This annual volume, written by the staff of the award-winning Worldwatch Institute, gives prominence to key trends that too often escape the attention of the news media, world leaders and economic experts. By distilling forty-five "vital signs" of our times from thousands of government, industrial, and scientific documents, this book allows readers to track key indicators that show social, economic and environmental progress, or the lack of it. This 2002 edition presents information on environmental and sustainable development topics such as global warming, population growth, transgenic crops, HIV/AIDS, international trade, and Internet use. Each trend is presented in both text and graphics, providing a thorough, well-documented and very accessible overview.