Bibliograph

Grand transitions, how the modern world was made, Vaclav Smil

Type

Label

Grand transitions, how the modern world was made, Vaclav Smil

Language

eng

Bibliography note

Includes bibliographical references and index

Illustrations

illustrations

Index

index present

Literary Form

non fiction

Main title

Grand transitions

Nature of contents

bibliography

Oclc number

1200832076

Responsibility statement

Vaclav Smil

Sub title

how the modern world was made

Summary

"The modern world was created through the combination and complex interactions of five grand transitions. First, the demographic transition changed the total numbers, dynamics, structure, and residential pattern of populations. The agricultural and dietary transition led to the emergence of highly productive cropping and animal husbandry (subsidized by fossil energies and electricity), which eliminated famines, reduced malnutrition, and improved the health of populations but also resulted in enormous food waste and had many environmental consequences. The energy transition brought the world from traditional biomass fuels and human and animal labor to fossil fuel, ever more efficient electricity, lights, and motors, which transformed both agricultural and industrial production and enabled mass-scale mobility and instant communication. Economic transition has been marked by relatively high growth rates of total national and global product, by fundamental structural transformation (from farming to industries to services) and by an increasing share of humanity living in affluent societies, enjoying unprecedented quality of life. These transitions have made many intensifying demands on the environment, resulting in ecosystemic degradation, loss of biodiversity, pollution, and eventually change on the planetary level, with global warming being the most worrisome development. This book traces the genesis of these transitions, their interactions and complicated progress as well as their outcomes and impacts, explaining how the modern world was made-and then offers a forward-thinking examination of some key unfolding transitions and appraising their challenges and possible results"--, Provided by publisher

Table Of Contents

Epochal transitions -- Populations -- Agricultures and diets -- Energies -- Economies -- Environment -- Outcomes and outlooks

Classification