To understand what the relationship of global problems is expressed, it is important to carefully study each of them. The mankind of the modern world is faced with the solution of complex problems. Some issues really threaten our existence, however, like all life on the "green" planet.
What are called global issues?
Why is the theme of the interconnection of global issues constantly raised at scientific conferences and at UN meetings? Apparently, the previous century has become a kind of break point in world history into “before” and “after”. Not so long ago, humanity has lost confidence in an immortal existence. And even nature, as it were, hints at its massive cataclysms that sooner or later it will have to pay too high a price for the desire to conquer it infinitely and get the maximum benefit to the detriment of it.
The interconnection of global problems of our time is a mechanism consisting of individual elements - threats looming over humanity, and clearly working against life on Earth.
Unlike natural disasters and natural disasters, which are temporary in nature, this chain of dangers has an incomparable scale and concerns the future of an entire civilization. The global problems of mankind are reflected in the destinies and interests of all segments of the population, leading to significant socio-economic losses, and therefore to solve them, close cooperation of interstate importance, the application of efforts of all countries, nations and nationalities are necessary.
Classification of global issues requiring urgent resolution
Scientists who have studied this topic have presented the world with various understandings of global problems and the interconnections between them. They are endowed with inconsistency and disproportionality, uncharacteristic for the full-fledged life of a modern person. Threats looming over the world are usually classified as follows:
- International social difficulties. Here we are talking about such an example of the interconnection of global problems of our time, such as militarization in most countries and the buildup of an arms race, which in some cases leads to war and an inhibition of the formation of states with a developing economy.
- Humanitarian issues. These include the worldwide demographic boom, difficulties in overcoming hunger and incurable diseases, cultural and ethnic issues.
- The result of the negative impact of society on the outside world. Actual today can be called the problems of a low level of environmental protection, food production, lack of natural resources, etc.
How global issues relate: obvious examples
Give examples of the relationship of global issues. Perplexed? To do this, you do not have to be a great scientist. You should start with the most burning problem of the interaction of man and the world.
As you know, the causes of ecological chaos until the middle of the last century were considered natural phenomena of nature, i.e., natural disasters. At the moment, no one doubts that the blame for everything is the irresponsible management of man, which, in turn, led to widespread pollution, not limited locally, but affecting the entire globe.
Another example of the interconnectedness of global problems is the intersection of the demographic crisis with global food supply indicators due to the growing population of the globe. The population of the planet every year increases in stable progression, which inevitably leads to pressure on the natural potential, negative anthropogenic development of the natural environment, but is not accompanied by an increase in the food base. Thus, an increase in the population, as a rule, occurs in developing countries with a lower cultural and economic level.
The interconnection of global problems of our time can be continued with the following “link” - space exploration. Given how young this industry is, over half a century it has made significant progress. One way or another, mankind is heading towards the prospect of extracting alien resources in order to make up for the shortage of terrestrial reserves. However, the problem lies in the financial inaccessibility of space exploration. To date, the money spent on research in this industry is not up to the predominant number of states.
War as a cause of global global crisis
The above three examples of the relationship of global problems of our time are not the only ones. Issues of war and peace are no less acute. Confrontation of interstate interests often takes on total features: the number of human losses, crazy financial costs and the destruction of material support. The universal damage from the escalation of numerous conflicts and the active phase of hostilities in the last century forced mankind to make a sharp scientific and technological leap forward. However, progress and the establishment of industrial society have given rise to other negative consequences. The inability to economically manage natural resources, the unjustified increase in their spending led to the backwardness of individual states, while other, more successful countries worked to improve weapons production.
The arms race, despite the relative easing of global tension, has enormous negative consequences, impoverishing the world economy, constantly provoking aggressive attacks on the international arena of individual countries, leveling the culture of spirituality and militarizing political thinking. The desire of individual states to increase their defensive power has led to the fact that by the mid-80s the world’s nuclear potential reached a hundredfold excess of the total firepower of weapons used by all parties during the Second World War.
The interdependence of demographic and socio-social tasks
One cannot fail to mention one more element in the chain of interconnectedness of global problems - overcoming the backwardness of developing countries. It's no secret: every fifth inhabitant of the earth is starving. Again, returning to the problem of endangered resources, which are consumed by the increasing number of earthlings annually. As a rule, an increase in the birth rate is due to the underdeveloped countries in the economic aspect. At the same time, it is enough to imagine this situation a little different. What would happen if all representatives of modern humanity would have a high standard of living? Unfortunately, our planet could not stand it for a long time. One way to solve the problem should be to limit fertility while reducing mortality rates, accompanied by improved quality of life.
In this context, discord in social relations joins the interconnection of global problems of mankind. Due to the high importance of religious beliefs in most modern states, birth control, which implies, in particular, the absence of a ban on artificial termination of pregnancy, is becoming a de facto inactive and unpopular measure in society. Most religious teachings promote and encourage large families. However, today only a few countries of Western Europe and North America are able to give “large” families social guarantees in the amount that is necessary for a full life. Otherwise, primitive forms of housekeeping (community-based), illiteracy, lack of education, lack of education, the presence of chronic diseases and the absence of any real prospects “win”.
Almost all examples of the relationship of global problems intersect with each other in the framework of the social system of relations "man-society" and the plane "man-nature-man." So, in order to overcome the difficulties of providing with raw materials, it is supposed to make decisions based on the rational use of energy sources used, including reserves of the oceans. To eliminate obstacles to the development of scientific and technological progress, it is not enough to pay attention only to the material and production segment in the state economy. Since low indicators of human potential are the result of imperfection in the systems of education, healthcare and culture, the contribution to their development can be considered the first step for the successful formation of the scientific and technical sphere.
At the same time, it is possible to give examples of the relationship between global problems for a long time. Each of the above prerequisites for the total self-destruction of the modern world can be viewed from a different angle, which will help to find completely different cause-effect relationships, and, therefore, more effective solutions. Perhaps, at first glance, the relationship of global environmental problems with the lag in the economic development of some states will seem absurd or completely nonexistent. But still, finding evidence of its relevance is not so difficult.
Economically developed and backward countries: what difficulties arise?
To begin with, it is worth paying attention to some patterns. Thus, the division of labor within the global economy is implemented according to the scheme in such a way that promising, rapidly developing urbanized countries are assigned the role of leading industrial centers. States with a low standard of living "by default" take on the functions of the periphery, aimed at ensuring the agrarian and raw materials segment.
And what comes of all this? Stronger and more confidently standing nations are finding legal (in accordance with international law) ways to use the resources of underdeveloped economic countries, thereby blocking the latter's path to self-development and formation, improving economic performance and financial independence.
Poverty and hunger as a result of external public debt
In addition, the conditions of the demographic boom are forcing countries with low living standards to seek financial assistance from international financial organizations. Large loans over and over again tightened the bondage knot on the neck of the borrowers. To date, the problem of the external long modern states is acquiring global features: 1.25 trillion dollars is the debt of the powers of the so-called “third world”.
Payments on interest and debt impose a crushing burden on the population of these states, and therefore the figures showing the global nature of the problem around the globe, to put it mildly, are impressive:
- starving more than 700 million;
- twice as many people who do not have access to medical care;
- almost 1.5 billion people live below the extreme poverty line.
Economic stability and financial viability of the state are inversely proportional to the size of external debt. On the example of the Russian Federation, the global problem is easily traced : over the past few years, debt to creditor countries has tripled - from $ 50 billion to $ 150 billion.
Extent of Potential Environmental Threat
Against the backdrop of rampant industrialization around the world, the problem of ecology has radically worsened. The reason for this is the predominant approach to material production. The creation of the most powerful enterprises in a specific industrial sector still entails the manufacture of one or more consumer goods, while the rest due to the inappropriateness or inability to store, is destroyed.
The current situation, scientists call the "environmental heart attack." More than three examples of the interconnection of global problems come from here:
- Of the total mass of raw materials extracted by man, only a few percent is used for its intended purpose and is of practical importance. The rest is garbage, waste that is sent back to the environment, but in a modified, unacceptable and alien to nature form. Given that global industrial production doubles every decade, planet pollution levels will become critical in the near future.
- In the process of disposal of such waste over the past 200 years, almost 200 billion tons of carbon dioxide has been released into the atmosphere. The permissible concentration of the substance increases at an unprecedented rate, which led to a change in the composition of the air envelope and the formation of the so-called greenhouse effect.
- In turn, the climatic “cap” of carbon dioxide has caused a global increase in temperature. Its consequence is the melting of the Arctic and Antarctic ice. Warming of the planetary scale leads to the fact that in 70-80 years the air temperature will increase by several degrees Celsius.
- A change in the temperature regime, in accordance with the elementary laws of physics, will lead to an increase in precipitation. Thus, scientists predict that the level of the oceans will rise by 65 cm, hiding entire cities and billions of lives under their waters.
- Emissions of other chemical compounds into the atmosphere lead to a reduction in the thickness of the ozone layer. As you know, this atmospheric shell plays the role of a kind of filter, trapping ultraviolet rays. Otherwise, that is, with the thinning of the ozone layer, the human body is threatened by the negative effects of solar radiation, which implies an increase in the number of oncological diseases, pathologies of the heart and blood vessels, genetic abnormalities and a decrease in life expectancy.
AIDS and drug addiction: the misfortune of youth!
Awareness of the interconnectedness of global issues in world ecology is horrifying. But, unfortunately, the list of potential threats to human existence does not end there. What is only AIDS! The disease keeps the entire world community in fear , and not only because of the loss of the actual human resource - the disease is striking in its geography. The interconnection of the global problem with drug addiction is obvious: a favorable environment for the spread of this “evil” cripples the lives and health of millions of people. The term “addiction” for many modern residents is associated with a large-scale catastrophe that has hit whole generations.
If only there was no nuclear war!
However, not a single disease, not a single substance can be compared with the danger to humans that a nuclear weapon carries. The full-scale interconnection of the global problems described above is not comparable with the irreversible consequences of the Third World War. The thermonuclear impact of even an insignificant share of the arsenal of superpowers accumulated until today greet the final destruction of the planet.
That is why preventing the use of nuclear weapons is the primary concern of mankind. Only a peaceful compromise that does not imply the use of nuclear weapons will allow finding solutions to other global problems in the framework of close international cooperation.