ABSTRACT
The last millennjum cha!lge on this planet took place under very different conditions from those found today, In China, the Sung dynasty, wilh its giant ;netropolitan centres, delicate paintings and moving poetry, had by the year w 1000 oeen established for 40 years, Islamic culture had welded disparate peoples over an area stretching from Spain to central Asia and northern India into a single cliltural unit In Mexico, the lowland Mayan civilization had collapsed and the Toltecs were building the first great Meso-Arnerican civilization, ln Africa, Arab culture flourished in the
north~ the k!ngdcms of Kanem and Ghana, with their substantial swne-built houses, held sway in the west and in the east the influence of the Ethiopian empire was waning, !n Europe, the Cluny Abbey had just been rebuilt for the fi:-st time. V\la~erpmver was being m~.xe effectively harnessed than in Roman times and ir:novative credit instruments were being developed, Aiter centuries of exporting "tnski!led labour and raw material, the region was now becoming an exponer industrial products - while importing chemicals fot doth manufacture in the cities of n.ortl1ern Italy and Flanders (Gies 19941 Lacey a::rd Danziger 1999),
One thousand years late1~ the planel is als,:1 pmsed on the threshold of a ne,v ere ~ Oi1e in v;Thict tS1e disparate divisions that have abNays separated human beings in 0ne area frvm those in another oxe finally disappearing, Globalization and electronic communications are effecting a profound :evolution. The Industrial Revolution of the 19th century is being
replaced by the Commun!catio~s Revolution. This chapter provides a background perspective to
the environmental changes covered in the rest of the report. It describes the main drivers of environmental change - ·the economy, popdation growth, political
organi;~ation) conflict, peace and security, and regionalizatiorL It then assesses the main Gangers and opportunities presented by the beginnir1g of the third millennium: globahzation 1 trade, international debt
demo~Taphy, the consamer culture, technology and transport. Finally) it examines responses to the situation, covering environmental policies, the changing concept of development! science and research, bus;cness C'<1'1d. industry, employment a:1d consumer awa.reness.
