In State of the World 2001, the Worldwatch Institute's award-winning research team tackles the great challenge of our rapidly globalizing world: how to use our political systems to manage the difficult and complex relationships between the global economy and the Earth's ecosystems. The book provides concerned citizens and national leaders with a comprehensive analysis of threatening environmental trends--from the growing pollution of groundwater to the increasing toll of "unnatural" disasters to the effects of the developing world's staggering $2 trillion debt--and emerging solutions to turn those trends around.Written in clear and concise language, with easy-to-read charts and tables, State of the World 2001 presents a view of our changing world that we, and our leaders, cannot afford to ignore.