Half the 40 million people in
the swarming metropolis are unemployed, the air is thick with pollution,
food and water are precious as jewels. This was the world of the future
as envisaged in the sci-fi thriller, Soylent green, 1973. Now, according
to the World Bank, it could come true unless there are dramatic and
immediate changes to the way we live.
Looking into its crystal ball, the
Bank sees a world of nine billion people by mid-century generating a
global GDP of $140 trillion a year. This staggering four-fold increase
in the size of the world economy would guarantee a reduction in the
1.2 billion people living on less than $1 a day, but the Bank argues
that the price will be environmental castrophe, social breakdown and
lower living standards for everyone if policies remain unchanged.
