Top Six Threats to Civilization

The last two decades have seen the ever-accelerating development of new technologies, from the internet and software applications to artificial intelligence, drones, and robotics. Alongside these advances, a new global threat has emerged: cyberterrorism. Through full-color photographs, sidebars, and a glossary, students will learn about different types of cyberattacks and cyberterrorists and the real and potential impacts they can have, as well as how nations and individuals are fighting back against this looming threat.

The world is now home to more than 7.5 billion people, and the population is growing faster than ever before. Many experts have questioned whether Earth can sustain this growing population, or whether famine and water shortages are an inevitable result. Middle school readers will discover all the challenges in food and water production that humans face today, and learn about global efforts to battle the threat of food shortages. Full-color photographs, sidebars, and a glossary aid in their understanding of the issue.

Since before history began, the human species has been waging a war. Viruses have claimed countless lives and have swept through civilizations in deadly pandemics. Certain viruses, such as Ebola, hantavirus, and strains of influenza, still pose a threat today. Some scientists believe that a large outbreak of an extremely deadly infectious disease is likely to occur soon. A virus could either develop naturally or be created by terrorists or hostile states for use as a weapon. This book uses photographs, sidebars, and a glossary to explain the most pressing of these threats we face today, and what individuals and organizations are doing to prevent an outbreak.

There are more than sixteen thousand nuclear weapons in the world today, almost all of them significantly more powerful than the two atomic bombs that killed as many as 240,000 people in Japan during World War II. With the aid of sidebars, full-color images, and a glossary, young readers will learn about the history of modern nuclear weapons, from the Manhattan Project and the standoff of the Cold War to the recent concerns surrounding nuclear programs in Iran and North Korea. This book also examines protections that have been put in place to prevent nuclear confrontation on a global scale.

Financial meltdowns could leave whole nations destitute, ruin businesses, and cause major social and political upheavals. How likely is it that such a disastrous chain of events could really play out, and what are countries, companies, organizations, and individuals doing to prevent such a scenario? Readers will dive into the complex history of past financial meltdowns, such as the Great Depression and the global financial crisis of 2008, all illustrated with color photographs, sidebars, and a glossary, to learn about all the factors that may contribute to similar disasters in the future.

Rising ocean temperatures, melting glaciers, and widespread climate change have caused food shortages, threatened human settlements, and endangered wildlife. Accelerated global warming caused by pollution and the excessive release of greenhouse gases may be the most pressing threat our planet faces today, and it is key that children understand the complexity of this issue from an early age. Readers will learn the science behind global warming with the aid of full-color photographs and charts, a glossary, and sidebars. They will also discover what individuals, nations, and organizations such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the Nature Conservancy can do to save the planet.