Global Problems Smart Solutions

A high profile thought experiment asks leading scholars to make cases for spending additional aid money to combat major world problems.

In this book leading economists evaluate how the world can best spend money to combat the world's biggest problems.

Every four years since 2004, the Copenhagen Consensus Center has organized and hosted a high profile thought experiment about how a hypothetical extra $75 billion of development assistance money might best be spent to solve twelve of the major crises facing the world today. Collated in this specially commissioned book, a group of more than 50 experts make their cases for investment, discussing how to combat problems ranging from armed conflicts, corruption and trade barriers, to natural disasters, hunger, education and climate change. For each case, 'Alternative Perspectives' are also included to provide a critique and make other suggestions for investment. In addition, a panel of senior economists, including four Nobel Laureates, rank the attractiveness of each policy proposal in terms of its anticipated cost-benefit ratio. This thought-provoking book opens up debate, encouraging readers to come up with their own rankings and decide which solutions are smarter than others.

Green sets forth a global 10-step plan to halt the present environmental problems and start humanity on a road to a world that is truly worth living in.

KEY FEATURES: Transforming our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which recognizes a single global system and the interdependence of problems across national borders, is used as a framework that explores three broad themes - "Building Human Capital," "Incivility," and "Our Environments" Rich data in easily-understood language highlights the relationships among problems and supporting claims and shows the importance of evidence as well as how to find patterns and analyze data. Mini research exercises guide students in gathering and analyzing data from online sources such as Amnesty International and the World Bank, teaching them how important social facts and forces are measured. Opening vignettes focus on lived experiences in different regions of the world, illustrating the connection between personal problems and larger social and political forces. Critical thinking questions, requiring students to confront moral and ethical questions and to weigh evidence to form an opinion, help them to see the complexity of global issues. Examples of how civil society organizations address social problems demonstrate how citizen groups can influence governments and international organizations.

The failure of the Copenhagen climate conference in December 2009 revealed major flaws in the way the world's policy makers have attempted to prevent dangerous levels of increases in global temperatures. The expert authors in this specially commissioned collection focus on the likely costs and benefits of a very wide range of policy options, including geo-engineering, mitigation of CO2, methane and 'black carbon', expanding forest, research and development of low-carbon energy and encouraging green technology transfer. For each policy, authors outline all of the costs, benefits and likely outcomes, in fully referenced, clearly presented chapters accompanied by shorter, critical alternative perspectives. To further stimulate debate, a panel of economists, including three Nobel laureates, evaluate and rank the attractiveness of the policies. This authoritative and thought-provoking book will challenge readers to form their own conclusions about the best ways to respond to global warming.

Bjorn Lomborg challenges world-class economists to describe the costs and benefits of a range of policies to combat global warming.

With the rise of information and communication technologies in today’s world, many regions have begun to adapt into more resource-efficient communities. Integrating technology into a region’s use of resources, also known as smart territories, is becoming a trending topic of research. Understanding the relationship between these innovative techniques and how they impact social innovation is vital when analyzing the sustainable growth of highly populated regions. The Handbook of Research on Smart Territories and Entrepreneurial Ecosystems for Social Innovation and Sustainable Growth is a pivotal reference source that provides vital research on the global practices and initiatives of smart territories as well as their impact on sustainable development in different communities. While highlighting topics such as waste management, social innovation, and digital optimization, this publication is ideally designed for civil engineers, urban planners, policymakers, economists, administrators, social scientists, business executives, researchers, educators, and students seeking current research on the development of smart territories and entrepreneurship in various environments.