What is the world’s greatest challenge in the coming decade?

Kohut's polls show that our concern for the environment is finally catching up with worries over weapons, hunger and poverty.

Question: What are the world's biggest challenges?

Andrew Kohut: I don’t know if we can only rely on the polls or the public opinion to determine these challenges; but certainly what comes up in these polls recently is how much more . . . how much greater concern there is for the environment. The environment is . . . We ask people, “What are your dominant concerns?” The environment now rivals, if not exceeds, concern about weapons of mass destruction, and concern about hunger and . . . and poverty in some places. I mean there’s a very crowded global agenda; but what’s bumping up these days is all around the world, people are being concerned that the environment is being despoiled.

Recorded on: 9/14/07