Book Description
Many people believe that globalization and its key components have made matters worse for humanity and the environment. Indur M. Goklany exposes this as a complete myth and challenges people to consider how much worse the world would be without them. Goklany confronts foes of globalization and demonstrates that economic growth, technological change and free trade helped to power a cycle of progress that in the last two centuries enabled unprecedented improvements in every objective measurement of human well-being. His analysis is accompanied by an extensive range of charts, historical data, and statistics. The Improving State of the World represents an important contribution to the environment versus development debate and collects in one volume for the first time the long-term trends in a broad array of the most significant indicators of human and environmental well-being, and their dependence on economic development and technological change. While noting that the record is more complicated on the environmental front, the author shows how innovation, increased affluence and key institutions have combined to address environmental degradation. The author notes that the early stages of development can indeed cause environmental problems, but additional development creates greater wealth allowing societies to create and afford cleaner technologies. Development becomes the solution rather than the problem. He maintains that restricting globalization would therefore hamper further progress in improving human and environmental well-being, and surmounting future environmental or natural resource limits to growth. **Key points from the book** * The rates at which hunger and malnutrition have been decreasing in India since 1950 and in China since 1961 are striking. By 2002 China's food supply had gone up 80%, and India's increased by 50%. Overall, these types of increases in the food supply have reduced chronic undernourishment in developing countries from 37 to 17%, despite an overall 83% growth in their populations. * Economic freedom has increased in 102 of the 113 countries for which data is available for both 1990 and 2000. * Disability in the older population of such developed countries as the U.S., Canada, France, are in decline. In the U.S. for example, the disability rate dropped 1.3 % each year between 1982 and 1994 for persons aged 65 and over. * Between 1970 and the early 2000s, the global illiteracy rated dropped from 46 to 18 percent. * Much of the improvements in the United States for the air and water quality indicators preceded the enactment of stringent national environmental laws as the Clean Air Act of 1970, Clean Water Act of 1972, and the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974. * Between 1897-1902 and 1992-1994, the U.S. retail prices of flour, bacon and potatoes relative to per capita income, dropped by 92, 85, and 82 percent respectively. And, the real global price of food commodities has declined 75% since 1950.
Customer Reviews:
Right, but... .......2007-06-22
Indur Goklany has written a very convincing and fact-filled work arguing that Mankind is thanks primarily to technological development on a progressive path towards greater and greater well- being. As the subtitle of the book says he argues that we are living longer , healthier more comfortable lives on a cleaner planet.
In an outstanding review of this book in 'Foreign Affairs'James Suroweicki suggests it is the Industrial Revolution that is at the heart of the economic and social transformation which is the subject of this book.
"In the West, above all, the effects of this transformation have been so massive as to be practically unfathomable. Real income, life expectancy, literacy and education rates, and food consumption have soared, while infant mortality, hours worked, and food prices have plummeted. And although the West has been the biggest beneficiary of these changes, the diffusion of technology, medicine, and agricultural techniques has meant that developing countries have enjoyed dramatic improvements in what the United Nations calls "human development indicators," even if most of their citizens remain poor. One consequence of this is that people at a given income level today are likely to be healthier and to live longer than people at the same income level did 40 or 50 years ago.
But Suroweicki takes objection to the idea that it is unregulated free market which alone can deal with environmental problems and points out that it is only through various government initiatives that the quality of air and water has improved in most Western cities.
This book does a good job of debunking the work of the doomsayer demographers of the Ehrlich, Club of Rome school which were at the heart of public awareness in the nineteen seventies.
To do this it amasses a tremendous amount of evidence as to the generally improved quality of life in most geographical regions. It does note the exceptions in sub- Saharan Africa and Russia.
Yet it does not give sufficient attention to such possibly catastrophic processes as nuclear proliferation. Nor does he consider the full effect of radical fundamentalist Islam both on the standards, level of economic development in Islamic societies- but on their general capacity for bringing through war disruption and even disaster to the world.
Nor does he consider the damage wrought by new technology on the family, and the overall mental health - profile of mankind. The great growth in mental illness, primarily Depression certainly is related to disruptive effects of new technology.
Thus while presenting a very convincing case that technological progress has given us longer, more prosperous lives Goklany does not reckon fully the negative consequences which have also come with this.
Antidote to Disaster.......2007-05-13
Probably one of the most important, well written, and throughly researched books on the topic of human development and the way we interact with our environment to come out in the past decade. It is a detailed and unapologetic look at what is really going on and where we should properly focus our attention in the future.
It is a brilliant answer to the eco-doom "best-sellers" that have proliferated recently. Highly recommended for those who want to KNOW, not just pontificate and pursue a political agenda.
Average customer rating:
- I Don't Work In Meat So I Found It Pointless!!
|
Meat Processing: Improving Quality
Manufacturer: CRC
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ASIN: 0849315395 |
Book Description
Meat is both a major food in its own right and a staple ingredient in many food products. With its distinguished editors and an international team of contributors, Meat Processing: Improving Quality reviews the latest research on what defines and determines meat quality, and how it can be maintained or improved during processing. After an analysis of what defines the quality of meat, Part 1 considers the various aspects of meat quality. It includes chapters on what determines the quality of raw meat, changing views of the nutritional quality of meat, and the factors determining quality attributes such as color and flavor. Part 2 then discusses how these aspects of quality are measured, beginning with the identification of appropriate quality indicators. It also covers both sensory analysis and instrumental methods, including on-line monitoring and microbiological analysis. The final part of the book reviews the range of new processing techniques that have been deployed at various stages in the supply chain. With its detailed and comprehensive coverage of what defines and determines meat quality, Meat Processing will be a standard reference for all those involved in the meat industry and meat research.
Customer Reviews:
I Don't Work In Meat So I Found It Pointless!!.......2004-09-20
Since I don't work in Meat this book is obviously not worth the money. While I enjoy eating meat quality control on meat is not that important to me. But I also think cows being slaughterd is funny and really tasty. To quote shakespeare, "To Be Or Not To Be..." Now don't I sound smart.
Book Description
Universities can teach and demonstrate environmental principles and stewardship by taking action to understand and reduce the environmental impacts of their own activities. Greening the Ivory Tower, a motivational and how-to guide for staff, faculty, and students, offers detailed "greening" strategies for those who may have little experience with institutional change or with the latest environmentally friendly technologies.
The author was project manager of Tufts CLEAN!, a program whose mission was to reduce Tufts University's environmental impact. After analyzing the campus's overall environmental impact (each year the main campus serves 5 million meals; makes 14 million photocopies; uses 65 tons of paper towels, 110 million gallons of water, and 23 million kWh of electricity; and generates over 2,000 tons of solid waste), the team decided to focus on food waste, transportation, energy efficiency, and procurement practices. An essential discovery was that to change practices requires the personal commitment and direct involvement of those who have the responsibility for operating the institution on a daily basis. Although the Tufts experience forms the basis for many of the proposals in the book, the story goes well beyond Tufts; the author includes examples of successful practices from many other institutions.
Average customer rating:
- Listen to Listening to the Sea
- Listen to Listen to the Sea
- Beautifully written, accesible history and science
|
Listening To The Sea: The Politics of Improving Environmental Protection (Pitt Series in Policy and Institutional Studies)
Robert Jay Wilder
Manufacturer: University of Pittsburgh Press
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Binding: Paperback
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Heal the Ocean: Solutions for Saving Our Seas
-
Natural Capitalism: Creating the Next Industrial Revolution
-
Approaching Democracy, 5th Edition
ASIN: 0822956632 |
Book Description
Through a rigorous integration of policy and science, Robert Wilder suggests a much-improved second-generation governance of the oceans and coasts and proposes new ideas for resolving the environmental policy stalemate found within the U.S. government.
Customer Reviews:
Listen to Listening to the Sea.......2001-05-19
In this book, a must-read for anyone interested in the sea, Robert Jay Wilder gives us a new and rational slant on the problems and stewardship of the oceans. Rather than painting scapegoats, he gives the reader an unbiased history of current maritime dangers ( from overfishing to competing maritime bureaucracies), and then presents sensible solutions.'Listening to the Sea' doesn't blame, it heals.
Along the way, there are many pearls to keep things interesting - from cannon range leading to the three-mile limit to how fuel cells work. The meat of the book lies in its clear outlining of the precautionary principle, the philosophy underlying sensible reform of our relationship to the oceans. Wilder makes a compelling claim that combining this with an integrated management plan that uses marine reserves, something akin to Australia's approach to the Great Barrier Reef, offers the best chance to save our oceans.
Listen to Listen to the Sea.......2001-05-19
In this book, a must-read for anyone interested in the sea, Robert Jay Wilder gives us a new and rational slant on the problems and stewardship of the oceans. Rather than painting scapegoats, he gives the reader an unbiased history of current maritime dangers (from overfishing to competing maritime bureaucracies), and then presents sensible solutions.'Listening to the Sea' doesn't blame, it heals.
Along the way, there are many pearls to keep things interesting - from cannon range leading to the three-mile limit to how fuel cells work. The meat of the book lies in its clear outlining of the precautionary principle, the philosophy underlying sensible reform of our relationship to the oceans. Wilder makes a compelling claim that combining this with an integrated management plan that includes marine reserves, something akin to Australia's approach to the Great Barrier Reef, offers the best chance to save our oceans.
Beautifully written, accesible history and science.......1999-11-19
"Listening to the Sea" describes the gradual development of territorial sea limits that grew outof military, then fishery protection, concerns that have no relevance whatever to the proper governance of the sea and its resources but which continue to this day to create boundaries where none really exist. Wilder presents a wealth of historical information in a way that is easy to read and retain. He traces the history of federal-state struggles concerning authority over the exploitation of offshore oil and other resources which underpin current issues about the proper uses of the outer continental shelf and how to allocate federal funds related to OCS. Wilder follows the development of US environmental legislation and the inernational agreements that increasingly are required to find solutions to problems that extend across the "notional" borders nations have created at sea, arguing for an emphasis on prevention rather than cure, the extension of the precautionary principle to all national and international rule-making, and the development of a "holistic" approach to all questions involving the seas and the wildlife that live in them. This covers the substance to be found in the book, but not its effect. It is beautifully written. It's hard to avoid a sense that Wilder may be overoptimistic about the potential for the development of a more "enlightened self interest" to prevail in the governance of the oceans. But "Listening to the Seas" does leave you feeling better about the future and possibilities for scientists and policymakers to work together and for international agreements that might begin to turn around some of the awful trends we've seen in the last 20 years. While things have changed for the worse environmentally, they have changed greatly for the better in terms of the public's recognition of those facts and issues.
Book Description
Many people believe that globalization and its key components have made matters worse for humanity and the environment. Indur M. Goklany exposes this as a complete myth and challenges people to consider how much worse the world would be without them. Goklany confronts foes of globalization and demonstrates that economic growth, technological change and free trade helped to power a cycle of progress that in the last two centuries enabled unprecedented improvements in every objective measurement of human well-being. His analysis is accompanied by an extensive range of charts, historical data, and statistics. The Improving State of the World represents an important contribution to the environment versus development debate and collects in one volume for the first time the long-term trends in a broad array of the most significant indicators of human and environmental well-being, and their dependence on economic development and technological change. While noting that the record is more complicated on the environmental front, the author shows how innovation, increased affluence and key institutions have combined to address environmental degradation. The author notes that the early stages of development can indeed cause environmental problems, but additional development creates greater wealth allowing societies to create and afford cleaner technologies. Development becomes the solution rather than the problem. He maintains that restricting globalization would therefore hamper further progress in improving human and environmental well-being, and surmounting future environmental or natural resource limits to growth. **Key points from the book** * The rates at which hunger and malnutrition have been decreasing in India since 1950 and in China since 1961 are striking. By 2002 China's food supply had gone up 80%, and India's increased by 50%. Overall, these types of increases in the food supply have reduced chronic undernourishment in developing countries from 37 to 17%, despite an overall 83% growth in their populations. * Economic freedom has increased in 102 of the 113 countries for which data is available for both 1990 and 2000. * Disability in the older population of such developed countries as the U.S., Canada, France, are in decline. In the U.S. for example, the disability rate dropped 1.3 % each year between 1982 and 1994 for persons aged 65 and over. * Between 1970 and the early 2000s, the global illiteracy rated dropped from 46 to 18 percent. * Much of the improvements in the United States for the air and water quality indicators preceded the enactment of stringent national environmental laws as the Clean Air Act of 1970, Clean Water Act of 1972, and the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974. * Between 1897-1902 and 1992-1994, the U.S. retail prices of flour, bacon and potatoes relative to per capita income, dropped by 92, 85, and 82 percent respectively. And, the real global price of food commodities has declined 75% since 1950.
Customer Reviews:
Especially recommended for college-level classroom debate.......2007-04-19
Many believe that globalization and growth are degrading the environment and, ultimately, human desires, but THE IMPROVING STATE OF THE WORLD: WHY WE'RE LIVING LONGER, HEALTHIER, MORE COMFORTABLE LIVES ON A CLEANER PLANET is the first to analyze long-term trends from a range of indicators of environmental health, offering up data drawing important links between economic growth, technological change, and free trade - which have actually helped foster a 'cycle of progress' leading to improvements in the human condition. THE IMPROVING STATE OF THE WORLD is a milestone study highly recommended for college-level holdings strong on social issues and environmental and political affairs: it is especially recommended for college-level classroom debate and is unparalleled in its scope.
Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch
Book Description
Whether you want a show jumper, a well-mannered hack, a dressage horse, a brave hunter, or a reliable child's pony, the foundations you need to build are the same.
RIDING AND SCHOOLING YOUR HORSE explains the importance of the horse's balance and how to achieve it. It describes how to ride well, using classical riding techniques. It explains the benefits of working horses on the bit, why horses often don't, and how to help them do it. It teaches you how to introduce your horse to jumping and includes useful solutions to most jumping problems.
An important feature of the book is the section on exercises, designed to help your horse become stronger, better balanced, and more flexible. RIDING AND SCHOOLING YOUR HORSE will help you achieve success in whatever sphere of the horse world you may wish to enter.
Average customer rating:
- Well written book on genes
- Finally a good book about Genetic Engineering!!
|
Improving Nature?: The Science and Ethics of Genetic Engineering
Michael Jonathan Reiss , and
Roger Straughan
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
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The Thread of Life: The Story of Genes and Genetic Engineering (Canto)
-
Just and Unjust Wars: A Moral Argument with Historical Illustrations
ASIN: 0521454417 |
Book Description
Little more than a decade ago the term â€~genetic engineering’ was hardly known outside research laboratories. By now, though, its use is widespread. Those in favour of genetic engineering - and those against it - tell us that it has the potential to change our lives perhaps more than any other scientific or technological advance. But what are the likely consequences of genetic engineering? Is it ethically acceptable? Should we be trying to improve on nature? The authors, a biologist and a moral philosopher, examine the implications of genetic engineering in every aspect of our lives. The underlying science is explained in a way easily understood by a general reader, and the moral and ethical considerations that arise are fully discussed. Throughout, the authors clarify the issues involved so that readers can make up their own minds about these controversial issues.
Customer Reviews:
Well written book on genes.......1999-01-19
two main components, the science of genetic engineering with an excellent explanation of mutations, and the moral/ethical aspects of genetic engineering. They explain how already human genes have been put into pigs, how we may be able to change the genetic make-up of humans, and the genetic basis for making these species level changes in human's genetic code. R&S also give a great deal of time to explaining the different types of genetic mutations that occur. For example, a whole chromosome may be lost or gained, such as an extra copy of the small chromosome 21 that causes Down's Syndrome. Or part of a chromosome may be inverted put be fully intact. And they explain how dominant and recessive genes affect us and how they are transmitted from generation to generation. This is probably the best book reviewed here that deals with genetic and chromosomal mutations and how they interact to make us what we are, including the dangers of genetic engineering on humans. First, genes often work best when they are situated next to each other, and mistakes in insertion locations may interfere with tumor-suppressor genes. But these are all technical problems and there is good reason to believe they will be overcome as we complete the Human Genome Project. Less time is given to the ethics of genetic engineering by R&S, but again it is also the most controversial and interesting part of the book. They do point out that "Ethics is normally thought of as a narrower concept than morality, and it can be used in several different, though unrelated, senses. The most general of these suggests a set of standards by which a particular group or community decides to regulate its behavior--to distinguish what is legitimate or acceptable in pursuit of their aims from what is not, such as 'business ethics' or 'medical ethics'." What this means is that there can be no such thing as unethical practices in the pursuit of genetic engineering or eugenics, because any action deemed unethical has to be agreed upon by the participants, not imposed on them. The socialists forget this when they try to impose secular or politically motivated ethical standards on scientific procedures because they fear that the knowledge that may result will harm their egalitarian cause. (See Culture of Critique by MacDonald.) R&S then discuss the morality of genetic engineering, both intrinsic and extrinsic. Intrinsic being actions that are right and wrong on their own (based on religion, evolution, etc. ??) and extrinsic that only considers the beneficial consequences of actions. They do a good job of explaining these two positions, and how for example in the debate on abortion the two sides are arguing from different perspectives with regards to what is moral (extrinsic versus intrinsic). What they do fail to discuss is that if humans share a moral history with other primates based on reproductive success of the tribe, how can we apply morality to present day actions of right and wrong? and of course we can't. (See my article on morality). Neither the utilitarian, consequentialist, Kantian deontological formulations, or any other system has any innate truth when morality is considered within an evolutionary perspective, the only one that is empirical. I especially liked their discussion of 'holistic', 'ecological' or 'environmental' objections to genetic engineering (and many other human actions the naturalists don't like). They point out of course that we have been breeding crops and animals for over 10,000 years and that virtually everything humans do are in this sense unnatural, that is, apparently incapable of being done by other animals. As they state, "the progress of civilization has been largely dependent upon our 'interference with nature'." At one time religion was used to try and stop scientific progress, but as faith in religion has declined the anti-empiricists have had to turn to other forms of mystical arguments in order to block human progress. There are now attempts, even though we have not been able to assign a non-Darwinian moral system to humans, to apply arbitrary moral rules to all of nature. These arguments are made more in the milieu of postmodernist arguments that become incoherent when evaluated rationally, but the mere volume of emotionalism often overshadows rationalism and can sound convincing. For example, arguments are made that nature is somehow foreordained to be symbiotic, with some form of natural order that humans may corrupt or upset to the point that the planet will be destroyed. I would argue, that aside from nuclear war, this is impossible. And even then I would have to believe that after a nuclear holocaust, a few species would survive to repopulate the earth. None of this is good or bad in terms of the earth and all of its creatures. The universe is oblivious as to whether the earth has organic life or not. And all of the other organic forms have no contemplation of non-existence, nor is it possible to prove that organic existence is intrinsically good or better than a world devoid of life and suffering. None of the holistic arguments make any sense outside of life as a genetic algorithm that increases in complexity as it progresses, without any actual goal. Humans, like any other species, are free to exploit every corner of their ecological niche for their own benefit. However humans, with our large brains and our ability to contemplate our own deaths, finally have the means to arbitrarily give meaning and purpose to life, in our pursuit of trying to assuage our death angst. Some turn to mysticism, some to Marxism or racial purity for their own tribe, some embrace science and accept the inevitable, etc. And this is where eugenics as a secular religion fits in. It is merely an act of creation, directing our species to an ever higher level of intelligence in order to better understand the many remaining fallacies of belief we have adopted in our journey from our primate past. Does this mean that eugenics as a secular religion is similar to Christianity in being an anthropocentric religion, that establishes a dualism between man and nature, where it is our duty to exploit nature in the name of God, as R&S point out? Hardly. It is based on science and does not fall into the naturalistic fallacy. Eugenics as a secular religion is merely an act of creation using purposefully directed evolution as its tool. Where it is going, the means taken to get there, and the safety mechanism to be used to obtain the expected results are the same as any scientific project. But it is not subject to metaphysical concerns. It readily accepts the arbitrariness of human actions, and is based on the simple observation of science that more intelligent people who have fewer genetic diseases will live a more fruitful life, on average. It is no different than wanting to build safer and safer airplanes because then fewer people will die in plane crashes. But it does tend to further desacralize life for those unable to accept the inevitable death angst that they must live with, and is attacked on this basis alone. Speciesism is another attempt to define a moral system for all creatures, "Put at its most succinct, it is of little significance, the argument goes, that humans belong to a different biological species from, say, chimpanzees, dogs, farm animals and laboratory mice; we do not have the right to treat such species merely as we choose and for our own ends. Think of the conditions we normally require before humans are permitted to be used as research subjects." Of course this is utter nonsense, because if all species are equivalent then they all have the same moral obligations between species or tribes (pack, etc.). The fact is, even chimpanzees will treat each other in the troop with some moral considerations, even taking care of an injured member, but will go on raiding parties to kill members of other troops. Canines and felines will also kill their own. So if we are really to put aside speciesism and rejoin the moral constructs of other animals, then the only moral imperative is reproductive success, and that includes practicing genocide whenever we can get away with it to benefit our own kin! Is that really what these moralists (specifically Peter Singer) are arguing for? Such formulations of human ethical behavior can only be grounded by ignoring our own evolutionary past and all the empirical evidence regarding our true nature. R&S discuss the ethics of using DNA fingerprints to establish a national database as is increasingly common in a number of countries for controlling immigration, paternity suites, and to fight crime to name just a few uses. For a more complete discussion however see Richard Dawkins' new book Unweaving the Rainbow: Science, Delusion and the Appetite for Wonder. Finally, R&S introduces another one of those anti-intelligence arguments stating that if we become too smart, and our memories become too vivid, we may regret it because we will not be able to forget unpleasant happenings (or even dreams for that matter). But all one has to do is ask how many people lament not being able to remember some
Finally a good book about Genetic Engineering!!.......1998-03-21
I am just a high school student, yet I undersood this book. It is great!!! It is not too technical, yet it covers what it needs to. Sections on plant, animal, and human genetic engineering make this book worth reading. No matter if you are a student with just an intrest, like me, or a genetic engineer yourself - you will enjoy this book. I get it a ten!!!
Average customer rating:
|
Safe Water From Every Tap: Improving Water Service to Small Communities
Committee on Small Water Supply Systems , and
National Research Council
Manufacturer: National Academies Press
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ASIN: 030905527X |
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Wonderful.......2002-06-07
A tremendous guide and one which has worked wonders in re-establishing my dog's sense of self-worth after the reaming he recently took. I think the jazzy new look is definitely "him" and my heartfelt thanks go to Ruiz.
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- Real Estate Portfolio Management: Analysis and Evaluation for Fund Managers, Sponsors and Consultant
- A Lieutenant of Cavalry in Lee's Army
Unstoppable Global Warming: Every 1,500 Years
The Politically Incorrect Guide to Global Warming (and Environmentalism)
Eco-Freaks: Environmentalism Is Hazardous to Your Health!
The Age of Abundance: How Prosperity Transformed America's Politics and Culture
The Chilling Stars: The New Theory of Climate Change
