The World's Biggest Problems
The World’s Biggest Problems portal has a simple, clear mission: educating people all around the world about the biggest problems facing humanity. These problems have two criteria, they must be global in scope, and have the potential to rapidly escalate into severe crises.
* Economic Collapse : Fragilities in the current global economy could tip the developed world into conditions not seen since the 1920s.
* Peak Oil : Petroleum has powered the modern world for almost 100 years; today, many industry insiders say that we may be reaching a permanent peak in oil production.
* Global Water Crisis : Over the last 50 years the human population has nearly tripled, while industrial pollution, unsustainable agriculture, and poor civic planning have decreased the overall water supply.
* Species Extinction : Certain species that human beings depend upon for our food supply are going extinct; if their numbers fall too low we may face extinction ourselves.
* Rapid Climate Change : While the debate rages on about the causes of climate change, global warming is an empirical fact. The problem is both a curse and blessing, in that people from different cultures will either have to work together or face mutual destruction.
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WBP fulfills its role in several ways:
* Content Aggregation : WBP utilizes the collective intelligence of its users by allowing them to independantly add content, ensuring that only the most relevant and timely information is pulled to the site.
* Sophisticated Filtration : The WBP tagging system filters and sorts information in a way that is natural and intuitive. It allows for users to filter content not only by problem, but also by specific issues within or between problems.
* Provides Objectivity : In a world where zero sum advocacy is the norm, WBP offers overviews of all the problems that seek to inform, not persuade, the reader.
* Gives its Users a Voice: All WBP users can post a personal blog on the site, giving them the ability to share their views with thousands of like minded people from all over the world.
Economic Collapse
The global economy binds together the fate of the international community and all its member nations. It precludes the possibility of a third World War, and exposes individuals all over the world to new ideas, products, and information. Today, the world economy is facing two looming crises.
The U.S., by far the world’s largest and most powerful economy, is completely in debt at the individual, institutional, and governmental levels. The Dollar is at its lowest rate in years, and the fundamental driver of the US economy – the housing market – appears to be coming undone. Well respected investors like Warren Buffet and George Soros, as well as Intellectual Property expert Dr. David Martin, are beginning to warn of a coming economic collapse.
Throughout the developed world, demographic trends that began centuries ago are coming to a point; people are living longer than every before, while having fewer children than at any other point in human history. As the Baby Boomer generation retires, governments with already strained budgets are scrambling to fund the retirement programs they have promised. Most nations find themselves having to choose between raising taxes or cutting benefits, with both options seriously threatening the stability of the modern world…
Peak Oil
Petroleum powers 96% of the transportation on the planet and is the key ingredient in plastics and fertilizers. Its integral role in human civilization cannot be overestimated - without it modern life would be impossible. Over the last century, the global petroleum supply could be counted on to meet demand; today however, the situation appears to be changing.
The developing world - led by China and India - is modernizing at a blistering pace, and their appetite for oil is driving up demand all over the globe. At the same time, production is declining in all but a few countries.
For decades, scientists, government officials, and business leaders have warned of Peak Oil, the point at which global petroleum production reaches its maximum level and begins to drop. While many official sources claim that Peak Oil is decades away, numerous signals suggest that Peak Oil may happen much sooner than that…
Global Water Crisis
Water - the essential ingredient for life on this planet – is becoming an increasingly scarce resource. According to the World Bank and World Health Organization, 2 billion people lack access to clean water and 1 billion people do not have enough to even meet their daily needs.
Every day an increasing amount of pollution seeps into rivers and lakes making them toxic to humans, and underground aquifers – our most significant sources of water – are being depleted at an alarming rate.
By 2050 the number of people on the planet is projected to exceed 9 billion, and if current trends continue more and more useable water will be lost. Making an adequate supply of water available to everyone alive today is a monumental task, and ensuring that there is enough water for all future generations will require an unprecedented level of international cooperation and compassion…
Species Extinction
Modern science has shown that nature is not always “red in tooth and claw”, but rather that cooperation is often the norm. Human beings often act as if we are in direct competition with every other form of life, when in truth our very survival depends on a myriad of species from simple bacteria to complex mammals.
Today, human activities are causing a massive extinction of species, the full implications of which are barely understood. Rising ocean temperatures reduce the ability of plankton to reproduce, thereby undermining the entire oceanic ecosystem. Commercial fishing’s increasing size and scope threaten to empty of the ocean of fish within several decades.
Modern agricultural practices strip the Earth of its thin layer of topsoil through water and wind erosion, destroying this precious micro ecosystem that takes centuries to form and supports all life on land. Furthermore, bee populations are plummeting as a result of mite infestations and a mysterious problem called Colony Collapse Disorder. Over 70% of our food is pollinated by bees; if bee populations fall too far, our food supplies will be seriously threatened. . .
Rapid Climate Change
The global warming debate, despite having vociferous proponents on each side, appears to have been decided. Global warming is very real, and it is the preeminent danger to human civilization today. The rising global temperature threatens to create catastrophic weather systems, crop failures, disease outbreaks, and water shortages worldwide.
Emissions of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane are trapping heat within the Earths’ atmosphere, slowly increasing the overall temperature. These emissions are the byproduct of our modern way of life, and to halt them would require a voluntary shift in the very structure of our society, a move unprecedented in human history.
To not take action, however, would be to alter the very chemical composition of our planet. Life on Earth evolved over hundreds of millions of years to survive within very specific conditions, and those conditions are changing...
The World’s Biggest Problems portal has a simple, clear mission: educating people all around the world about the biggest problems facing humanity. These problems have two criteria, they must be global in scope, and have the potential to rapidly escalate into severe crises.
* Economic Collapse : Fragilities in the current global economy could tip the developed world into conditions not seen since the 1920s.
* Peak Oil : Petroleum has powered the modern world for almost 100 years; today, many industry insiders say that we may be reaching a permanent peak in oil production.
* Global Water Crisis : Over the last 50 years the human population has nearly tripled, while industrial pollution, unsustainable agriculture, and poor civic planning have decreased the overall water supply.
* Species Extinction : Certain species that human beings depend upon for our food supply are going extinct; if their numbers fall too low we may face extinction ourselves.
* Rapid Climate Change : While the debate rages on about the causes of climate change, global warming is an empirical fact. The problem is both a curse and blessing, in that people from different cultures will either have to work together or face mutual destruction.
Get your FREE account with AlertPay
WBP fulfills its role in several ways:
* Content Aggregation : WBP utilizes the collective intelligence of its users by allowing them to independantly add content, ensuring that only the most relevant and timely information is pulled to the site.
* Sophisticated Filtration : The WBP tagging system filters and sorts information in a way that is natural and intuitive. It allows for users to filter content not only by problem, but also by specific issues within or between problems.
* Provides Objectivity : In a world where zero sum advocacy is the norm, WBP offers overviews of all the problems that seek to inform, not persuade, the reader.
* Gives its Users a Voice: All WBP users can post a personal blog on the site, giving them the ability to share their views with thousands of like minded people from all over the world.
Economic Collapse
The global economy binds together the fate of the international community and all its member nations. It precludes the possibility of a third World War, and exposes individuals all over the world to new ideas, products, and information. Today, the world economy is facing two looming crises.
The U.S., by far the world’s largest and most powerful economy, is completely in debt at the individual, institutional, and governmental levels. The Dollar is at its lowest rate in years, and the fundamental driver of the US economy – the housing market – appears to be coming undone. Well respected investors like Warren Buffet and George Soros, as well as Intellectual Property expert Dr. David Martin, are beginning to warn of a coming economic collapse.
Throughout the developed world, demographic trends that began centuries ago are coming to a point; people are living longer than every before, while having fewer children than at any other point in human history. As the Baby Boomer generation retires, governments with already strained budgets are scrambling to fund the retirement programs they have promised. Most nations find themselves having to choose between raising taxes or cutting benefits, with both options seriously threatening the stability of the modern world…
Peak Oil
Petroleum powers 96% of the transportation on the planet and is the key ingredient in plastics and fertilizers. Its integral role in human civilization cannot be overestimated - without it modern life would be impossible. Over the last century, the global petroleum supply could be counted on to meet demand; today however, the situation appears to be changing.
The developing world - led by China and India - is modernizing at a blistering pace, and their appetite for oil is driving up demand all over the globe. At the same time, production is declining in all but a few countries.
For decades, scientists, government officials, and business leaders have warned of Peak Oil, the point at which global petroleum production reaches its maximum level and begins to drop. While many official sources claim that Peak Oil is decades away, numerous signals suggest that Peak Oil may happen much sooner than that…
Global Water Crisis
Water - the essential ingredient for life on this planet – is becoming an increasingly scarce resource. According to the World Bank and World Health Organization, 2 billion people lack access to clean water and 1 billion people do not have enough to even meet their daily needs.
Every day an increasing amount of pollution seeps into rivers and lakes making them toxic to humans, and underground aquifers – our most significant sources of water – are being depleted at an alarming rate.
By 2050 the number of people on the planet is projected to exceed 9 billion, and if current trends continue more and more useable water will be lost. Making an adequate supply of water available to everyone alive today is a monumental task, and ensuring that there is enough water for all future generations will require an unprecedented level of international cooperation and compassion…
Species Extinction
Modern science has shown that nature is not always “red in tooth and claw”, but rather that cooperation is often the norm. Human beings often act as if we are in direct competition with every other form of life, when in truth our very survival depends on a myriad of species from simple bacteria to complex mammals.
Today, human activities are causing a massive extinction of species, the full implications of which are barely understood. Rising ocean temperatures reduce the ability of plankton to reproduce, thereby undermining the entire oceanic ecosystem. Commercial fishing’s increasing size and scope threaten to empty of the ocean of fish within several decades.
Modern agricultural practices strip the Earth of its thin layer of topsoil through water and wind erosion, destroying this precious micro ecosystem that takes centuries to form and supports all life on land. Furthermore, bee populations are plummeting as a result of mite infestations and a mysterious problem called Colony Collapse Disorder. Over 70% of our food is pollinated by bees; if bee populations fall too far, our food supplies will be seriously threatened. . .
Rapid Climate Change
The global warming debate, despite having vociferous proponents on each side, appears to have been decided. Global warming is very real, and it is the preeminent danger to human civilization today. The rising global temperature threatens to create catastrophic weather systems, crop failures, disease outbreaks, and water shortages worldwide.
Emissions of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane are trapping heat within the Earths’ atmosphere, slowly increasing the overall temperature. These emissions are the byproduct of our modern way of life, and to halt them would require a voluntary shift in the very structure of our society, a move unprecedented in human history.
To not take action, however, would be to alter the very chemical composition of our planet. Life on Earth evolved over hundreds of millions of years to survive within very specific conditions, and those conditions are changing...
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