Global Problems Global problems affect the modern world. Today's rapid changes have made countries more interdependent than ever, reducing the world to a global village. As the world becomes smaller and smaller, events that occur in one area have a greater impact on other parts of the world. National borders do not limit the effects of pollution or environmental destruction. Poverty in some areas also affects other areas due to migration and its impact on the world economy. Three examples of global problems affecting the modern world are famine, pollution, and terrorism. Only a few countries are able to produce more food than their citizens need. In the rest of the world, hunger and malnutrition are commonplace. In developing countries, approximately 150 million children under five go to bed hungry every night. Climate change and erosion have made the problem worse in some places like Somalia. Furthermore, any progress in producing more food is often accompanied by a corresponding increase in population. Terrorism can be defined as the use of violence against civilians for political purposes. It draws attention to a group's grievances and is used to scare governments into making concessions. Many radical groups use terrorism. The IRA, for example, used terrorism against the English in an attempt to unify Ireland. In the 1960s and 1970s the PLO used terrorism against Israel, viewing it as self-defense against what it considered “Israeli terrorism,” the occupation of Palestinian lands. The governments of Iraq, Iran, Syria and Libya have not only aided Palestinian terrorists, but have also used terrorism to silence their opponents. Terrorist organizations used the following tactics: hostage-taking, bombings and political assassinations. Industrial growth is often accompanied by an increase in the amount of pollutants released into the air. They cause problems such as acid rain and increase the number of people suffering from respiratory diseases. Another serious threat to our environment is the destruction of the ozone layer, which protects the earth from the harmful effects of solar radiation. Additionally, increased emissions of carbon dioxide and pollutants into the atmosphere appear to be making the earth warmer.