of magnitude - technologically.

In the 1990s, the key global problem, instead of the arms race, which acquired a qualitatively different nature of the invention and production of fundamentally new weapons, was the confrontation between the so-called Third and First Worlds, i.e. developing countries in Asia, Africa, Latin America and developed countries of 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 on a global scale is futile: it is “blocked” by the limitations of world energy, ecology and culture.

The threat of a thermonuclear catastrophe has now become global, i. planetary in nature, have gone beyond state borders and continents and represent a universal task. At present, the interaction of the cultures of the West and the East is of particular importance, since it is in this that most scientists see the guarantee of human progress, 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 thermonuclear weapons made thermonuclear war a threat to the very existence of civilization. These are the enormous destructive power of a 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 power for the West. The situation is becoming more and more last years Roman Empire. How to solve this problem in the existing conditions, no one knows.

1.3 International terrorism as a global problem

AT recent times The problem of international terrorism has become one of the most acute global problems of our time, related to the sphere of international relations. This transformation is due, in our opinion, to the following reasons:

First, international terrorism, unfortunately, is becoming more and more widespread on a planetary scale. It manifests itself both in regions of traditional international conflicts (for example, the Middle East, South Asia), and the most developed and prosperous states (in particular, the United States and Western Europe) were not immune from this dangerous phenomenon.

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 mournful account of their victims is 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 fight international terrorism. Overcoming international terrorism as a growing global problem requires the collective efforts of the majority of states and peoples on our planet, of the entire world community.

Fourthly, the connection of the modern phenomenon of international terrorism with other topical global problems of our time is becoming more and more obvious and evident. At present, the problem of international terrorism should be considered as an important element of the whole 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 mankind increases; the need for an urgent solution, etc. At the same time, the global problem of international terrorism also has its own specific features. Let's consider in more detail the most important of them.

First of all, one 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 the 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 themselves the task of achieving political, social or economic changes within a particular state, as well as undermining interstate relations, international legal order. Nationalist (or as it is also called national, ethnic or separatist) terrorism pursues the goal of solving national question, which has recently become more and more the nature of separatist aspirations in various multi-ethnic states.

The religious type of terrorism is due to the attempts of armed groups professing a particular religion to fight against a state dominated by a different religion or other religious direction. Criminal terrorism is formed on the basis of some kind of criminal business (drug business, illegal arms trafficking, smuggling, etc.) with the aim of creating chaos and tension in the conditions of which it is most likely to receive super profits. Ecological terrorism is implemented by groups that use violent methods in general against scientific and technological progress, pollution environment, killing animals and building nuclear facilities

Another distinctive feature of the global problem of international terrorism is the significant influence of international criminal communities, certain political forces and some states on 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 politicians; 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 difficult predictability. In many cases, the subjects of terrorism are 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 means. In modern conditions, the forms of terrorist activity are becoming more and more complex, and are increasingly at odds 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 specifics, which distinguishes it from other universal human difficulties. However, the problem of terrorism is closely interconnected with most of the global problems of modern international relations. It can be considered as one of the most urgent global problems of our time.

However, recent terrorist attacks, primarily the tragic events of September 11, 2001 in New York, have become unprecedented in the history of mankind in terms of their scale and influence on the further course of world politics. The number of victims, the size and nature of the destruction caused by terrorist attacks at the beginning of the 21st century turned out to be comparable with the consequences of armed conflicts and local wars. The retaliatory measures caused by these terrorist actions 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. Reciprocal anti-terrorist military actions also acquired a planetary scale.

2. SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL GLOBAL ISSUES

2.1 The problem of overcoming poverty and underdevelopment

The most important problem of the world economy at the beginning of the XXI century. - overcoming poverty and underdevelopment. 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 underdevelopment. As a result, many of these countries are characterized by appalling levels of poverty. Thus, 1/4 of the population of Brazil, 1/3 of the population 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 part of the poor people are illiterate. Thus, the proportion of illiterates among the population over 15 years of age is 17% in Brazil, 43% in Nigeria and 48% in India.

The enormous scale of poverty and backwardness raises doubts as to whether it is even possible to speak of the 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 exacerbated by the fact that the achievements of world scientific and technical progress bypass many developing countries, their colossal labor resources are little used, and these countries themselves, for the most part, are not actively involved in world economic life.

It would be highly unreasonable not to see the dangers that result 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 the requirements for the redistribution of income in the world economy, some 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, as prerequisites for creating modern economy and achieving sustainable economic growth, not only industrialization and post-industrialization, the liberalization of economic life and the transformation of agrarian relations are considered, but also the reform of education, the improvement of the healthcare system, the alleviation of inequality, the implementation of a rational demographic policy, and the stimulation of solving employment problems.

They are carried out primarily through the so-called official development assistance from developed countries in the form of 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 more than 5% for countries in tropical Africa, although this is only $ 26 per inhabitant of this region in year.

Still greater opportunities for overcoming backwardness are provided by attracted foreign private investments - direct and portfolio, as well as bank loans. The flow of these financial resources to developing countries is growing especially rapidly and is currently the basis of external financing of the 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 inefficient use of the funds received.

Unemployment problem

The annual report of the International Labor Organization (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 not changed much since 2005. In the states 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 able-bodied population does not work in them. A decade ago, the figure was slightly better - 9.7%.

In 2006, global unemployment rose as global economic development failed to meet the needs of all people who are looking for work - in particular young people, whose number of unemployed continues to rise. A series of natural disasters, rising energy prices, as well as the "powerlessness" of the economies of many countries to direct GDP growth to create new jobs and raise wages, have seriously affected the situation of the so-called "poor workers" .

Significant economic growth, which has been observed in many countries of the world in recent years, has not led to a noticeable reduction in the unemployment rate. Over the past decade, the number of workers in the world has grown only by 16.6%, but most of the working poor have not been able to escape from poverty.

It should be noted that in 2006 18.6% of young people living in the CIS remained unemployed. The low level of employment in this region leads to the formation of large-scale migration flows - many people, including young professionals, have emigrated to the West.

In addition, in 2006, out of more than 2.8 billion people working in the world, 1.4 billion still do not earn enough money to improve their standard of living and lift their families out of poverty. This is almost impossible to do on a wage of approximately $2 a day that has remained virtually unchanged for the past 10 years.

However, between 2001 and 2006 in Central and Eastern European (non-EU) and CIS countries, the total number of workers living on $2 a day 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 unemployment 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 solve the problem of world unemployment. This confirms the fact that, although in many countries the level of poverty has been reduced, it still has not led to a solution to the problem. The gigantic scale of global unemployment, and the lack of specific measures to overcome this situation, require a review of policies and practices related to this problem

2.2 Demographic issue

The demographic problem affects not only the position of individual countries of the world. but also affects the development of the world economy and international relations, requires serious attention from both scientists and governments of various states.

The demographic problem has the following main components. Primarily we are talking about the birth rate and the population dynamics largely dependent on it, both in the world as a whole and in individual countries and regions.

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's population was 3 billion; in 1974 - 4 billion; in 1987 5 billion people,

It is expected that by 2050 there will be a stabilization of the planet's population at the level of 10.5-12 billion, which is the limit of the biological population of mankind 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 reduction in its numbers.

2) Rapid population growth in Asia, Africa and Latin America.

3) 3 times more people live in third world countries than in developed countries.

4) Unfavorable socio-economic conditions persist.

5) Environmental problems are increasing (maximum permissible loads on the ecosystem, environmental pollution, desertification and deforestation have been exceeded).

Scientists note that the peak of the population explosion that 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 urgent 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 attitude towards a high birth rate and a ban on contraception). According to modern estimates, the optimal variant for the minimum reproduction of the population is 2.7 children per 1 woman.

In developed countries, scientific and technological progress has led to an increase in unemployment, which in turn 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 specific gravity occupies young people under 17 (more than 2/5 of the population, while in Europe this figure is 1/3).

The main activities of the UN in the field of population:

collection, processing and dissemination of demographic information;

· study of population problems, including analysis of the interaction of demographic, social, ecological and economic processes;

· organizing and holding international conferences on population at the intergovernmental level under the auspices of the UN.

From 1946 until the mid-1960s, the leading areas of UN activity in the field of population were the problems of accounting and population statistics. With the technical assistance of the United Nations 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 1970s-1980s, the issues of accounting and using demographic factors in demographic measures 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 HH Action Plan" (an important place was given to family planning).

In the field of fertility and population growth in the modern world, two opposite trends have developed:

Stabilization or reduction of them in developed countries;

Rapid growth in developing countries.

This situation is largely reflected in the so-called Demographic Transition Concept.

Demographic transition concept.

It proceeds from the fact that in a traditional society the birth and death rates are high and the population is growing slowly.

The demographic transition to the present stage of population reproduction (low birth rate - low mortality - low natural increase) occurs almost simultaneously with the formation of an industrial society. In European countries, it ended by the middle of the 20th century, in China, some countries South-East Asia and Latin America - in its last quarter.

At the first stage of such a transition, the decrease in mortality (due to improved nutrition, the fight against epidemics and the improvement of sanitary and hygienic conditions for people's lives) occurs faster than the decrease in the birth rate, resulting in a sharp increase in natural population growth (population explosion).

In the second stage, the death rate continues to decline, but the birth rate falls even faster. As a result, population growth is slowing 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 is maintained for a long time. high level. Industrialized countries, including Russia, are now close to the completion of 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 has almost halved. At the same time, a large part of the world's population is still experiencing food shortages. The number of those who need them exceeds 800 million people, i.e. an absolute lack of food (in terms of calories) is experienced by one in seven.

The problem of food shortages is most acute in many developing countries (according to UN statistics, a number of post-socialist states also belong to them). Togo and Mongolia are among the countries most in need, with average per capita energy consumption of less than 2,000 kcal per day and continuing to decline. At the same time, in a number of developing countries, per capita consumption now exceeds 3,000 kcal per day, i.e. is at an acceptable level. This category includes, in particular, Argentina, Brazil, Indonesia, Morocco, Mexico, Syria.

World agricultural production is constrained by limited land, both in developed and developing countries. This is due to the high level of urbanization, the need to preserve forest areas, and limited water resources. The problem of food shortages is most acute for the poorest countries, which are unable to allocate significant funds for food imports.

Despite the fact that the bulk of food is consumed where it is produced, international food trade is very intensive. The volume of world food exports is more than 300 billion dollars a 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 one third of food purchases and sales are 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, 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 wheat and feed grain exports.

Countries - the leading exporters of food - are at the same time its major buyers. Thus, the United States, having secured key positions 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 for reforms in this area was caused by the growth state support and protectionism in many countries, especially developed ones.

The ongoing policy of supporting high domestic prices led to the overproduction of a number of agricultural products and the widespread use of export subsidies and import restrictions, which in turn complicated interstate relations in the foreign economic sphere. The lack of internationally agreed rules and procedures has repeatedly been the reason for the emergence of contradictions, fraught with undermining the stability of international trade and the emergence of trade wars. The main “battles” were between the EU and the USA, which, due to marketing problems, practiced the large-scale use of subsidies in the supply of their grain to foreign markets. These actions caused active opposition from Canada, Australia and other smaller exporters, whose financial situation does not allow the use of large subsidies.

The issue of weakening 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 conversion of all non-tariff barriers into tariff equivalents and a gradual reduction in 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. The least developed countries are generally exempt from obligations.

As a result of the implementation of these measures, one can expect a strengthening of the positions in the world food market of countries that have the most developed agriculture, focused on the needs foreign 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 the reduction in subsidies for their production. The population of these countries may face increasing imports of basic agricultural products, primarily grain, sugar, meat and dairy products, and, accordingly, with an increase in the cost of food sold, because. local products will no longer be subsidized.

Many international experts agree that food production in the world in the next 20 years will be able to meet the overall demand of the population for food, even if the world'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 will lead, as expected, 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 issues

The ecological crisis in the modern world is directly related to the huge increase in the population of the Earth. AT this moment the population is more than 6 billion people. In science, there is such a thing as a population explosion.

A population explosion - a periodic, sharp increase in population, was characteristic of the 60-70s. 20th century is now in decline. However, it is the rapid growth of the world's population that has already created a kind of foundation for all other global problems of mankind, because the more people, the greater the burden on the territory, the more food and natural resources are required.

Today, the ecological situation in the world can be described as close to critical. Among the global environmental problems are the following:

Thousands of species of plants and animals have been destroyed and continue to be destroyed;

The forest cover has been largely destroyed;

The available stock of minerals is rapidly declining;

The world ocean is not only depleted as a result of the destruction of living organisms, but also ceases to be a regulator of natural processes;

The atmosphere in many places is polluted to the maximum permissible extent, and fresh air becomes a deficit

The ozone layer, which protects against destructive cosmic radiation for all living things, is partially broken;

Pollution of the surface and disfigurement of natural landscapes: it is impossible to find a single square meter of the surface on Earth, where there would be no elements artificially created by man.
The perniciousness of man's consumer attitude to nature only as an object of obtaining certain wealth and benefits has become quite obvious. For humanity, it becomes vital to change the very philosophy of attitude towards nature.

In the last quarter of the XX century. a sharp warming of the global climate began, which in the boreal regions is reflected in a decrease in the number frosty winters. average temperature surface layer of air over the past 25 years has increased by 0.7°C. In the equatorial zone, it has not changed, but the closer to the poles, the more noticeable the warming. The temperature of the subglacial water in the region of the North Pole increased by almost two degrees, as a result of which the ice began to melt from below.

Now most climatologists of the world recognize the role of the anthropogenic factor in climate warming.

The rise in the level of the World Ocean occurs at a rate of 0.6 mm per year, or 6 cm per century. At the same time, vertical uplifts or subsidences of coastlines reach 20 mm per year. Thus, the 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 an increase in evaporation from the surface of the oceans and climate humidification, which can be judged from paleogeographic data. Only 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 the present day, savannah with acacia groves and deep rivers spread out on the site of the Sahara, and in Central Asia The Zeravshan flowed into the Amu Darya, the Chu River into the Syr Darya, the level 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 South Caspian. The same thing happened in other now arid regions of the world.

Environmental pollution is the introduction into the ecosystem of living or non-living components or structural changes that are not characteristic of it, interrupting the circulation of substances, the flow of energy, as a result of which this system its productivity is destroyed or reduced.

A pollutant can be any physical agent Chemical substance or species released into or occurring in the environment in quantities beyond its normal concentration.

Pollution ingredients are thousands of chemical compounds, especially metals or their oxides, toxic substances, aerosols.

According to the WHO, up to 500,000 chemical compounds are currently used in practice. At the same time, 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 pollution of the atmosphere falls on 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. At the same time, it should be noted that during the combustion of fuel, especially coal, with ash and waste, more enters the environment than is extracted from the bowels: magnesium - 1.5 times, molybdenum - 3; arsenic - in 7; uranium and titanium - in 10; aluminum, cobalt, iodine - in 15; mercury - at 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 the following: USA - 23%; China - 13.9%; Russia - 7.2%; Japan -5%; Germany - 3.8%; all the rest - 47.1%.

Pollutants are also classified according to their state of aggregation into 4 masses: solid, liquid, gaseous and mixed. For all mankind, their volume is 40-50 billion tons per year. By 2025, their number may increase by 4-5 times. Currently, only 5-10% of all extracted and received raw materials go into the final product, 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, the United States is in the lead, where each inhabitant has an average of 500-600 kg of garbage per year. Despite the increasing recycling of solid waste: in most countries it is either in initial stage or absent altogether.

At present, 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, precipitation acid rain, reduction of 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 cardinal decisions at the highest level in order to reduce damage to natural conditions and provide a favorable habitat.

First of all, one should move from the consumer-technocratic approach to nature to the search for harmony with it. For this, in particular, a number of targeted measures to green production are needed: environmentally friendly technologies, mandatory environmental expertise of new projects, and the creation of non-waste closed-cycle technologies.

Another measure aimed at improving the relationship between man and nature is reasonable self-limitation in the use of natural resources, especially energy sources (oil, coal), which are of paramount importance for human life. Calculations by international experts show that if we proceed from modern level consumption, then coal reserves will last another 430 years, oil - for 35 years, natural gas - for 50 years. The term, especially in terms of oil reserves, is not so long. In this regard, reasonable structural changes are needed in the global energy balance towards expanding the use of atomic energy, as well as the search for new, efficient, safe and most environmentally friendly sources of energy, including space.

Today, interstate forms of cooperation are reaching a qualitatively new level. Conclude international conventions on environmental protection (fishing quotas, a ban on whaling, etc.), a variety of joint developments and programs are being carried out. The activities of public organizations for the protection of the environment - "green" ("Greenpeace") - have intensified. Green Cross Green Crescent Environmental International is currently developing a program to address the problem of "ozone holes" in the Earth's atmosphere. However, it should be recognized that with a very different level of socio-political development of the states of the world, international cooperation in the environmental sphere is still very far from its perfection.

Another direction for solving the environmental problem, and perhaps in the future - the most important of all, is the formation of ecological consciousness in society, people's understanding of nature as another living being, over which one cannot rule without harming him and himself. Environmental education and upbringing in society should be placed at the state level, carried out with early childhood. With any insights born by the mind, and aspirations, the invariable vector of human behavior should remain its harmony with nature.

CONCLUSION

Thus, the term (“global problems”) has been widely used since the 60s to refer to a whole range of the most acute universal problems considered on a planetary scale.

These primarily include: preventing a world thermonuclear war and ensuring peaceful conditions for the development of all nations; overcoming the growing disparity in economic levels and per capita incomes between developed and developing countries by eliminating the backwardness of the latter, as well as eliminating hunger, poverty and illiteracy in the globe; stopping rapid population growth (demographic 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 remote negative consequences of the scientific and technological revolution.

Currently, health issues are also becoming global (for example, the threat of an 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. Global problems, which to some extent existed before as local and regional contradictions, have acquired a planetary character in recent decades due to a sharp aggravation of the uneven socio-economic and scientific and technological progress, as well as an increasing process of internationalization of all social activities and the integration associated with this. humanity.

The threatening nature of global problems is largely due to the enormously increased means of human influence on the world and the huge scope (scale) of its economic activity, which has become comparable with geological and other planetary natural processes.

The global problems of mankind cannot be solved by the efforts of one country; jointly developed provisions on environmental protection, a coordinated economic policy, assistance to backward countries, etc. are needed.

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Having come close to the main directions of possible ways out of the global problems of our time, we will briefly characterize their main meaning and interrelation.

Global problems are problems that affect the existence of not only individuals, but, most importantly, can affect the fate of all mankind, affect its future development. Global problems cannot be solved by themselves and even by the efforts of individual countries. They require organized and purposeful efforts of the entire world community, since "the unresolved global problems may lead in the future to serious, possibly irreversible consequences for humans and their environment."

The global problems of our time are closely related to each other. Therefore, it is very difficult to systematize them, “let alone develop a system of successive steps to solve them. Generally recognized global problems are such as: environmental pollution, problems of resources, population, nuclear weapons and a number of others.

In order to combine different approaches to these global problems, it became necessary to form a new science or a special field of knowledge, which was called globalistics, which was called upon to develop practical recommendations for solving the tasks set to reduce global problems.

The problem of overcoming the ecological crisis is the most urgent. In the process of economic activity, a person, in relation to nature, took the position of a consumer, exploiting it, and believing that all natural resources are inexhaustible. Therefore, one of the negative results of human activity was the depletion of natural resources, as well as environmental pollution. As a result, substances hazardous to human health and life entered the atmosphere, destroying it. Not only land and air were polluted, but also the waters of the World Ocean, which led to "the destruction (extinction) of entire species of animals and plants, and to the deterioration of the gene pool of all mankind."

The solution of global problems would become possible only "together". Scientific understanding of global problems took place already in the 60s of the XX century. In 1965, the Institute for the Problems of the Future was organized in Vienna. In 1965, the international foundation "Humanity in 2000" was established in the Netherlands. In 1966, the Society for the Study of the Future World was formed in Washington. And in 1968, the "Club of Rome" appeared - a non-governmental international organization, headed by A. Peccei. “In 1982, the UN adopted a special document - the World Conservation Party, and then created a special commission on environment and development. In addition to the UN, a non-governmental organization such as the Club of Rome plays an important role in developing and ensuring the environmental safety of mankind.”

The "Club of Rome" became an organization that brought together natural scientists, economists, sociologists and representatives of other specialties (the Club of Rome included D. Meadows, M. Mesarovic, A. King, J. Tinbergen, etc.), the main goal of which was "attracting the attention of the world public to global problems and to search for ways to overcome them”. It was a set of social, psychological, economic, technical and political problems, to which A. Paccei “classified overpopulation and an uncontrolled increase in the number of inhabitants of the Earth, the stratification of society, social injustice and hunger, unemployment, inflation, energy crisis, depletion of natural resources, degradation of the external environment, imbalances in international trade and finance, illiteracy and an outdated education system, a decline in moral values ​​and a loss of faith, as well as a misunderstanding of these problems and their interrelationships.

The main goal of the Club of Rome was to disseminate the results of research among the world community, in scientific, political circles, among the intelligentsia, "to provide possible influence to conduct the affairs of the world in a more rational and humane direction.

In the book “Human Qualities” A. Peccei wrote: “Traveling a lot, I saw how people from all over the world are struggling - far from always successfully - to solve many complex problems, which, as I was more and more convinced, promised to become even more in the future harder and more dangerous for humanity. I did not question the need and importance of such activities as, for example, the development of the desert, the construction of a factory in one of the corners of the planet or the construction of a dam in another, solving the problems of development of individual regions and countries. At the same time, it began to seem to me that it was impossible to concentrate almost all efforts on such narrow and private projects, while ignoring the steady deterioration of the general situation in the world. Moreover, such a clear emphasis on particular problems and complete inattention to the general context, against the background and within which they arise and develop, calls into question the expediency and ultimate effectiveness of the efforts that humanity spends on solving them. I felt that I could not be honest with myself if I did not at least try in one way or another to warn people that all their current efforts were not enough and that something else, some other measures, radically different from those that are being undertaken now.

Over the past century, several original ways combating environmental problems. These include the activities of the "green" movements, "Green Peace" "Foundation wildlife" other. “In addition to various kinds of associations in the field of solving environmental problems, there are a number of state or public environmental initiatives: environmental legislation in Russia and other countries of the world, various international agreements or the Red Book system.”

The main measures to improve the quality of the environment are: technological, economic, legal, engineering, organizational, architectural and planning activities. Where, for example, technological ones are engaged in the development of new technologies, the creation of treatment facilities, the electrification of everyday life, transport and production, as well as the replacement of fuel; architectural and planning measures - landscaping of populated areas, zoning of settlements, organization of sanitary protection zones, rationalization of the layout of residential areas; engineering and organizational - by reducing the number of parking lots at traffic lights and unloading highways; legal - the creation of legislative regulations to maintain the quality of the environment.

The demographic problem, on the one hand, is associated with a constant increase in the population on the planet. According to statistics for 1990, its number totaled 5.3 billion people. However, it is no secret that the Earth's resources are limited, and today some countries have had to face the problem of birth control. On the other hand, the demographic problem is associated with population decline. This is a situation that can develop in a country or region "when the birth rate falls below the level of simple reproduction of the population, and also below the death rate."

In 1969, within the framework of the UN Special Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA), three World Population Conferences were held. “One of these main documents was the World Population Action Plan adopted in Bucharest in 1997 for 20 years.” In this plan, it was emphasized that "the basis for a real solution to the problems of population is, first of all, socio-economic transformations."

Philosophy can also help in assessing and understanding the essence of global problems. “The philosophical approach involves the consideration of global problems in their unity, integrity and interconnection, makes it possible to highlight the general trend of their change. The use of the ideological and methodological function of philosophy in the study of global problems contributes to the correct formulation of these issues, and considering them in a historical context contributes to their understanding as a natural phenomenon organically connected with the development of society.

Philosophy, considering the questions of the meaning of human life, focuses on the humanistic aspects of global problems. “Providing a comprehensive, systematic approach, integration scientific research in the field of global problems, philosophy is thereby able to increase the effectiveness of the search for their solution, both in scientific and socio-political aspects.

To solve global problems, it is necessary to determine a number of priority tasks that need to be set for society and science.

The most important of them:

· The study of changes in the "quality" of the population and their relationship with the structure of society.

· Safe use of nuclear processes as the main energy resources of the future and, most importantly, the creation of controlled thermonuclear fusion.

· Creation of closed cycles, especially in agricultural technology.

· Study of the Earth's heat balance due to environmental pollution.

To date, this is a process of extreme importance and complexity, and so far it cannot be said with certainty that ways to overcome them have been found, although the time for solving all these problems is limited. “In order to solve these problems in time, we need great intellectual strength and material resources. For this, research aimed at solving these problems needs to be developed on an international scale. In order to effectively implement the results obtained, an authoritative international apparatus must be created.”

Therefore, the consolidation of international forces in resolving the most pressing issues, the coherence of actions, their coordination is necessary. In this regard, it is the states that should be entrusted with certain responsibilities in ensuring the implementation of the solution of global problems, on which the future of mankind will depend.

In the course of the development of civilization, complex problems, sometimes of a planetary nature, repeatedly arose before humanity. But still, it was a distant prehistory, a kind of "incubation period" of modern global problems.

They manifested themselves in full measure already in the second half, and especially in the last quarter of the 20th century. Such problems were brought to life by a complex of reasons that clearly manifested themselves precisely during this period.

In fact, never before has humanity itself increased in numbers by 2.5 times during the lifetime of only one generation, thereby increasing the strength of the “demographic press”. Never before has mankind entered into, has not reached the post-industrial stage of development, has not opened the road to space. Never before has it required so many natural resources and “waste” returned to the environment for its life support. This is all from the 60's and 70's. 20th century attracted the attention of scientists, politicians, and the general public to global problems.

Global problems are problems that: firstly, concern all mankind, affecting the interests and destinies of all countries, peoples, social strata; secondly, they lead to significant economic and social losses, in case of their aggravation, they can threaten the very existence of human civilization;
thirdly, they can be solved only with cooperation in the planetary sphere.

Priority problems of mankind are:

• the problem of peace and disarmament;
• ecological;
• demographic;
• energy;
• raw materials;
• food;
• use of the resources of the oceans;
• peaceful exploration of outer space;
• overcoming the backwardness of developing countries.

The essence of global problems and possible solutions

The issue of peace and disarmament- the problem of preventing a third world war remains the most important, the highest priority problem of mankind. In the second half of the XX century. nuclear weapons appeared and there was a real threat of destruction of entire countries and even continents, i.e. virtually all modern life.

Solutions:

• Establishing strict control over nuclear and chemical weapons;
• Reducing conventional armaments and the arms trade;
• A general reduction in military spending and the size of the armed forces.

Ecological- degradation of the global ecological system, as a result of irrational and pollution of its waste of human activity.

Solutions:

• Optimization of the use of natural resources in the process of social production;
• Protection of nature from the negative consequences of human activity;
• Environmental safety of the population;
• Creation of specially protected territories.

Demographic- continuation of the population explosion, the rapid growth of the population of the Earth and, as a result, the overpopulation of the planet.

Solutions:

• Carrying out thoughtful .

Fuel and raw- the problem of reliable supply of mankind with fuel and energy, as a result of the rapid growth in the consumption of natural mineral resources.

Solutions:

• Increasingly widespread use of energy and heat (solar, wind, tidal, etc.). Development ;

food- According to the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) and WHO (World Health Organization), from 0.8 to 1.2 billion people are hungry and malnourished in the world.

Solutions:

• An extensive solution lies in the expansion of arable land, grazing and fishing grounds.
• The intensive path is an increase in production through mechanization, automation of production, through the development of new technologies, the development of high-yielding, disease-resistant plant varieties and animal breeds.

Use of the resources of the oceans- at all stages of human civilization was one of the most important sources of sustaining life on Earth. At present, the ocean is not just a single natural space, but also a natural and economic system.

Solutions:

• Creation of the global structure of the maritime economy (allocation of oil production zones, fishing and zones), improvement of the infrastructure of port industrial complexes.
• Protection of the waters of the oceans from pollution.
• Prohibition of military testing and disposal of nuclear waste.

Peaceful space exploration. Space is a global environment, the common heritage of mankind. Testing different kinds of weapons can threaten the entire planet at once. "Littering" and "littering" of outer space.

Solutions:

• "Non-militarization" of outer space.
• International cooperation in space exploration.

Overcoming the backwardness of developing countries- most of the world's population lives in poverty and misery, which can be considered extreme forms of underdevelopment. Per capita income in some countries is less than $1 a day.

Global problems of our time- this is a set of the most acute, vital planetary problems, the solution of which requires the joint efforts of the countries of the world community. Distinctive feature of these problems are their complexity, consistency and universality, which is due to the growing unity of the modern world, the strengthening of the relationship and interdependence of its constituent parts.

All global problems can be conditionally divided into four groups: socio-political, socio-economic, socio-ecological and socio-humanitarian.

1. Global socio-political problems cover a range of issues related to ensuring peace and international security. For a long period, the system of international security was based on the nuclear deterrence of military powers. However, over time, the understanding came that a nuclear war cannot be a means of achieving foreign policy goals in an environment where the global interdependence of states has increased.

The end of the confrontation between East and West gave rise to certain hopes for a secure world. However, further developments have revealed new sources of instability and tension in the world. The growth of international terrorism, the spread of Islamic fundamentalism, the increase in the number of local conflicts and "hot spots" on the planet - all this indicates the emergence of new dangers, threats and risks for the world community.

Still sharp disarmament issue, especially nuclear missiles. Today, the weapons accumulated in the tanacbi world make it possible to repeatedly destroy all of humanity. World military spending annually is about one trillion dollars. Now the world spends 60 times more on each soldier than on the education of one child. In developing countries, the rate of military spending is twice the rate of economic growth, which greatly complicates the solution of social problems. The uncontrolled spread of weapons in the world expands the zones of terrorism and crime, contributes to the "militarization" of people's consciousness, generates violence in everyday life.

The solution of the problem of disarmament would make it possible to remove the danger of nuclear war from mankind, to free up colossal human, material and financial resources for the needs of the sustainable economic and social development of peoples and countries. However, numerous difficulties and obstacles still stand in the way of disarmament, among which are the enormous inertia of the arms race, the resistance of the military-industrial complexes, the large-scale international arms trade, local wars and armed conflicts, the growth of terrorist and criminal organizations, etc.

Disarmament is a lengthy process requiring adherence to certain principles. The most important among them are equality and equal security; fulfillment of obligations under contracts and agreements; development and implementation of a control system; the complex nature of disarmament measures, their continuity and effectiveness, etc. The development of disarmament processes can be facilitated by the activities of numerous pacifist and environmental organizations.

In the modern world, the main forms of the use of armed violence are changing. Along with wars, the escalation of terrorism is growing, which today is becoming more and more international character. Terrorism, as a special method of political violence, is characterized by purposefulness, particular cruelty, reliance on external effects and psychological impact. The improvement of weapons, the possibility of creating a "portable" nuclear weapon leads to the globalization of the terrorist threat. After the explosions of the buildings of the world shopping center in New York On September 11, 2001, the entire civilized world fully realized the planetary scale of the danger of international terrorism. The world community condemns any form of manifestation of terrorism and sets the task of joining efforts to combat this growing threat to all mankind.

2. Among the global socio-economic problems three can be distinguished - the problem of economic backwardness, the demographic problem and the food problem.

The first of these three problems is manifested in the enormous backwardness of the developing countries, their inability to organize efficient production, provide themselves with food, eliminate poverty, and solve numerous social problems. The gap in all socio-economic indicators between these countries and the highly developed states reaches colossal proportions and continues to widen. This deepens the division of the world into rich and poor countries, creates tension in relations between them, and gives rise to the instability of the world system as a whole.

The solution of this global problem requires, on the one hand, broad progressive reforms in the backward countries themselves, the modernization of their national economies, and, on the other hand, the provision of effective assistance to these countries by the world community, the revision and cancellation of part of external debts, the provision of gratuitous loans and preferential loans, the restructuring of international trade on more equitable principles, the creation and establishment of a new world economic order.

Two other global problems, demographic and food, are closely connected with the problem of economic backwardness. As a result of the "population explosion" in the second half of the XX century. the world population more than doubled during this period and amounted to the beginning of the XXI century. 6 billion people. At the same time, more than 80% of population growth is in the developing countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America. According to some forecasts, in the near future more than 90% of the world's population will be concentrated in these countries. Such a demographic situation will entail a number of negative consequences: the uneven distribution of the population in relation to life resources, the increased destructive impact on the environment, overpopulation and the growth of poverty in backward countries, the emergence of uncontrolled migration flows, the deterioration of people's living conditions, etc.

The "population explosion" especially exacerbated the food problem in developing countries. According to the UN, here 800 million people live on the verge of starvation, and 40 million die of starvation. It has been calculated that a 20-30% decrease in the world's food resources, with a continuous increase in population, will have catastrophic consequences for developing countries. There is already a global shortage! grain annually is 10-12 million tons.

The solution to this global problem is primarily associated with the creation of highly efficient agricultural production in developing countries. The implementation of the so-called "green revolution" in them (a sharp rise in agricultural production based on the widespread use of advanced technologies) would make it possible to feed the population 2-3 times more than the current one. It should also be borne in mind that the current opportunities for obtaining food in the world as a whole are far from being fully realized. So, of all the areas suitable for agriculture: only 40% are used for their intended purpose. It is possible to significantly increase the production and extraction of food in the oceans. Finally, it is necessary to revise the largely unfair system of distribution of food supplies in the world, to expand food aid to economically backward countries.

3. Global social and environmental problems come to the fore today in connection with the growing danger of destruction natural environment human habitat. The current environmental crisis is expressed in air pollution and water basins Earth, global climate change, deforestation, extinction of many species of plants and animals, soil erosion, reduction of fertile land, etc. Currently, about 1 billion tons of waste, including toxic ones, are emitted into the atmosphere, water and soil every year. Deforestation is 18 times higher than its growth. One centimeter of black soil, which has been accumulating for 300 years, is now being destroyed in three years. The greenhouse effect, "ozone holes", "acid rains", poisoned rivers and lakes, flooded vast territories, ecological disaster zones - all these are the consequences of the destructive human impact on the environment.

Solving environmental problems involves the development and implementation of environmental programs at the national, regional and international levels. Special meaning acquire joint activities of the countries of the world community to improve the composition of the atmosphere, preserve the ozone layer of the planet, rational use of natural resources, establish international environmental standards and control in the field of environmental protection, introduce waste-free and environmentally friendly technologies, create eco-protective systems, etc.

In modern conditions, an integral part of the domestic and foreign policy of the states of the world community is becoming environmental Policy, the main content of which is the optimization of socio-natural processes, environmental protection. Along with environmental policy, environmental policy also includes other aspects - biosocial, demographic, socio-eco-cultural, nature-transforming. It expresses public morality, values, and the human dimension of progress.

A necessary condition for the effectiveness of environmental policy is the creation environmental legislation, providing for responsibility for its violation and a wide system of measures that encourage environmental protection (for example, the introduction of tax incentives for environmentally friendly industries).

An important task today is the development of environmental education, which is understood as the process of acquiring knowledge about environmental problems, their causes, the need and possibility of their solution. The expansion of the environmental education system should contribute to the formation ecological knowledge and ecological culture. It is also necessary to constantly and truthfully inform people about the state of their environment.

Environmental issues are at the center of attention of the UN, UNESCO and other international organizations. Their activities are aimed at developing international programs environmental protection, carrying out environmental protection measures on a global scale, creating a system of international control over the state of the natural environment, developing environmental policy and environmental education, etc. Numerous environmental organizations and movements, whose activity is now gaining significant scope in different countries of the world.

4. Global social and humanitarian problems cover a wide range of issues directly related to Man. This is the material and spiritual insecurity of life; violation of rights and freedoms; personality; physical and mental illness of a person; grief and suffering from wars and violence, etc. Natural; disasters, local wars, bloody interethnic conflicts sometimes lead to real humanitarian: disasters, the elimination of the consequences of which requires the combined efforts of the countries of the world community. Growing flows of refugees, the total number of which reaches 50 million people worldwide a year, create serious difficulties for many countries (providing huge masses of people with food, housing, their employment, the dangerous spread of epidemics, crime, drug addiction, etc.). Largely similar problems are generated by illegal migration, which overwhelms the prosperous countries of the world.

Environmental pollution leads to an increase in serious diseases of people, in particular, cardiovascular and oncological diseases. Of particular danger today is AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome), of which about 6 million people have already died. The World Health Organization (WHO) is also concerned about an unhealthy lifestyle, the spread of drug addiction, alcoholism, smoking, an increase in mental disorders, etc.

In Russia, the aggravation of these and many other problems has led to a decrease medium duration life us singing. If in 1987 it was 74.6 years for women and almost 65 years for men, then in the second half of the 1990s. - for about 72 years for women and only 58 years for men. Some researchers consider such a high difference in life expectancy between men and women to be a specifically Russian phenomenon and explain it mainly by the spread of drunkenness and alcoholism.

Thus, global problems are closely intertwined with each other and, in the end, all of them "go out" to the Human. They are based on planetary scale contradictions affecting the very existence of modern civilization. Awareness of the growing threats to humanity has prompted many scientists around the world to join forces to study global problems and find ways to solve them. And 1968 arose Roman club is an international non-governmental organization that unites scientists, political and public figures from many countries of the world.

The research projects of the Club of Rome "Limits to Growth" (1972), "Humanity at the Turning Point" (1974), "Goals for Humanity" (1977), "Third World: Three Quarters of the World" (1980) and others became widely known. take a fresh look at many aspects of modern civilization, change traditional ideas about the possibilities of economic growth and the use of natural resources. The conclusions and recommendations of the scientists of the Club of Rome, their forecasts and initiatives in the field of planetary modeling, the construction of the first computer "models of the world", the development of specific issues of the future society had a great impact on the world community and stimulated activities aimed at solving global problems of our time.

Of course, the implementation of programs and plans to address problems of this magnitude is extremely difficult. First of all, huge financial resources that the world community does not have.

Specialists pin certain hopes on the restructuring of technologies, the use of clean energy sources, the use of resource-saving production cycles, the transition to an ecological economy that involves spending on protecting and restoring the environment. Measures are also needed to optimize the demographic situation, establish a mechanism for rational use of natural resources, develop international cooperation in the field of environmental protection, and ensure in practice the priority of universal human interests and values. The development by the world community of a strategy for the survival of mankind will help to avoid a global catastrophe and continue the forward movement of modern civilization.

Problems have existed for mankind throughout the entire path of its development. However, for a number of reasons, many problems have recently acquired a worldwide character. Their decision or not decision is directly related to the survival of mankind. The threat of irreversible changes in the ecological properties of the environment, the violation of the emerging integrity of the world community and, in general, the self-destruction of civilization are the realities of our days.

The concept of "global problems" gained wide popularity in the last decades of the 20th century.

Global problems are called problems that cover the whole world, pose a threat to the present and future of mankind and require the joint efforts of all states and peoples of the Earth for their solution.

There are various lists and classifications of global problems, where their number varies from 8 to 45. The main global problems of our time are the following 8 problems:

the problem of preserving peace;

ecological problem;

energy and raw material problem;

demographic problem;

food problem;

the problem of overcoming the backwardness of the developing countries;

the problem of using the World Ocean;

problem of peaceful exploration of outer space.

In addition to these, there are a number of important, requiring global participation, but more private problems: crime, drug addiction, interethnic relations, natural disasters, etc.

1. The problem of preserving the world

The essence of the problem: any modern large-scale war with the use of weapons of mass destruction can lead to the destruction of entire countries and even continents, an irreversible global environmental catastrophe, and in the territory of industrialized countries, even a war using conventional weapons can lead to such consequences.

This problem has long been the number 1 problem in the world. Currently, its severity has slightly decreased, but the problem remains quite acute.

Causes of the problem:

the appearance at the end of the 20th century of weapons of mass destruction and their spread around the planet;

huge accumulated world stocks of modern weapons capable of repeatedly destroying the entire population of the planet;

the constant growth of military spending;

the steady growth of the arms trade;

increased unevenness in the level of socio-economic development between developing and developed countries, exacerbation of energy, raw materials, territorial and other problems leading to an increase in the possibility of interstate conflicts, etc.

Ways to solve the problem:

an integrated approach to the problem of disarmament (connection more countries to treaties on the limitation or destruction of armaments; phased elimination of WMD, etc.);

demilitarization of the economies of countries (conversion of the military-industrial complex);

strict international control over the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction;

reducing the tension of interstate conflicts by political measures;

reducing the gap in the level of socio-economic development of countries, solving food and other problems.

Examples and numbers:

according to experts, during the wars, the following died: 17th century - 3.3 million people, 18th century - 5.4 million, 19th century - 5.7 million, 1st World War - 20 million, 2nd World War - 50 million;

world military spending exceeds the income of the entire poorest half of humanity and amounts to more than 700 billion dollars a year; this is significantly more than military spending during the Second World War;

US military spending for 2004 - $400 billion;

arms trade now reaches 25-30 billion dollars a year;

leading arms suppliers - USA, UK, France, Russia;

the cost of importing weapons and equipment in developing countries exceeds the cost of importing all other goods, including food.