Current global problems of humanity. Abstract: Global problems of the world and ways to solve them

The emergence of global problems and the increasing danger of their consequences forces people to turn to science for help in studying the prerequisites and methods for solving them. Global problems are studied by a whole range of natural and social sciences: biology, geology, genetics, political science, ethnography, sociology and others. Moreover, each of the specific sciences solves one or another particular problem. However, global problems represent a highly complex and interconnected system. They affect every person, the system of society and nature, and therefore require philosophical understanding.

Philosophical comprehension involves a holistic study of processes and phenomena related to global problems, from the point of view of the existence of a planetary civilization, the world-historical process of internationalization of the interests of mankind. The set of basic issues related to the solution of global problems constitutes the field of philosophy of global problems.

Philosophy examines the situation that led to the emergence and aggravation of global problems, studies their social danger and social conditionality. The philosophical approach constitutes the ideological, cultural, ethical and methodological basis for their solution by other sciences and practice.

The issue of substantiating global problems has not only a theoretical, but also a practical aspect. This is due to the functioning of society. The choice of ways and means of solving them, and the future of humanity, largely depends on what specific problems should be recognized as global.

In modern socio-philosophical science there are three main approaches to understanding the global problem.

1. Supporters of one approach believe that all natural science, scientific, technical and social problems that exist in society someday become global. The only question is whether they have already or have not yet acquired a worldwide, international character. In this approach, the concept of “global problem” is synonymous with a general social problem.

2. Followers of another approach limit the number of global problems to the most dangerous and requiring immediate solutions: the problem of preventing war and strengthening peace, acute environmental problems, the population of the planet, the human problem and some others.

3. The third approach is to develop a methodology and techniques that allow us to determine what a global problem is, what its content is, its signs, how it manifests itself in the specific lives of people: in the forms of contradictions, disproportions, functional disorders. Proponents of this approach strive to more accurately, based on the practice of the functioning of society, determine the causes of global problems, their essential features and content, and carry out a classification. This approach, to a certain extent, can be considered a combination of the first two approaches.

Main features of global problems:

1. Global problems are of a universal nature. This means that they affect the vital interests and future of all humanity, of each individual person.

2. Global problems are worldwide in nature. They manifest themselves in major regions of the world. Their area of ​​action became the entire planet or its main part.

3. To solve global problems, they require the united efforts of all humanity.

4. Global problems pose an immediate threat to planetary civilization and require urgent solutions. Failure to resolve global problems may lead in the near future to serious, possibly irreparable, consequences for all of humanity and its environment.

5. Global problems are more inert and have less mobility of manifestation compared to local problems.

6. Global problems are in a complex relationship and interdependence with each other. Solving any of them requires taking into account the influence of other problems.

Global problems are seen as a natural, but negative result of human development. The reasons for their emergence and aggravation are rooted in the history of the formation of modern civilization, which gave rise to an extensive crisis in industrial society and a technocratically oriented culture.

Global problems have a dual nature: on the one hand, natural, and on the other, social. This understanding of global problems allows us to trace their genesis two interconnected lines.

1. They are an undesirable result of the relationship between man (society) and nature; they arise in the “society – nature” system. Global problems are generated by the increased scale and depth of society's technical impact on nature and the enormous scope of human economic activity. The interaction of society with nature has now become comparable to geological and other natural planetary processes. Rapid, ever-increasing and poorly planned, transformative human activities lead to environmental degradation.

2. Global problems are the result of unsuccessful social development of modern civilization. Errors in relationships between people also give rise to global problems and constitute a trend in the historical process. In modern society, a crisis is intensifying, which is the result of human activity, and therefore has an “anthropogenic” social character. This crisis has covered the entire complex of interactions between people and affected almost the entire world community.

The history of human civilization shows that each new stage in the development of the economy and social relations also meant a new stage in the aggravation of contradictions between nature and society, as well as in society itself. Global problems, being the result of the previous development of society and its relations with nature, are an indicator of the imperfection of people's lives as civilized communities.

The uneven development of local civilizations also had negative consequences. Many developed states and societies solved their problems more actively and on a larger scale, sometimes at the expense of other peoples and predatory use of natural resources. It should be added that many developed countries have not solved, but have exacerbated many of their internal social problems, “raising” them to the level of global ones: drug addiction, corruption, bureaucracy, degradation of morality, illiteracy, violation of the gene pool, drunkenness, disease, etc. Two World Wars wars as global catastrophes were started and waged by developed states.

From the above it follows that the global problems of our time are the negative results of the development of primarily industrial states with sufficiently advanced power structures and spirituality of society.

Global problems are grouped according to their most characteristic features. The classification of global problems allows us to establish their objective “hierarchy”, that is, the degree of relevance and their subordination. Correct determination of priorities has important theoretical and practical significance, which allows us to determine the sequence of their theoretical analysis and the methodology for practical solution.

There are different approaches to classifying global problems. Among them, the most widely recognized approach is the one in which the classification is based on the degree of severity of the problem and the necessary sequence of their solution.

In accordance with this approach, global problems are divided into three large groups:

1. Intersocial problems . They arise between different states, their unions, and regions of the planet. The most significant problems of this group include two: eliminating war from the life of society and ensuring a just world; establishing a new international economic order.

2. Ecological problems , arising as a result of the interaction between society and nature: maintaining a clean environment; providing world civilization with energy, fuel, fresh water, and raw materials; exploration of the World Ocean, outer space, etc.

3. Anthroposocial global problems arising between society and man. This is a demographic problem, issues of health care, education, spiritual culture of a person and society, etc.

The main directions and methods of solving modern global problems are recognized:

Humanization of the world community;

Formation of a non-aggressive personality of the 21st century;

Rational limitation of scientific and technological progress;

Increasing the reliability of scientific forecasts for the development of planetary society;

Elimination of wars from the life of society;

Creation of effective international bodies for joint resolution of global problems, etc.

Let's look at some of them:

A) the problem of preventing a new world war. With the emergence and accumulation of nuclear missile weapons, other means of mass destruction, and a huge number of conventional weapons, the problem of preventing world war has become the most acute and urgent, because it is associated with a possible planetary catastrophe.

What reasons lead to the aggravation of the noted problem?

1. The process of scientific and technological development in military affairs, uncontrolled by civil society. It made it possible to create and adopt various types of weapons of mass destruction, new types of high-precision weapons of traditional types, and types of non-lethal weapons. Modern weapons have given man the ability to destroy all life on Earth.

2. Qualitative improvement of means of destruction. Each new combat missile hits people and objects “qualitatively” differently than before, and has an increasingly destructive effect on nature.

3. The unprecedented speed of emergence of new types of conventional weapons. They are often as powerful as weapons of mass destruction if used in sufficiently large quantities.

4. The accumulated nuclear weapons and the sophisticated technology for controlling them and their use have created the possibility of their unauthorized use.

5. There is a “spread” of weapons of mass destruction across countries and continents, despite existing agreements and non-proliferation pacts. The danger of its use by uncontrolled adventurist and terrorist forces, as well as by individual states pursuing a policy of social revenge, is growing.

6. The threshold between nuclear war and conventional war is gradually being smoothed out.

An assessment of the consequences of the global use of nuclear weapons is reflected, for example, in the concept of “nuclear winter”.

Today the arms race has acquired a hidden character. It is practically not discussed in the media, which poses an even greater danger. The arms race has moved to less developed countries, requiring them to increase military spending and increasing dependence on highly developed countries.

Is it possible to prevent nuclear war? Many answer this question in the affirmative. To do this, it is necessary, first of all, to establish a new world order, which would be based on the following basic principles:

Recognition of the priority of universal human values, understanding of human life and peace as the highest values ​​of humanity;

Refusal of war when resolving controversial issues, tireless search for peaceful ways to resolve social conflicts and problems;

Recognition of the right of all peoples to freely and independently choose their own path of development;

Understanding the modern world as holistic and multipolar, as an interconnected community of people, a natural and necessary way of existence of earthly civilization.

b) the problem of rational use of natural resources and maintaining a clean environment. Providing humanity with energy and raw materials resources is associated with environmental management. The problem is to use natural resources economically, systematically and fairly for all peoples, to jointly renew those that can be reproduced (forests, land fertility, etc.), as well as to move in a timely manner to new resources and discover them.

The problem of rational use of natural resources is closely related to problems of maintaining the cleanliness of the air environment, the world's oceans, global climate change, exploration of near and far space, providing the population with quality food, and curbing the negative impact of these problems on the physical and social health of people.

Due to the depletion of traditional, non-renewable resources (oil, coal, gas, minerals, etc.), this problem is acquiring an increasingly significant role in human life and requires new solutions. Issues of exploration, development, transportation of energy and raw materials today have become a powerful factor in solving the most important political and economic problems and forming a new economic order. The growing danger of environmental disaster is the second, after the military threat, problem facing humanity.

It is important to note that environmental problems themselves manifest themselves in the system biosphere - man. The main feature of changes in the interaction of nature and man was identified by V.I. Vernadsky. He concluded that at the present stage, “humanity, taken as a whole, is becoming a powerful geological force.”

The modern environmental situation is characterized by extreme tension: as a result of excessive overloads on natural systems, multiple excesses of the maximum permissible standards of environmental pollution (water, air, soil, etc.), an imbalance in natural processes occurs. At the same time, the negative anthropogenic impact on nature often reaches the limit beyond which the degradation of the natural environment becomes irreversible.

Main directions for solving environmental problems.

1. Fight against environmental pollution.

2. Creation of waste-free (clean) technologies.

3. Rational use of energy, land and water resources.

4. Saving used and searching for other resources.

5. Improving the legislative framework in the field of ecology.

Mironov Nikita

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MBOU "Balesinsky secondary school No. 5"

Global problems of humanity

Research

Completed by a 9b grade student

Mironov Nikita

Checked by the geography teacher

First qualification category

Mironova Natalia Alekseevna

P. Balezino, 2012

1. Introduction…………………………………………………………….3

2. Main part:

1. Characteristics of global problems of humanity………5
2. Questionnaire……………………………………………………6
3. Ecological problems

1. Air pollution………………………………….8
2. Ozone holes………………………………………………………10
3. Acid rain……………………………………........11
4. Hydrosphere pollution………………………………..13
5. Terrorism…………………………………………………………….14
6. Alcoholism……………………………………………………………15
7. Smoking……………………………………………………..17
8. Drug addiction……………………………………………………………...18

3. Conclusion………………………………………………………..19

4. Literature………………………………………………………..20

5. Appendix…………………………………………………………...................21

Introduction

The last decades of the 20th century confronted the peoples of the world with many acute and complex problems, which were called global. Such a dramatic change occurred due to two interrelated circumstances characteristic of the second half of the century: the growth of the Earth's population and the scientific and technological revolution.

The rapid growth of the Earth's population is called the population explosion. It was accompanied by the seizure of vast territories from nature for residential buildings and public institutions, roads and railways, airports and marinas, crops and pastures. Hundreds of square kilometers of tropical forests were cut down. Under the hooves of numerous herds, steppes and prairies turned into deserts.

Simultaneously with the demographic explosion, a scientific and technological revolution occurred. Man mastered nuclear energy, rocket technology and went into space. He invented the computer, created electronics and the synthetic materials industry.

The demographic explosion and the scientific and technological revolution have led to a colossal increase in the consumption of natural resources. Thus, today the world produces annually 3.5 billion tons of oil and 4.5 tons of hard and brown coal. At such rates of consumption, it has become obvious that many natural resources will be depleted in the near future. At the same time, waste from giant industries began to increasingly pollute the environment, destroying the health of the population. In all industrialized countries, cancer, chronic pulmonary and cardiovascular diseases are widespread. Scientists were the first to sound the alarm. Beginning in 1968, the Italian economist Aurelio Peccien began annually gathering prominent experts from different countries in Rome to discuss issues about the future of civilization. These meetings were called the Club of Rome. In the spring of 1972, the first book prepared by the Club of Rome was published, with the characteristic title “Limits to Growth.” And in June of the same year, the UN held the First International Conference on Environment and Development in Stockholm, which summarized materials on pollution and its harmful effects on the health of the population of many countries. The conference participants came to the conclusion that man, from being a subject who studied the ecology of animals and plants, in the new conditions must himself become an object of multilateral environmental research. They appealed to the governments of all countries of the world to create special government agencies for these purposes.

After the conference in Stockholm, ecology merged with nature conservation and began to acquire its current great importance. In different countries, ministries, departments and committees on ecology began to be created, and their main goal was monitoring the natural environment and combating its pollution to preserve public health.

The term ecology is derived from two Greek words: from the Greek “oikos” - house, dwelling, homeland and “logos” - science, meaning “the science of the house”. In a general sense, ecology is the science that studies the relationships of organisms and communities with their environment. For centuries, man has sought not to adapt to the natural environment, but to make it convenient for his existence. Now many people have realized that any human activity has an impact on the environment, and the deterioration of the biosphere is dangerous for all living beings, including humans. The problem of interaction between human society and nature has become the most important at the present stage of development of civilization. The threat of environmental disaster comes to the fore, becoming even more significant than the threat of a thermonuclear conflict. The difficult environmental situation in the world did not arise suddenly, but was the result of long-term anthropogenic impact on the natural environment, a consequence of ill-conceived decisions and actions. Global problems directly affect each of us.

Characteristics of global problems of humanity

Firstly , global problems are those problems that affect not only the interests of individual people, but can affect the fate of all humanity.

Secondly , global problems cannot be solved by themselves or even by the efforts of individual countries. They require focused and organized efforts of the entire world community. Failure to resolve global problems may lead in the future to serious, irreversible consequences for humans and their environment.

Third , global problems are closely related to one another. That is why it is so difficult even theoretically to isolate and systematize them, to develop a system of successive steps to solve them.

Global problems are, on the one hand, natural in nature, and on the other, social. In this regard, they can be considered as an influence or result of human activity that has had a negative impact on nature. The second option for the emergence of global problems is a crisis in relations between people, which affects the entire complex of relationships between members of the world community.

Global problems are grouped according to their most characteristic features. The classification makes it possible to establish the degree of their relevance, the sequence of theoretical analysis, the methodology and sequence of solution.

The most widely used classification method is based on the task of determining the severity of the problem and the sequence of its solution. In connection with this approach, three global problems can be identified:

Between states and regions of the planet (preventing conflicts, establishing economic order);

Environmental (environmental protection, protection and distribution of fuel raw materials, space and ocean exploration;

Between society and people (demography, healthcare, education, etc.).

Questionnaire

In my work I want to talk about global problems of humanity, which became the goal of my work. To achieve this goal, I set myself the following tasks:

1. Identify ideas about the main problems of humanity, show what danger some of them pose.

2. Conduct a survey among students in grades 8 - 9, show the survey results in a diagram.

3. Give a complete description of the main global problems and find solutions.

I used methods such as scientific literature analysis and survey. I interviewed 80 people from eighth and ninth grades, asking them the following questions:

1. How do you understand the meaning of the term “Global problems of humanity”?

Basically, the meaning of the term “Global problems of humanity” is clear to students. Most students believe that the global problems of humanity are:

1. Problems of all humanity;

2. Worldwide;

3. Problems with a great threat to humanity;

4. Problems that have affected the whole world;

5. Very important;

6. Problems that cause harm to the environment and people;

7.Extensive, covering vast territories;

8. Large-scale;

1. Which of the following problems do you consider the most dangerous? Choose three problems:

A) Global warming

B) Ozone holes

B) Acid rain

D) Air pollution

D) Hydrosphere pollution

E) Terrorism

G) Raw materials problems (resource availability)

H) Demographic problem

I) The problem of peace and disarmament

K) AIDS

The diagram (see appendices, Fig. 1) shows that the main problems of humanity are:

1. Ozone holes
2. Air pollution
3. Acid rain
4. Terrorism
5. Hydrosphere pollution

The main problems relate to natural pollution.

3. What measures are being taken to solve these problems in the world or country?

Students suggested the following solutions:

1. Creation of treatment facilities;

2. Respect for nature;

3. Limit the release of waste into the atmosphere;

4. Promotion of a healthy lifestyle;

5. Creation of nature reserves;

6. Strengthening the fight against terrorism;

7. Reducing the amount of exhaust gases;

8. Signing peace treaties, regulating foreign policy relations;

4. What other problems in your opinion can be classified as global?

1. Alcoholism

2. Smoking

3. Drug addiction

(See Fig. No. 2)

5. Can you contribute to solving global problems?

Many of those interviewed can contribute to solving global problems, and here is what they offer:

1. Do not litter
2. Do not pollute the atmosphere
3. Do not pollute the hydrosphere

4. Use the latest technology

5. Do not destroy flora and fauna

(See Fig. No. 3)

Following from this, I put forward a hypothesis: there are a huge number of global problems that require immediate solutions. I would like to reveal these problems in more detail and find ways to solve them.

Air pollution

Under air pollutionone should understand any change in its composition and properties that negatively affects human and animal health, the condition of plants and ecosystems. It may be natural (natural) and anthropogenic (technogenic).

Natural is caused by natural processes. This includes volcanic activity, weathering of rocks, wind erosion, massive flowering of plants, smoke from forest and steppe fires, etc.;

Anthropogenic - emissions of various pollutants into the atmosphere during human activities. In volume it often exceeds natural pollution.

Emissions of substances into the atmosphere are classified into: gaseous (sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, etc.); liquid (acids, alkalis, salt solutions, etc.); solid (carcinogenic substances, lead and its compounds, dust, soot, resinous substances and others).

The main air pollutants are formed during industrial and other human activities; these are sulfur dioxide (SO2), carbon monoxide (CO) and particulate matter; they account for about 98% of the total emissions of harmful substances into the atmosphere. The total global emissions of these pollutants into the atmosphere in 1990 amounted to 401 million tons (in Russia - 26.2 million tons). In addition to them, more than 70 types of harmful substances are observed in the atmosphere of cities and towns.

Another form of atmospheric pollution is local excess heat input from anthropogenic sources. A sign of this are the so-calledthermal zones, for example, “heat island” in cities, warming of water bodies, etc.

Currently, the following enterprises mainly pollute the atmospheric air in Russia: thermal and nuclear power plants, vehicles, industrial and municipal boiler houses, enterprises producing ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy, building materials, oil production and petrochemicals.

In developed industrial countries of the West, for example, the main amount of emissions of harmful substances comes from motor vehicles (50 - 60%), while the share of thermal power engineering is much less, only 16 - 20%.

At thermal power plants, boiler plantsDuring the combustion of solid or liquid fuels, smoke containing products of complete and incomplete combustion is released into the atmosphere. When switching installations to liquid fuel (fuel oil), ash emissions are reduced, but emissions of sulfur and nitrogen oxides are practically not reduced. The cleanest is gas fuel, which pollutes the air three times less than fuel oil and five times less than coal.

A major source of energy pollution of the atmosphere is the heating system of homes (boiler installations, see Fig. No. 6) - it emits products of incomplete combustion. Due to the low height of chimneys, toxic substances in high concentrations are dispersed near boiler installations.

In ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgyWhen smelting one ton of steel, 0.04 tons of solid particles, 0.03 tons of sulfur oxides and up to 0.05 tons of carbon monoxide enter the atmosphere. Non-ferrous metallurgy plants discharge into the atmosphere compounds of manganese, lead, phosphorus, arsenic, mercury vapor, vapor-gas mixtures consisting of phenol, formaldehyde, benzene, ammonia and other toxic substances.

Enterprise emissionschemical productionsmall in volume (about 2% of all industrial emissions). Atmospheric air is polluted by sulfur oxides, fluorine compounds, ammonia, nitrous gases (a mixture of nitrogen oxides), chloride compounds, hydrogen sulfide, and inorganic dust.

There are several hundred million cars in the world, which, by burning huge amounts of petroleum products, significantly pollute the atmospheric air. Exhaust gases from internal combustion engines contain toxic compounds such as benzopyrene, aldehydes, nitrogen and carbon oxides and lead compounds. Correct adjustment of the fuel system of cars can reduce the amount of harmful substances by 1.5 times, and special neutralizers (catalytic afterburners) can reduce the toxicity of exhaust gases by 6 times or more.

Intense pollution also occurs during the extraction and processing of raw materials at oil and gas processing plants, during the release of dust and gases from underground mine workings, during the burning of garbage and burning rocks in dumps. In rural areas, sources of air pollution are livestock and poultry farms, industrial complexes for meat production, and spraying of pesticides.

Ozone holes

Ozone holes (See Fig. No. 5) are a phenomenon of low ozone concentration in the stratosphere, which is located in the upper atmosphere of the earth at an altitude of 10 to 50 km, where there is a layer of increased ozone concentration called the ozonosphere.

Ozone holes are located mainly in polar regions such as Antarctica. And recently it has been observed in the region of Southern Argentina and Chile.

Ozone levels in these areas are decreasing by about three percent per year, according to annual studies. Currently, the depletion of the ozone layer is about 50% of its original state.

The formation of the ozone hole is associated with human economic activity and its constant interference with the environment. Ozone is a natural filter that protects the Earth from ultraviolet radiation and compounds such as chlorofluorocarbons.

The ozone hole is formed by the decomposition of ozone into ordinary diatomic molecules of oxygen and chlorine, which rises and reaches the upper atmosphere. Where does chlorine come from? Some of it comes from gases from volcanoes, but more of the chlorine that destroys the ozone layer comes from the breakdown of CFCs, which are components of most paint, cosmetics and aerosol products.

The weakening of the ozone layer increases the flow of solar radiation to the Earth and causes an increase in the number of skin cancers in people. Plants and animals also suffer from increased levels of radiation.

Acid rain

Fresh water in rivers and lakes contains many soluble substances, including toxic ones. It may contain pathogenic microbes, so you cannot use it, much less drink it, without additional cleaning. When it rains, drops of water (or snowflakes when it snows) capture harmful impurities from the air that have entered it from the pipes of some factory.

As a result, harmful, so-called acid rain falls in some places on Earth (See Fig. No. 8). The beneficial drops of rain have always brought joy to people, but now in many areas of the planet, rain has turned into a serious danger.

Acid precipitation (rain, fog, snow) is precipitation whose acidity is higher than normal. A measure of acidity is the pH value (hydrogen index). The pH scale goes from 02 (extremely acidic), through 7 (neutral) to 14 (alkaline), with the neutral point (pure water) having pH=7. Rainwater in clean air has a pH of 5.6. The lower the pH value, the higher the acidity. If the acidity of the water is below 5.5, then the precipitation is considered acidic. Over vast areas of the industrialized countries of the world, precipitation falls, the acidity of which exceeds normal by 10 - 1000 times (pH = 5-2.5).

Chemical analysis of acid precipitation shows the presence of sulfuric (H2SO4) and nitric (HNO3) acids. The presence of sulfur and nitrogen in these formulas indicates that the problem is related to the release of these elements into the atmosphere. These gaseous products (sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide) react with atmospheric water to form acids (nitric and sulfuric).

In aquatic ecosystems, acid precipitation causes the death of fish and other aquatic life. Acidification of river and lake water also seriously affects land animals, since many animals and birds are part of food chains that begin in aquatic ecosystems. Along with the death of lakes, forest degradation also becomes apparent. Acids destroy the protective waxy coating of leaves, making plants more vulnerable to insects, fungi and other pathogens. During drought, more moisture evaporates through damaged leaves.

The leaching of nutrients from the soil and the release of toxic elements contribute to the slowdown of tree growth and death. One can imagine what happens to wild animal species when forests die.

If the forest ecosystem is destroyed, soil erosion begins, clogging of water bodies, flooding and deterioration of water supplies become catastrophic.

As a result of acidification in the soil, nutrients vital to plants are dissolved; These substances are carried by rain into groundwater. At the same time, heavy metals are leached from the soil, which are then absorbed by plants, causing serious damage to them. Using such plants for food, a person also receives an increased dose of heavy metals with them.

When soil fauna degrades, yields decrease, the quality of agricultural products deteriorates, and this entails deterioration in public health.

When exposed to acids, rocks and minerals release aluminum, as well as mercury and lead, which then end up in surface and groundwater. Aluminum can cause Alzheimer's disease, a type of premature aging. Heavy metals found in natural waters negatively affect the kidneys, liver, and central nervous system, causing various cancers. The genetic effects of heavy metal poisoning can take 20 years or more to appear, not only in those who drink dirty water, but also in their descendants.

Acid rain corrodes metals, paints, synthetic compounds, and destroys architectural monuments.

To combat acid rain, efforts must be directed toward reducing emissions of acid-forming substances from coal-fired power plants. And for this you need:

Using low-sulfur coal or removing sulfur from it

Installation of filters for purification of gaseous products

Application of alternative energy sources

Hydrosphere pollution

There are many pollutants in the hydrosphere and they are not much different from atmospheric pollutants.

On a global scale, the main pollutant of the hydrosphere is oil and oil products that enter the aquatic environment as a result of oil production, its transportation, processing and use as fuel and industrial raw materials.

Among other industrial products, detergents—very toxic synthetic detergents—occupy a special place in their negative impact on the aquatic environment. They are difficult to clean, and yet at least half of the initial amount ends up in water bodies. Detergents often form layers of foam in reservoirs, the thickness of which at sluices and thresholds reaches 1 m or more.

Industrial wastes that pollute water include heavy metals: mercury, lead, zinc, copper, chromium, tin, radioactive elements. Mercury (methylmercury fractions) poses a particular danger to the aquatic environment.

Agriculture is becoming one of the most significant sources of water pollution. This manifests itself, first of all, in the washing away of fertilizers and their entry into water bodies.

Increasingly, water resources are being polluted by herbicides and pesticides. Moreover, the degree of their accumulation and toxicity largely depends on the hydrodynamic and thermal characteristics of the water body.

Pollution of the World Ocean is growing. Every year, up to 100 million tons of various waste from the coast, from the bottom, from rivers and the atmosphere enter the ocean. The movement of water in the ocean causes pollution to spread over long distances;

The most polluted rivers include many rivers - the Rhine, Danube, Dnieper, Volga, Don, Dniester, Mississippi, Nile, Ganges, Seine, etc. Pollution of the internal and marginal seas is growing - the Mediterranean, Northern, Baltic, Black, Azov, Japanese and etc. (See Fig. No. 7)

TERRORISM

Terrorism today is a powerful weapon, a tool used not only in the fight against the Government, but very often by the Authority itself to achieve its goals. (See Fig. No. 11)

Modern terrorism comes in the form of: international terrorism (terrorist acts on an international scale); domestic political terrorism (terrorist actions directed against the government, any political groups within countries, or aimed at destabilizing the internal situation); criminal terrorism pursuing purely selfish goals.

Terrorism appears when society is experiencing a deep crisis, primarily a crisis of ideology and the state-legal system. In such a society, various opposition groups appear - political, social, national, religious - for which the legitimacy of the existing government becomes questionable. People in most countries have become unaccustomed to political violence and are afraid of it. Today, the most popular and effective methods of terror are violence not against government officials, but against peaceful, defenseless people who are not related to the “recipient” of terror, with the obligatory demonstration of the catastrophic results of terror. This was the case in America with the explosion of a shopping center in September 2001 or the terrorist attack in Budenovsk. The target of the attack is a hospital, a maternity hospital. Or the events that occurred in Kizlyar, Pervomaisky, as well as the explosion in Moscow, etc.

The task of terrorism is to involve a large mass of people for whom either the goals of terror are so high that they justify any means, or are so unscrupulous in their means that they are ready to carry out any abomination.

Through “lofty motives” they usually involve young people who, due to mental and moral immaturity, easily fall for radical national, social or religious ideas. It is most often involved through totalitarian, religious or ideological sects. The most famous example is the Aum Shinrikyo sect.

Terrorism of any kind, no matter what motives it is determined by, no matter how politicized it may be, should be considered as a criminal phenomenon, subject to detailed criminological analysis.

After analyzing the results of the surveys, I looked at problems that in our time can also be considered global. These are alcoholism, smoking and drug addiction. I would also like to talk about them in more detail.

Alcoholism

Alcoholism is a disease, a type of substance abuse, characterized by a painful addiction to alcohol (ethyl alcohol), with mental and physical dependence on it. The negative consequences of alcoholism can be expressed by mental and physical disorders, as well as disturbances in the social relationships of the person suffering from this disease. (See Fig. No. 9)

It is known that Prince Vladimir, who ruled Kievan Rus in the 10th century, decided to introduce a new religion to replace, as it seemed to him, outdated pagan gods. It is unknown why he did not like Judaism, but he did not accept Islam only because, in his words, “fun in Rus' is drinking.” Thus, it is not entirely correct to believe that along with the introduction of Christianity, Vladimir the Red Sun allegedly introduced drunkenness in Rus', although from his words it is quite clear that they drank wine in Rus' before.

In that era, our ancestors consumed mainly wine and mash, and the wine was most often imported. Since these intoxicating drinks were weak, they did not cause any problems for a long time.

The use and production of vodka in Rus' first began to be used starting in the 14th century, and another hundred years later, i.e. During the time of Ivan the Terrible, the so-called “tsar’s taverns” first appeared, in which mainly the tsar’s close associates and his guardsmen “had fun”.

Drunkenness became widespread in Rus' with the organization of a large number of taverns for the common people during the reign of Peter I, who drank heavily himself and encouraged his nobles to do so. Starting from the 14th century, the production and distribution of all alcoholic beverages was brought under strict state control, and underground moonshine became widely popular. As a result, since the 19th century,alcoholism in Russiahas become a national tradition...

In 1985, an absolutely ill-conceived law was introduced that sharply limited alcohol consumption in our country. They did not drink less, as illegal alcohol production increased sharply. Drunkards, unable to get high-quality vodka, resorted to drinking its surrogates, as a result of which the number of poisonings, alcoholic psychoses and alcoholism itself sharply increased in our country. Unable to find and consume an alcoholic drink, some began to look for alcohol substitutes - such “products” as toothpaste, liquids for defrosting car locks, as well as various kinds of medicines were used. As a result, the number of cases of substance abuse and drug addiction has increased sharply, especially among young people.

Currently, alcohol abuse is the main reason why life expectancy among men in our country is significantly lower than even in the most undeveloped countries such as Mauritania, Honduras, Yemen, Tajikistan and Bolivia. Poor food, excessive alcohol consumption and high levels of crime could reduce Russia's population to 131 million by 2025, according to UN forecasts.

How do countries fight alcoholism? There are 41 countries in the world wherealcohol problem completely solved, there is " no alcohol law » and 40 countries where production and sales alcohol so squeezed by the state that they, too, are fighting this problem very effectively. And it turns out that there are 81 (2/3 of the world's population) countries in the world where the problemalcoholism and drunkenness is somehow resolved. But the remaining 1/3 of the world's population " drunk ", these are precisely the countries wheretheory of cultural, moderate alcohol consumption. And for the last half century our country has been included in this 1/3. Meanwhile, Russia 100 years ago was the legislator of the theory of sobriety; there is a science about a sober lifestyle “ sobreology " Scientists such as Bekhterev, Pavlov, Vvedensky and others worked on this theory.

The problem of alcoholism in Russia is very acute, both the chief sanitary doctor G. Onishchenko and the president speak about this. Every year about 700 thousand of our citizens die from drinking alcohol in Russia. Just imagine, during the ten years of war in Afghanistan, about 14 thousand of our children died, and here 700 thousand citizens die from drinking alcohol in a year. And many do not take this evil seriously.

Smoking

Smoking is the inhalation of smoke from drugs, mainly of plant origin, smoldering in the flow of inhaled air, in order to saturate the body with the active substances they contain through their sublimation and subsequent absorption in the lungs and respiratory tract. As a rule, it is used for the use of smoking mixtures that have narcotic properties (tobacco, hashish, marijuana, opium, etc.) due to the rapid flow of blood saturated with psychoactive substances into the brain. (See Fig. No. 10)

The top ten countries in which tobacco smoking is most widespread include Nauru, Guinea, Namibia, Kenya, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mongolia, Yemen, Sao Tome and Principe, Turkey, Romania. Russia ranks 33rd in this series of 153 countries (37% of smokers among the adult population).

Since inhaled smoke burns mucous membranes and contains a large amount of harmful substances (benzopyrene, nitrosamines, carbon monoxide, soot particles, etc.), smoking (regardless of the drug used) increases the risk of developing cancer of the lungs, mouth and respiratory tract, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD), mental, cardiovascular and other diseases. Researchers have noted a correlation between smoking and impotence.

Currently, the most common consequences of long-term smoking are the occurrence of COPD and the development of various tumors of the respiratory system; 90% of lung cancer cases are associated with smoking. Smoking or passive inhalation of tobacco smoke can cause infertility in women. Atrophy and demyelination (destruction of the white matter of the brain and spinal cord) in multiple sclerosis are more pronounced in patients who have smoked for at least 6 months during their life compared to patients who have never smoked. Smoking addiction can be both psychological and physical.

With psychological dependence, a person reaches for a cigarette when he is in a smoking company, or in a state of stress, nervous tension, to stimulate mental activity. A certain habit is developed, a ritual of smoking, without which a person cannot live fully.

With physical addiction, the body's demand for a nicotine dose is so strong that all the smoker's attention is focused on finding a cigarette, the idea of ​​smoking becomes so obsessive that most other needs fade into the background. It becomes impossible to concentrate on anything other than a cigarette, apathy and reluctance to do anything may set in.

Addiction

Drug addiction - A painful attraction or addiction to narcotic substances used in various ways (swallowing, inhalation, intravenous injection) in order to achieve a stupefying state or relieve pain. (See Fig. No. 9)

Drug addiction (from the Greek narke - numbness and mania - madness, enthusiasm) - in medicine, a disease characterized by a pathological attraction to drugs, leading to severe dysfunction of the body; in psychology - the need to use any medicine or chemical substances to avoid the discomfort that occurs when stopping use, i.e. chemical addiction; in sociology - a type of deviant behavior.

Drug addiction includes two forms of addiction:

Mental dependence is a state of the body characterized by a pathological need to use any drug or chemical substance to avoid mental disorders or discomfort that occurs when stopping the use of the substance that caused addiction, but without somatic withdrawal symptoms.

Physical dependence is a condition characterized by the development of withdrawal symptoms when taking the addictive substance or after the introduction of its antagonists.

Addiction displays inappropriate behavior, the drug addict is constantly depressed. In addition, drug addiction is characterized by aggressive and unstable behavior. People addicted to drugs are potentially dangerous both for the individual and for the entire society. For the sake of the next dose of drugs, they are ready to turn the world upside down, commit the most terrible crime, and at the same time not experience any feelings of guilt, confusion or shame. Drug addicts are degrading creatures to whom everything human is alien.

The consequences of drug addiction range from disability to death. Always remember the consequences of drug addiction and talk about them to children, acquaintances, even strangers. Show sympathy and understanding for sick people, because they, as a rule, do not give an account of their actions.

Conclusion

For thousands of years, man lived, worked, developed, but he did not suspect that perhaps the day would come when it would become difficult, and perhaps impossible, to breathe clean air, drink clean water, grow anything on the ground, since the air is polluted, the water is poisoned, the soil is contaminated with radiation or other chemicals. But a lot has changed since then. And in our century this is a very real threat, and not many people realize it. Another Chernobyl, if not worse.

Globalist scientists offer various options for solving global problems of our time:

1. creation of waste-free production,
2. creation of heat and energy resource saving technologies,
3. use of alternative energy sources (sun, wind, etc.),
4. creation of a new world order,
5. development of a new formula for global governance of the world community on the principles of understanding the modern world as an integral and interconnected community of people,
6. recognition of universal human values,
7. attitude towards life, man and the world as the highest values ​​of humanity,
8. renunciation of war as a means of resolving controversial issues,
9. searching for ways to peacefully resolve international problems.
   

One of the priority actions in solving environmental problems is the elimination of environmental illiteracy. This is a national or even global task. Already from school, young inhabitants of planet Earth need to learn to appreciate natural resources and comprehend the wisdom of their conservation. People need to be able not only to barbarically use all the best that nature can give us, but also to compensate for the damage caused. Human activities must be carried out in harmony with the environment.

Thus, I concluded that my hypothesis is correct. Every person must realize that Humanity is on the verge of destruction, and will we survive or not? The merit of each of us.

Literature

1. A. Aseevsky, “Who organizes and directs international terrorism?”, M.: Publishing House of Political Literature, 1982.

2. Akhatov A. G. Ecology. “Encyclopedic Dictionary”, Kazan: Ecopolis, 1995.

3. O.V. Kryshtanovskaya. “Illegal structures of Russia” Sociological research, 1995.

4. E.G. Lyakhov A.V. Popov Terrorism: national, regional and international control. Monograph. M.-Rostov-on-Don 1999

5. V.P. Maksakovsky, “Economic and social geography of the world,” textbook for grade 10 - M.: Education, 2004,

6. Odum, Eugene , Fundamentals of Ecology. - M., 1975

7. Encyclopedic Dictionary - Directory "ENVIRONMENT", Publishing House "Progress", M. 1993

8. http://ru.wikipedia.org

Application

Which of the following problems do you consider the most dangerous?

Fig. No. 1

What other problems in your opinion can be classified as global?

Fig. No. 2

Can you contribute to solving global problems?

Fig. No. 3

Rice. No. 4

Fig. No. 5. Ozone hole

Fig. No. 6. Atmospheric pollution

Fig. No. 7. Hydrosphere pollution

Fig. No. 8. Effects of acid rain

Fig. No. 9. Drug Addiction and Alcoholism

Fig. No. 10. Smoking

Throughout their existence, people face problems on a global scale. The growth of scientific and technological progress has influenced the fact that there are more negative processes affecting the planet as a whole. Modern philosophy requires their in-depth understanding in order to predict the consequences of such influence. Global problems of our time and ways to solve them concern all countries on earth. Therefore, not so long ago a new concept appeared - global studies, which is based on a scientific and philosophical strategy for eliminating unpleasant phenomena on an international scale.

There are many specialists working in the field of global studies, and this is no coincidence. The reasons that prevent humanity from developing harmoniously and moving forward are complex in nature and do not depend on one factor. That is why it is necessary to analyze the slightest changes in the political, social, economic state of states and peoples. The life of all humanity depends on whether the world community can decide on time.

How problems are classified

The problems of humanity, which are global in nature, affect the lives of all people and lead to serious social and economic losses. When they escalate, they can threaten the existence of the world's population. To solve them, governments of all countries must unite and act together.

There is a scientific and philosophical classification of problems, formed on the basis of long-term research. It consists of three large groups.

• The first includes problems that affect the political and economic interests of different countries. They can be roughly divided into confrontation between “East and West”, between backward and developed countries, and into the prevention of terrorism and war. It also includes maintaining peace and establishing a fair economic order on the planet.
• The second group contains problems arising from the interaction of humanity with nature. This is a shortage of raw materials, fuel and energy, a problem of preserving the World Ocean, flora and fauna of the earth.
• The third group includes problems that may be associated with the individual and society. The main ones are overpopulation of the earth, education and health care.

Global studies carefully examines the problems of our time, based on philosophy and scientific and technical basis. Philosophy explains that their occurrence is not an accident, but a pattern associated with progress in society and influencing the development of mankind.

• do everything to preserve peace;
• reduce rapid population growth;
• reduce the use of natural resources;
• stop and reduce planetary pollution;
• reduce the social gap between people;
• eradicate poverty and hunger everywhere.

Scientific and philosophical theory requires not only to state problems, but also to give a clear answer on how to solve them.

Causes and solutions to problems

Understanding global problems is very important for humanity. This is the first step towards eliminating them.

The main condition for preserving life is peace on earth, therefore it is necessary to eliminate the threat of a third world war. The scientific and technological revolution gave people thermonuclear weapons, the use of which can destroy entire cities and countries. Ways to solve this problem could be:

• stopping the arms race, a complete ban on the creation and use of weapons of mass destruction;
• strict control over chemical and nuclear warheads;
• reduction in military spending and a ban on the arms trade.

To solve global environmental problems, humanity needs to try hard. There is a threat hanging over people. This is due to the expected warming that is caused by emissions. If it happens, it will be catastrophic for the earth. The geosystem of the planet will begin to change. As a result of the melting of glaciers, the level of the World Ocean will rise, thousands of kilometers of the coastal zone will be flooded. The planet will be subject to a barrage of hurricanes, earthquakes and other extreme events. This will lead to death and destruction.

The high concentration of harmful substances in the atmosphere leads to another global problem - the destruction of the ozone layer and the appearance of ozone holes. They are the cause and have a detrimental effect on all living things. The concept “has not been fully studied, but scientists have some information.

• These problems can be solved by reducing environmental pollution.
• It is necessary to reduce industrial emissions into the atmosphere, using the latest scientific and technological progress, and make every effort to preserve forests.

The demographic problem has long been relevant for humanity. Today, most developing countries are experiencing a baby boom and the population is growing rapidly. In developed countries, on the contrary, this indicator is falling and the nation is aging. Social philosophy suggests looking for a solution in a competent demographic policy, which should be pursued by the governments of all countries.

The fuel and raw materials problem threatens the world community with a shortage of various resources necessary to ensure the lives of people in the modern world. Already, many countries suffer from insufficient fuel and energy.

• To eliminate this disaster, natural resources must be distributed economically.
• Use non-traditional types of energy sources, for example, wind, solar power plants.
• Develop nuclear energy and wisely use the power of the World Ocean.

Food shortages are severely affecting many countries. According to official data, about 1.2 million people are undernourished in the modern world. There are two ways to solve this global problem for humanity.

• The essence of the first method is that it is necessary to increase the area for pastures and crops in order to produce more food for consumption.
• The second method recommends not increasing territories, but modernizing existing ones. Productivity can be improved by using scientific and technical innovations. For example, biotechnology, with the help of which frost-resistant and high-yielding plant varieties are created.

The global problem of backwardness of underdeveloped countries is carefully studied by social philosophy. Many experts believe that the reason for the slow development of states is rapid population growth amid the lack of a developed economy. This leads to total poverty of people. To support these states, the world community must provide financial assistance, build hospitals, schools, various industrial enterprises and promote the development of the economy of backward peoples.

Problems of the World Ocean and human health

Recently, the threat to the World Ocean has become acutely felt. Environmental pollution and irrational use of its resources have led to the fact that it is on the verge of destruction. Today, the goal of humanity is to preserve the ecosystem, because without it the planet cannot survive. This requires a certain strategy:

• prohibit the burial of nuclear and other hazardous substances;
• improve the structure of the world economy by creating separate places for oil production and fishing;
• protect recreational resources from destruction;
• improve industrial complexes located on the ocean shore.

The health of the world's inhabitants is an important global problem of our time. Scientific and technological progress stimulates the emergence of new drugs for serious diseases. The latest equipment for diagnosis and treatment has been invented. But despite this, epidemics often occur that claim thousands of lives, so scientists continue to actively develop advanced methods of control.

However, medicine is not a panacea. By and large, the health of each individual person is in his own hands. And above all, it's about lifestyle. After all, the causes of terrible diseases, as a rule, are:

• poor nutrition and overeating,
• immobility,
• smoking,
• alcoholism,
• stress,
• bad ecology.

Without waiting for solutions to global world problems, everyone can take care of their own health and the well-being of loved ones - and the world's population will become much healthier and happier. Why not a massive success?

The action plan is simple and clear, and the main thing here is to move from theory to practice. Review your diet in favor of natural products, fresh vegetables and fruits; if you smoke - as soon as possible, do the same with your addiction to alcohol; if your life is full of stress, identify their sources and deal with negative factors, eliminating them if possible. Be sure to start moving more. As for ecology, it matters on the most local scale - in your apartment, workplace. Try to create a healthy environment around you and seriously consider moving to another area if your air quality is poor. Remember: what we breathe every day (including tobacco smoke) and what we eat every day has a key impact on our health.

Each problem has its own specifics and methods of elimination, but they all affect the common interests of humanity. Therefore, their resolution will require the efforts of all people. Modern philosophy warns that any problems can become global, and our task is to promptly notice and prevent their development.

Speaking about modern interstate problems, it should be borne in mind that in the second half of the twentieth century, humanity was faced with the problem of survival and self-preservation. Such a threat appeared due to the natural-historical development of the world community, when humanity faced a number of problems called global. Global problems are problems that affect the vital interests of all humanity and require coordinated international action within the global community to be resolved.

Global problems of humanity can be divided into four main groups:

1. Problems of a predominantly socio-political nature: preventing nuclear war; ending the arms race, resolving regional and interstate conflicts; building a non-violent peace based on establishing trust between peoples and strengthening the system of universal security.

2. Problems of a predominantly socio-economic nature: overcoming underdevelopment and associated poverty and cultural backwardness; ensuring efficient production and reproduction of the global gross product; finding ways to resolve the energy, raw materials and food crises; optimization of the demographic situation, especially in developing countries; development of near-Earth space and the World Ocean for peaceful purposes.

3. Social and environmental problems caused by further deterioration of the natural environment of people. The need to take measures to improve the gas envelope of the atmosphere became particularly urgent; on the harmonious development of living and inanimate nature; on the rational use of the natural potential of the planet; to prevent harmful effects on the nature of military activities.

4. Human problems, including the human dimension of social progress: respect for social, economic and individual rights and freedoms; elimination of hunger, epidemic diseases, ignorance; spiritual development of personality; overcoming human alienation from nature, society, the state, other people and the results of one’s own life activities.

The global problems of our time have arisen as a natural result of development and social progress of society as a whole. Their unified, systemic nature is fully confirmed by practice. Thus, the increased military danger and the build-up of the arms race inevitably aggravate raw materials, environmental and other problems. And steps aimed at eliminating the economic lag of developing countries will entail a satisfactory solution to problems such as food, energy, and raw materials.

Of all the global problems, the problem of preserving peace and preventing a nuclear catastrophe is directly and directly related to politics. This is not accidental, since this problem arose as a result of confrontation between political forces represented by states. Being a means of achieving the political goals of certain social forces, “the continuation of their policies, in the words of Clausewitz, by other means,” war turns into a tragedy for peoples, as evidenced by the entire history of mankind.

“Continuation of politics by other means” plunged nations into wars and armed conflicts about 15 thousand times. Only 292 years in all of history have humanity gone without war. During the period of human history studied by science, wars have claimed more than 3.5 billion human lives. Moreover, as the means of destruction improved, the scale of wars also grew. In the 20th century Along with local reality, world wars also became a reality. If the Thirty Years' War, which was fought in 1618–1648, turned out to be the first war in which almost all the states of Western Europe were involved, claimed 600 thousand human lives, then the First World War of 1914–1918. – about 9.5 million. The total number of casualties, including those killed by starvation, disease and aerial bombing, in World War II reached 55 million. In terms of the number of people killed daily (on average), the Second World War exceeded the Crimean War (1853–1856) by 119 times, the Russian-Japanese War (1904–1905) by 60 times, and the First World War by 2.6 times.

After World War II, unfortunately, the wars did not stop. In the time since this war, more than 200 local wars and armed conflicts were launched, in which a huge number of people died in different countries: Korea - 1.7 million; Vietnam - 3 million; Algeria – 0.9 million; Bangladesh - 3.5 million, etc. A huge number of human lives have been claimed in recent years by armed conflicts on the territory of the former republics of the Soviet Union, US bombing of Iraq and Yugoslavia.

The policy of confrontation over the past decades has pushed governments to spend huge amounts of money on the creation of special bodies for waging war, on the creation and accumulation of weapons of mass destruction.

State budget expenditures on defense as a percentage of Israel's gross national product in 1989 were 20%; USSR - 6.6%; Greece - 5.5%, etc. And this is in conditions when the plan that emerged in the mid-80s of the twentieth century was in effect. trend towards reduction in military spending. In the 1990s, military spending increased significantly in many countries. The leaders of a number of countries have openly spoken about this more than once. For example, in January 1999, then US President Bill Clinton said in his State of the Union address: “The time has come to reverse the downward trend in military spending that began in 1985.” Military spending per capita in Russia in 1995 was US$113; in Portugal - 220, respectively; in Italy - 351; Belgium – 396; Germany – 430; Greece – 447; Netherlands – 454; Great Britain – 575; France – 739; Norway – 749; USA - 1054. Daily military spending of all countries today reaches $1.5 billion.

Huge allocations for defense allowed states to accumulate large quantities of not only conventional, but also nuclear, chemical, bacteriological and other weapons, the latest types of which are being distributed throughout the world. According to scientists, the world has accumulated 10 thousand tons of explosives for every living person. There are no reliable guarantees against the creation of nuclear weapons by many countries. The detonators of a new world war can be any local armed conflicts, some of which can be eliminated, but others arise. A world war is fraught not only with innumerable casualties, but also with the destruction of the environment - an almost immediate environmental catastrophe and the death of all humanity. Therefore, the most important task is to preserve peace and prevent a thermonuclear catastrophe.

The solution to this problem is realistic if all political subjects, all people of our planet realize the imminent danger of their destruction in the event of a war, understand that the modern world is one, integral and interconnected. Its achievement is possible on the path of abandoning wars as a means of resolving political issues in domestic and international relations, general disarmament, recognition of the right of free and independent development of all peoples. The approval of such a state is still too far away.

There are forces in the world community interested in a different development of events. This, in particular, is evidenced by the speech of US President Bill Clinton at a closed meeting of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on October 25, 1995, where he said: “In relation to the Russian Federation, the following problems must be solved: the dismemberment of Russia into small states through interregional wars , similar to those that we organized in Yugoslavia, the final division of the military-industrial complex of Russia and the army, the establishment of regimes in the republics that broke away from Russia, which we need.” And on January 22, 2004, US President George W. Bush, speaking to Congress with his annual State of the Union address, reiterated that the United States reserves the right to go to war at any time if the nation is threatened. "America will never ask permission to protect the security of its citizens," Bush said. “The work is not finished,” he warned, vowing to continue the fight against regimes that “support terrorism at the state level.”

The solution to the problem of maintaining peace and preventing the threat of thermonuclear war is closely connected with the implementation of all other global problems, especially environmental ones.

In contrast to the military problem, which is in no way connected with the natural needs of humanity and can be solved on the basis of appropriate agreements and treaties of interested parties, the problem of environmental conservation is organically caused by a sharp increase in human economic activity, dictated by natural trends of social development: an increase in the population, its desire for progress, improvement of material well-being, etc.

Excessive, reckless exploitation of nature by humans has led to massive deforestation, deterioration in the quality of fresh water resources, pollution of seas, lakes, rivers, and destruction of the ozone layer, which poses a great danger to human life. As a result of deforestation and an increase in the mass of fuel burned, the proportion of carbon dioxide in the air increases. Emissions of other chemical atmospheric pollutants (nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides) are increasing, resulting in “acid rain”. The global climate is warming, leading to the so-called “greenhouse effect.” The disaster at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, which led to large casualties and radioactive contamination of large areas of land for many years, was a menacing reminder of the enormous responsibility of people for their actions.

Here are just some data that clearly illustrates what has been said. For the 20th century The world's population has more than tripled and reached almost 6 billion people. During this time, industrial production increased more than 50 times, and natural fuel consumption more than 30 times.

Over the past 30 years, 50% of the tropical forests of Asia and Latin America have been destroyed. Huge forests disappeared in other regions during this time. Along with the reduction of forest area, many species of plants and animals are disappearing. From 1600 to the present, according to the International Survival Commission, 63 species of mammals and 94 species of birds have irretrievably disappeared from the face of the Earth. A significantly larger number of animal and bird species are on the verge of extinction today.

From 1800 to 2000 Burning fossil fuels releases about 180 billion tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. As a result, its concentration in the atmosphere has increased by 25% over the past 200 years. The countries of the European Economic Community alone emit 18 million tons of sulfur dioxide and 10 million tons of nitrogen oxides into the atmosphere every year.

The use of non-renewable and renewable resources has also reached dangerous limits. Several million hectares of fertile land are lost every year. These losses are practically non-renewable, since it takes several centuries to restore the destroyed soil. The use of mineral resources is a major concern. If the rate of their production remains the same as at present, then copper, lead, tin, zinc will be enough for 20-30 years, reserves of raw materials for the production of iron and aluminum will disappear in 260-570 years, and the situation with reserves will not be any better other minerals. In recent years, the problem of the use of minerals has become acute in the Russian Federation due to access to them by foreign companies, which threatens to increase the export of raw materials.

Currently, the severity of the environmental problem is intensifying as a result of its sharp politicization, because the struggle for raw materials, energy resources, spheres of influence, etc. is intensifying. The environmental crisis cannot be overcome by solving some particular problems. Solving the environmental problem is the most pressing task of the entire world community and requires the implementation of a whole range of drastic measures. The implementation of this task will largely alleviate the severity of all other global problems, primarily energy, raw materials, and food.

Recent decades have been marked by growing concern for humanity caused by the flow of dangerous diseases and addictions that have befallen it. Cardiovascular and oncological diseases, AIDS, alcoholism, drug addiction have acquired an international character and have become one of the global problems. The fight against these diseases, given that the mystery of their cure cannot be quickly solved, and some of them are capable of infecting healthy people who do not have immune defenses through the source of the infectious agent, becomes extremely important.

The whole world cannot help but be alarmed by the widening difference in the living standards of the peoples of developed and developing countries. At the beginning of the twentieth century. the share of national income per capita in developed countries exceeded this figure in developing countries by 6 times, in the 80s by 12 times, and by 2000 this excess became 13 times. It should be borne in mind that if in 1950 2/3 of the world’s population lived in these countries, in the 80s - 3/4, then by the end of the 20th century. his share was 4/5. The growing prosperity of some against the backdrop of the hopeless situation of others presents a paradoxical picture of the modern world. Underdeveloped countries are often hit by famine, resulting in the death of large numbers of people. Every year, 13-18 million people die of hunger in African countries alone. Having gained political independence, they found themselves in direct economic dependence on developed countries (debts to them amounted to $1,300 billion). This turns poor countries into zones of epidemics and social conflicts, fraught with social explosions dangerous for all humanity.

The situation is aggravated by the fact that poor countries are not able to overcome their backwardness on their own and their lag behind highly developed countries is increasing. It is inhumane and dangerous for highly developed countries to remain on the sidelines and not help these distressed peoples through joint efforts. They need not only immediate humanitarian assistance, but also serious long-term support in the development of productive forces. Ensuring its success - eliminating the causes of suffering in poor countries - can only be achieved through the joint efforts of the world community.

Among the global problems of our time that require urgent solutions are also the discrepancy in the relationship between demographic growth of the population and the dynamics of the productive forces; an increase in crime, especially drug trafficking; international terrorism, among the various forms of which the most dangerous is state terrorism directed against the peoples and legitimate authorities of other countries.

These are the main global problems of our time. They are organically connected and intertwined with many other international problems. The very essence of the global problems of our time, affecting all of humanity, requires joint action on a global scale. To solve them, constructive, creative cooperation on a global scale is necessary. Their solution, therefore, requires the joint efforts of all states.

Confrontations of military, political and economic forces in different regions of the planet occur constantly. As soon as there is a lull in the Western Hemisphere, the causes of global problems appear in some other part of the Earth. Sociologists, economists, political scientists and representatives of various cultural and scientific circles provide explanations for these phenomena from the perspective of their vision, but the complexities of humanity have a planetary scale, so everything cannot be reduced to problems that exist in any one region and a single period of time.

Global problem concept

When the world was too big for people, they still didn't have enough space. The inhabitants of the Earth are so structured that the peaceful coexistence of small peoples, even over vast territories, cannot last forever. There are always those who are haunted by their neighbor’s lands and their well-being. The translation of the French word global sounds like “universal”, that is, it concerns everyone. But problems on a global scale arose even before the advent of not only this language, but also writing in general.

If we consider the history of the development of the human race, then one of the reasons for the emergence of global problems is the selfishness of each individual person. It just so happens that in the material world all individuals think only about themselves. This happens even when people care about the happiness and well-being of their children and loved ones. Often one’s own survival and obtaining material wealth is based on the destruction of one’s neighbor and the confiscation of wealth from him.

This has been the case since the times of the Sumerian kingdom and Ancient Egypt, and the same thing is happening today. In the history of human development there have always been wars and revolutions. The latter came from good intentions to take away the sources of wealth from the rich in order to distribute to the poor. Because of the thirst for gold, new territories or power, each historical era discovered its own reasons for the emergence of global problems of mankind. Sometimes they led to the emergence of great empires (Roman, Persian, British and others), which were formed by conquering other peoples. In some cases - to the destruction of entire civilizations, as was the case with the Incas and Mayans.

But never before have the causes of their occurrence influenced the planet as a whole so acutely as they do today. This is due to the mutual integration of the economies of different countries and their dependence on each other.

Ecological situation on Earth

The reasons for the emergence of global ones initially do not lie in the development of industrial production, which began only in the 17th and 18th centuries. They started much earlier. If we compare the relationship between a person and the environment at different stages of his development, they can be divided into 3 stages:

• Worship of nature and its powerful forces. In the primitive communal and even in the slave system, there was a very close relationship between the world and man. People deified nature, brought her gifts so that she would have mercy on them and give a high harvest, since they directly depended on her “whims.”
• In the Middle Ages, religious dogmas that, although man is a sinful creature, is still the crown of Creation, raised people above the world around them. Already during this period, the gradual subordination of the environment to humanity for the benefit of humanity begins.
• The development of capitalist relations has led to the fact that nature began to be used as an auxiliary material that should “work” for people. Massive deforestation, subsequent pollution of air, rivers and lakes, destruction of animals - all this led earthly civilization at the beginning of the 20th century to the first signs of an unhealthy ecology.

Each historical era in the development of mankind became a new stage in the destruction of what surrounded it. Subsequent causes of global environmental problems are the development of the chemical, engineering, aircraft and rocket industries, mass mining and electrification.

The most tragic year for the ecology of the planet was 1990, when more than 6 billion tons of carbon dioxide produced by industrial enterprises of all economically developed countries combined were released into the atmosphere. Although after this scientists and environmentalists sounded the alarm, and urgent measures were taken to eliminate the consequences of the destruction of the Earth's ozone layer, the causes of humanity's global problems only began to truly emerge. Among them, one of the first places is occupied by economic development in different countries.

Economic problems

For some reason, historically it always happened that civilizations appeared in different parts of the Earth and developed unevenly. If at the stage of the primitive communal system everything is more or less similar: gathering, hunting, the first crude tools and transitions from one abundant place to another, then already in the Chalcolithic period the level of development of settled tribes varies.

The appearance of metal tools for labor and hunting brings the countries in which they are produced to first place. In a historical context, this is Europe. In this regard, nothing has changed, only in the 21st century it is not the owner of a bronze sword or musket who is ahead of the rest, but the countries where there are nuclear weapons or advanced technologies in various fields of science and technology (economically highly developed states). Therefore, even today, when scientists are asked: “Name two reasons for the emergence of global problems of our time,” they point to poor ecology and a large number of economically underdeveloped countries.

Third world countries and highly civilized states are especially at odds with the following indicators:

Underdeveloped countries	Highly developed countries
High mortality rate, especially among children.	The average life expectancy is 78-86 years.
Lack of proper social protection for poor citizens.	Unemployment payments, preferential medical care.
Underdeveloped medicine, lack of medicines and preventive measures.	High level of medicine, introducing into the consciousness of citizens the importance of disease prevention, medical life insurance.
Lack of programs for the education of children and youth and for providing young professionals with jobs.	A large selection of school and higher educational institutions providing free education, special grants and scholarships

Currently, many countries are economically dependent on each other. If 200-300 years ago tea was grown in India and Ceylon, processed there, packaged and transported to other countries by sea, and one or more companies could participate in this process, today the raw materials are grown in one country, processed in another, and packaged in the third. And this applies to all industries - from making chocolate to launching space rockets. Therefore, often the reasons for the emergence of global problems lie in the fact that if an economic crisis begins in one country, it automatically spreads to all partner states, and its consequences reach a planetary scale.

A good indicator in the integration of the economies of different countries is that they unite not only in times of prosperity, but also in moments of economic crisis. They do not have to deal with its consequences alone, as richer countries support the economies of their less developed partners.

Population growth

Scientists believe that another reason for the emergence of global problems of our time is the rapid growth of population on the planet. In this matter, two trends can be noted:

• In highly developed Western European countries, the birth rate is extremely low. Families with more than 2 children are rare here. This gradually leads to the fact that the indigenous population of Europe is aging, and they are being replaced by immigrants from African and Asian countries, in whose families it is customary to have many children.
• On the other hand, economically, such as India, countries of South and Central America, Africa and Asia, have a very low standard of living, but a high birth rate. Lack of proper medical care, lack of food and clean water - all this leads to high mortality, so it is customary to have many children so that a small part of them can survive.

If you follow the growth of the planet's population throughout the 20th century, you can see how strong the demographic “explosion” was in certain years.

In 1951 the population was just over 2.5 billion. Just 10 years later, more than 3 billion people already lived on the planet, and by 1988 the population had crossed the 5 billion mark. In 1999, this figure reached 6 billion, and in 2012 there were already more than 7 billion people living on the planet.

According to scientists, the main reasons for the emergence of global problems are that the Earth’s resources, with the illiterate exploitation of its subsoil, as is happening today, are not enough for the ever-growing population. Nowadays, 40 million people die of hunger every year, which does not reduce the population at all, since its average increase in 2016 is more than 200,000 newborns per day.

Thus, the essence of global problems and the reasons for their occurrence is the constant growth of the population, which, according to scientists, will exceed 10 billion by 2100. All these people eat, breathe, enjoy the benefits of civilization, drive cars, fly airplanes and destroy nature with their life activity. If they do not change their attitude towards the environment and their own kind, then in the future the planet will face global environmental disasters, massive pandemics and military conflicts.

Food problems

If highly developed countries are characterized by an abundance of products, most of which lead to health problems such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, obesity, diabetes and many others, then for third world countries constant malnutrition or hunger among the population is normal.

In general, all countries can be divided into 3 types:

• Those where there is a constant shortage of food and water. This is 1/5 of the planet's population.
• Countries that produce and grow plenty of food and have a food culture.
• States that have programs to combat excess food consumption in order to reduce the percentage of people suffering from the consequences of poor or excessive nutrition.

But it just so happened historically and economically that in countries where the population is in especially dire need of food and clean water, either the food industry is poorly developed or there are no favorable natural and climatic conditions for farming.

At the same time, there are resources on the planet to ensure that no one ever goes hungry. Food-producing nations can feed 8 billion more people than the world's population, but today 1 billion people live in extreme poverty and 260 million children go hungry every year. When 1/5 of the planet's population suffers from hunger, it means that this is a problem on a global scale, and all of humanity must solve it together.

Social inequality

The main reasons for the emergence of global problems are contradictions between social classes, which manifest themselves in such criteria as:

• Wealth when all or almost all natural and economic resources are in the hands of a small group of selected people, companies or a dictator.
• Power that can belong to one person - the head of state or a small group of people.

Most of them have a pyramid in their structure of distribution of society, at the top of which there is a small number of rich people, and below are the poor layers of the population. With this distribution of power and finances in the state, people are divided into rich and poor, without a middle class layer.

If the structure of the state is a diamond, at the top of which there are also those in power, at the bottom the poor, but the largest layer between them is the middle peasants, then there are no clearly expressed social and class contradictions in it. The political structure in such a country is more stable, the economy is highly developed, and social protection of the low-income population is provided by government and charitable organizations.

Today, many countries in South and Central America, Africa and Asia have a pyramidal structure, in which 80-90% of the population lives below the poverty line. They have an unstable political situation, military coups and revolutions often occur, which creates an imbalance in the world community, since other countries may be involved in their conflicts.

Political confrontations

Philosophy (science) defines the main causes of global problems as the separation of man and nature. Philosophers sincerely believe that it is enough for people to harmonize their inner world with the external environment, and problems will disappear. In fact, everything is somewhat more complicated.

In any state there are political forces, the rule of which determines not only the level and quality of life of its population, but also its entire foreign policy. For example, today there are aggressor countries that create military conflicts on the territories of other states. Their political system is opposed to defending the rights of their victims.

Since in our time almost all countries are economically connected with each other, it is also natural for them to unite against states that use a policy of violence. If 100 years ago the answer to military aggression was an armed conflict, today economic and political sanctions are applied that do not take human lives, but can completely destroy the economy of the aggressor country.

Military conflicts

The causes of global problems are often the result of small military conflicts. Unfortunately, even in the 21st century, with all its technologies and achievements in science, human consciousness remains at the level of thinking of representatives of the Middle Ages.

Although witches are not burned at the stake today, religious wars and terrorist attacks look no less savage than the Inquisition did in its time. The only effective measure to suppress military conflicts on the planet should be the unification of all countries against the aggressor. The fear of being economically, politically and culturally isolated must be stronger than the desire to attack the territory of a neighboring state.

Global Human Development

Sometimes the causes of global problems in the world manifest themselves on the basis of ignorance and cultural backwardness of some peoples. Today one can observe such contrasts, when in one country people prosper, create and live for the benefit of the state and each other, and in another they strive to gain access to nuclear developments. An example would be the confrontation between South and North Korea. Fortunately, there are more countries in which people seek to establish themselves through advances in science, medicine, technology, culture and the arts.

You can notice how the consciousness of humanity is changing, becoming a single organism. For example, scientists from different countries can work on the same project in order to combine the efforts of the best minds to implement it faster.

Ways to solve problems

If we briefly list the reasons for the emergence of global problems of humanity, they will be:

• bad ecology;
• the presence of economically underdeveloped countries;
• military conflicts;
• political and religious confrontations;
• rapid population growth.

To solve these problems, countries must become even more interconnected with each other to join forces to eliminate the consequences that are occurring on the planet.