Abstract
The 20th century was an era of expansion. Every human activity expanded drastically, revealing that the earth is finite. The concentration of atmospheric C02 started to increase sharply (Fig. 1), and the concentration of ozone in the ozone layer decreased. Also, a significant portion of the natural environment on the earth was lost. For example, as much as 40% of the forests have already been lost through conversion into agricultural land, urban areas, or arid land. If the expansion of the 20th century continues, the future will be bleak in the 21st century, and degradation of the environment and depletion of natural resources will prevail.
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© 2004 Springer Japan
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Komiyama, H., Osawa, T. (2004). Global Sustainability and the Role of Asia. In: Sasaki, T. (eds) Nature and Human Communities. Springer, Tokyo. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-4-431-53967-4_10
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-4-431-53967-4_10
Publisher Name: Springer, Tokyo
Print ISBN: 978-4-431-67970-7
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