“And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.”
That line is part of Desiderata, the prose poem written by Max Ehrmann in the 1920s. It came to mind this week upon perusal of Vital Signs 2006-2007, the annual report from the Washington, D.C., based Worldwatch Institute in which it notes “the trends that are shaping our future.”
Every time the report comes out, I am by turns pleased and alarmed as each chapter discusses world progress gauged by institute-chosen indicators. Doubtless different groups would choose different indicators, which should be considered as one reads.
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Worrisome drop in grain prices
Prices had been softening for most of the previous month, but heading into the Labour Day long weekend, the price drops were startling.
But is the universe unfolding as it should? Consider these headlines from the report, and the answer would be a hopeful affirmative: Wind Power Blowing Strong. Global Economy Grows Again. Number of Violent Conflicts Drops.
But there are other chapters, ones that make one worry about what’s unfolding: HIV/AIDS Threatens Development. Plant Diversity Endangered. Obesity Reaches Epidemic Levels.
The chapter on food and agriculture trends, which are of particular interest to this readership, makes the following points:
¥ The world’s harvest of wheat, rice, corn and other grains that make up the majority of our diets held nearly steady in 2005 at 2,015 million tons.
¥ World cereal stocks continue their long-term decrease. They now stand at about 22 percent of annual consumption, the equivalent of about 80 days worth.
¥ Worldwide meat consumption grew in 2005 with 265 million tons produced. Global meat production has increased fivefold since the 1950s.
¥ Nearly 60 percent of the meat consumed worldwide is eaten by people in developing countries.
¥ In 2004, world exports of pesticides reached $15.9 billion, a new high. France, Germany, the United States and the United Kingdom lead the world in both exports and imports of pesticides.
In the chapter on energy and climate trends, the institute reports on biofuels:
¥ Production of fuel ethanol jumped 19 percent in 2005 to 36.5 billion litres.
¥ The U.S. and Brazil dominate the ethanol market, while Europe had nearly 90 percent of the biodiesel market in 2005.
Does realization of positive trends encourage their development? And does similar realization of alarming directions prompt us to take action? Those of us in the news and information business base our daily activities on that fervent hope.
As to the proper unfolding of the universe as mentioned in the poem, I guess we should keep in mind that, in Latin, Desiderata means “things to be desired.”
