Fertility rates in many European nations and Japan have dropped below the replacement rate, causing concern that shortages of labor and productivity could threaten the quality of life.

For instance, inferior-quality medicines not only aggravate a patient's condition, but also tend to threaten his life and, what's worse, to result in his death.

Ocean waters are becoming warmer and more acidic, and sea levels are rising. All these changes threaten life in the oceans.