Global ecological paradigms. II. Socio-economic aspects

In the context of the book ″Earth in the Balance. Ecology and the Human Spirit″ by Al.Gore key socio-economic issues of global ecodynamics have been discussed. Social, economic, philosophical, and political problems of securing sustainable development have been analyzed. Special attention has been paid to problems of disfunctional civilization (and, in this connection, to demographic dynamics) as well as to Strategic Environment Initiative. Potential economic measures for broad introduction of ecologically sound technologies have been characterized in detail, as well as necessary political decisions. A brief survey of the conception of self-organized criticality as a basis for understanding the contemporary stage of the civilization development has been made.