Figure 6.13 Worldwide malnutrition■ FRESHWATER: The supply of freshwater is finite, but demand is soaring as
the population grows and per capita use rises.
■ GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE: Earth’s surface is warming due to greenhouse
gas emissions, largely from burning fossil fuels. If the global temperature
rises as projected, sea levels would rise by several meters, causing
widespread flooding, with global warming projected to cause droughts
and disrupt agriculture.
■ PUBLIC HEALTH AND INCREASE IN DISEASE: Unclean water, along with poor
sanitation, kills over 12 million people each year, most in developing
countries. Air pollution kills nearly 3 million more. Heavy metals and
other contaminants also cause widespread health problems.
The World Health Organization estimates that, by 2020, tobacco-
related illnesses, including heart disease, cancer, and respiratory disorders,
will be the world’s leading cause of death and will be responsible for more
deaths than AIDS, tuberculosis, road accidents, murder, and suicide
combined. In 2017, the economic cost of smoking tobacco was more than
$300 billion, which included $170 billion in direct medical care and more
than $156 billion in lost productivity due to premature death and exposure
to secondhand smoke.
■ UNEQUAL DISTRIBUTION OF WEALTH AND GOVERNMENTAL PRIORITIES:
Rapid population growth rates can make it politically difficult for