Figure 7.13 Resources cycleUntil recently, developments in local economies and local environments
were dispersed and, to a great extent, isolated. They did not typically result in
cumulative processes that had a widespread or global impact. However, as with
the economy, over the past century or so, the growth of human populations
throughout the world (and the greater vigor with which these populations have
negatively affected the environment in their pursuit of higher production and
consumption levels) has led to a significant increase in global environmental
disruption. The effects of these disruptions have become increasingly
interlinked. A global environment—a set of interrelated processes and causes
and effects, not simply a group of unrelated ecological events—has come into
being.
World Bank
The World Bank is a source of financial and technical assistance to developing
countries around the world. The World Bank (owned by 188 member countries)
provides low-interest loans, interest-free credit, and grants to developing