Book Description
This volume provides a uniquely rich set of arguments and data for prioritizing our responses to some of the most serious problems facing the world today, such as climate change, communicable diseases, conflicts, education, financial instability, corruption, migration, malnutrition and hunger, trade barriers, and water access. Leading economists evaluate the evidence for costs and benefits of various programs to help gauge how we can achieve the most good with our money. Each problem is introduced by a world-renowned expert analyzing the scale of the problem and describing the costs and benefits of a range of policy options to improve the situation. Shorter pieces from experts offering alternative positions are also included; all ten challenges are evaluated by a panel of economists from North America, Europe, and China who rank the most promising policy options. Global Crises, Global Solutions provides a serious, yet accessible, springboard for debate and discussion and will be required reading for government employees, NGOs, scholars and students of public policy and applied economics, and anyone with a serious professional or personal interest in global development issues. Bjørn Lomborg is Associate Professor of Statistics at the University of Aarhus and the director of the Danish Environmental Assessment Institute. He is also the author of the controversial bestseller, The Skeptical Environmentalist (Cambridge, 2001).
Customer Reviews:
Bjorn Lomborg: GlobalCrises, Glbal Solutions.......2007-05-07
This book appears at the first look about economy. It is not. Its starting premise is the question: if you have limited resources and have to prioritize, what would you do in our global warming situation. It is a hard
headed treatment of the subject matter by a multitude of subject experts. Their complete set of policy proposals then evaluated by eight of the world top economists.
It is interesting, how fast the discussion veers off after discussing the economics into the very conditions enabling or blocking the desirable economic developments, such as conflicts, communicable diseases, sanitation and trade barriers just to mention a few.
The book can be read on two different level.For casual reader and policy maker most the numbers are avoidable and still be a very readable and very thoughtful and interesting material. For those, who want hard numbers and hard details, that is provided too, but not necessary for understanding.
This is the multicolored, multifaceted work of many dedicated individuals who - by the work they are dedicated to perform - are forced to set priorities in expending limited resources. I was surprised by their reasoning, and I trust, so will you be.
if you care about the world.......2007-03-08
why arn't global politics based on these arguments? it's a pleasure to read the scientific arguments that lomborg uses to validate his claims. it's a shame that we cannot organise the solutions to make this world a better place for a lot of people at no expense to our own prosperity. all the hard (econometrical) stuff is almost easy to read.
next year i'll read it again and see how far we are...
Raising the Level of Debate About Global Problems.......2006-08-09
Most people never think about the unavoidable tradeoffs involved in ameliorating social problems. With opportunity costs in mind, may we must dedicate ourselves to a better world.
I have two respectful criticisms:
1. If people focused only on the problems that we could do most to solve then that would reduce the pressure to solve problems. However rational it might seem to shift all foreign aid from funding education to funding AIDS prevention, the result would probably be less total aid. The way politics works, one big problem is sometimes treated less seriously than two problems that are half as big.
2. It is difficult to quantify any of these problems, but some of them, like global warming, are much harder to quantify. The "worst case scenario," unlikely as it may be, has the potential to do such incredible damage, that we need to act on it. Reducing global warming might be conceived of as an insurance policy, whereas preventing AIDS is more likely an investment in mutual funds.
Global Crises, Global Solutions.......2006-07-20
I enjoyed Bjorn Lomborg's latest work as a thought provoking alternative to conventional wisdom on different aspects of globalisation. Unfortunately, much of the scientific and political community have become prisoners to theories which have dubious merit. They are followed more out of political correctness and the prevailing winds of public opinion, than research and testing.
By including other experts who provide alternative opinions and challenge each other, Lomborg has followed the true spirit of scientific method - development of a theory and testing it through falsification. It is a shame that some purported scientists have tried to silence him in a similar way to Galileo. Poor science leads to inadequate policy.
The book is a worthy successor to the Environmental Sceptic and reflects a growing concern in the scientific community about the need for more rigorous research and debate on key issues. It's content is well laid out.
Clearly, the amount of material is not designed for reading in one session. However, it is a valuable resource book suited to those interested in entering into the debate on key global issues. You can pick an individual topic and obtain a good grounding in it.
I look forward to Bjorn Lomborg's next offering.
Highly Recommended!.......2005-07-27
This report is an excellent, controversial and refreshing approach to global problems. Daily, the news media and politicians declare that another crisis is urgent. Often, loud, public resolutions accompany these pronouncements. Political blocs form to push through agendas based on those resolutions. The only thing missing from the process is a dispassionate analysis of whether the solutions make economic sense and, if so, which ones make the most economic sense. This book of compiled essays from the Copenhagen Consensus - as documented in The Economist - provides that missing element. The conference drew from United Nations documents to assemble a list of the most urgent problems facing the world and identified those that presented opportunities for solutions. Then it set the task of identifying solutions that would provide the biggest benefit for the cost, examining 38 proposals for spending $50 billion over four years. Surprisingly, some of the most economically rational projects never make headlines and never turn up in public exhortations. When was the last time you saw someone climbing onto a platform to demand mosquito nets to prevent malaria in Africa? That may not come up nearly as often as adherence to the Kyoto Protocol, which provides a far weaker cost vs. benefit scenario. According to the analysts from Copenhagen, the former seems to be a very sound use of the world's problem-solving resources, but the latter costs a lot and seems to deliver relatively few benefits. We highly recommend this intriguing, sweeping conversation.
Book Description
How to survive after the oil runs out and there is no more "grid"
Customer Reviews:
solar panels are for sissies.......2007-10-08
This book is just under 100 pages, about a fifth of which is Introduction. The author states he is hoping for a rapid collapse of industrial civilization, via deliberate attacks by a group of 'committed individuals' if necessary. He goes on to give advice on basic long term survival without electricity or plumbing, most of it intended for a rural setting. Emphasis on BASIC. He covers a handful of topics, focusing on what can be built with recycled parts and little experience. I found the writing clear and some of the information very helpful, above all the pages on water filtration and purification--a variety of methods for different situations. Good suggestions for further reading, as well.
Very good book, but is it realistic?.......2007-07-24
The premise of this book is more or less that we can all go back living on our little farm, cooking with our solar oven, composting our waste, storing our food without a fridge, etc. What I like about this book is how it portrays Peak Oil not as a cataclysm but as an event that can be dealt with, given a bit of resourcefulness and patience. It is certainly the most constructive, uplifting book on the subject and stands in stark contrast to some of the fearmongering that abounds elsewhere.
But is this approach realistic? Can we really "downsize" to a simpler lifestyle this painlessly? I guess the problem is ascertaining if Peak Oil will be apocalyptic or if it will lead us to a simpler, more bucolic, and probably even healthier lifestyle. Was industrial civilization just a phase that we will eventually outgrow to our benefit? It is difficult to say, but perhaps just the idea that this uncertain future is something that can be managed on an individual basis is reassuring in itself.
And if you don't think this is what the future will hold for us, treat the book as a history lesson about what people used to be doing _before_ our current (and perhaps quite fragile) technological bonanza...
Much information.......2007-05-30
The work of Thomas Gold, comments of wildcatter HL Hunt, and the fact that trillions of gallons have been burning off for millions of years have left many of us are doubting that oil is at all the product of decaying fossils viz., peak oil is not so. That said, this book is an excellent source for surviving without fuel, electricity and running water. Compact and well-illustrated, as good as any Army survival manual I've ever read.
Peak Oil Survival.......2007-05-14
As an introduction to some new (to consumer) concepts, this book is decent enough. There are many other books that delve into each of the subject areas with the necessary information to utilize the concept. If you can only buy one book on the subject, skip this one. If you already have many books on the subject you probably won't need this one. This one will "peak" a newcomer's interest and covers more ground than other survival intro books.
An Overly Optimistic Approach to a Pessimistic Scenario.......2007-04-15
McBay foresees converging crises (depletion of freshwater supplies, devastation of fish in the oceans, destruction of topsoil, and global warming - combined with the end of cheap oil) perhaps as early as 2010. "Peak Oil Survival" provides a number of hopefully practical approaches to then obtain and treat water, dispose human waste, keep food cool, etc.
Unfortunately, the "flies in the ointment" are not addressed - the earth cannot support anywhere near its current population without the availability of cheap energy, nor would civil order long be maintained in the face of disruption such as McBay envisions (look at New Orleans after Katrina). Thus, while McBay's approaches may be valid in theory, we need to focus more on resource conservation and developing alternative energy sources.
Book Description
Promoters of multi-billion dollar land-use development megaprojects systematically misinform parliaments, the public and the media in order to get them approved and built. This book not only explores these issues, but suggests practical solutions drawing on theory and scientific evidence from the several hundred projects in twenty nations and five continents. It is of interest to students, scholars, planners, economists, auditors, politicians and concerned citizens.
Customer Reviews:
Packed with Knowledge!.......2004-03-02
Every once in a while a little book comes along that, while small in size, carries sufficient intellectual weight to strike the body politic between the eyes, thereby getting its collective attention. This may be one such book. It offers a realistic look at megaprojects - those major infrastructure endeavors that span vast bodies of water, dam natural resources to generate energy and extend rail lines to previously unreachable regions - and compares the promises of these projects to what they actually deliver. The report card isn't very good. Cost overruns are typically 25% to 100%, and sometimes 200% or more. Worse yet, studies show that the public tends to use megaprojects - be they airports or subway systems - only a fraction of the amount predicted. We strongly recommends this book to politicians, legislators and anyone who wants to know the truth behind these huge infrastructure projects, as well as to CEOs, CFOs, project managers and risk officers in the private sector - this applies to your projects, even if there is a difference of scale.
A fool, his money and the bridge that parted them..............2003-09-13
I am the first amazon.com reviewer of this short, but important book. It concerns me that this might reflect a diminished U.S. readership. That would be unfortunate. Professor Bent Flyvbjerg and his colleagues have written a book of significance to taxpayers everywhere. It's apparent that they have written this book largely for the policy-maker; yet, make no mistake about it: the ordinary taxpayer has a major stake in this book's message. The central characters in Megaprojects and Risk are three large-scale, European transportation projects: the Chunnel, the Great Belt and the Oresund. American readers unfamilar with these names (the chunnel connecting London and Paris is perhaps the most recognizable to American readers) will nonetheless recognize familiar features. Specifically, they will find project costs that exceed estimates, and revenue inflows that are below projections. The traits are not unique to these projects. In fact, cost over-runs and revenue disappointments are a familiar global refrain, according to these authors. In spite of this, the number and scale of infrastructure projects continues to grow, forming what they call the megaproject paradox. The book is stronger on documenting problems, including the lack of project post-audits, than on providing solutions. I think they have correctly identified the problem -- the lack of accountability throughout the project life-cycle -- but their solution, which largely involves ensuring a healthy segment of private capital not supported by state guarantees, together with more attention to genuine risk assessment, falls short of the mark. The risk assessment tools are firmly established and largely well-understood (Monte Carlo simulation packages are increasingly available). So is the "moral hazard" problem that rears its ugly head when projects (in this case) are "over-insured." The difficulty, which they acknowledge, is that the political interplay between state, private interests and NGOs are decisive in determining whether and to what extent the appropriate risk assessment and risk management tools are used.
This problem is inherent in the beast. Policy-makers would love for the private sector to shoulder the risk, but may not be willing to permit a commensurate return. Private players, just as understandably, are apt to seek insurance of one kind or another on the downside. The best medicine, and one that this book delivers admirably, is simply to raise our awareness of the track record from the start.
This short book has the look and feel of an academic work. It would, however, be unfortunate if it languished at the university bookstore. Global demographics dictate that larger-scale infrastructure investments are in our future. No one should pay for, promote or plan for such projects before they have digested the lessons in Megaprojects and Risk.
Book Description
The most contaminated nuclear plant in the country, Rocky Flats was an environmental disaster and the site of rampant worker unrest. Although it was estimated that it would take 70 years and $36 billion to clean up and close the facility, something stunning happened. Now on its way to becoming a wildlife refuge, the project is running 60 years ahead of schedule and $30 billion under budget. In Making the Impossible Possible, Kim Cameron explains how this remarkable performance was achieved — and how it can be replicated. Using numerous first-hand accounts and public records, Cameron draws a number of leadership guidelines that can be applied to any business. This fascinating and thoroughly researched case study concludes by revealing the ten leadership principles responsible for the Rocky Flats turnaround — and in doing so, provides a means for other organizations to harness the lessons of this astonishing success.
Customer Reviews:
A terrific book. How to succeed from Abundance rather than trapping yourself in error avoidance.......2007-01-20
This is an exceptional and, I think, an important book. The authors are trying to get at the things that enable the kind of exceptional performance that we all say we want and that some of us have been fortunate to experience at some point in our careers, if only briefly. We all know the kind of things that go into exceptional performance in sports whether for individual performance or as one of those "great" teams. While visualization was a revolutionary idea decades ago, nowadays we all know that athletes work with "pretty pictures". They focus on mental images of what they want to do rather than focusing on the mistakes they might make. It is the positive imagery that frees them to do the exceptional things they do and reach greater success than even similarly talented people who tie themselves in knots trying to avoid failure.
This book uses the fabulous performance and success of cleaning up the Rocky Flats plutonium processing facilities as a real life example of Positive Deviance - of performing from Abundance rather than trying to manage performance by monitoring mistakes and poor performance. With the end of the Cold War and changes in America's nuclear program, several facilities that had been deemed vital (despite the intense environmental issues surrounding the processing of radioactive materials and building them into weapons) were now closed and had to be cleaned up. The original projections for Rocky Flats planned for 70 years and $36 billion.
Instead, the team at Rocky Flats went through an internal process that took hold of Abundance and Positive Deviance. They dismantled the 800 buildings and cleaned the site in 10 years and for $6 billion. No other DOE facility cleanup has approached this performance.
In telling this story the authors did several things right. First, they give us an overview of what the issues are - so you can begin to develop your own questions and challenges to the incredible story they are tell us. They then give us an overview of what Positive Organizational Scholarship and Abundance are about and what the literature shows us. And in telling the story of Rock Flats they use the words of the participants. This adds a great deal to the richness and depth of perspective into the way work happened and how it changed over time.
Another way the authors help us understand the complex story of Rocky Flats is using the Competing Values model that was developed by Cameron and Quinn. It provides a means for analyzing the various cultural styles in the work place and how the level of success shown in Rocky Flats requires a paradoxical style. That is, it requires creativity and a free enough structure to innovate while at the same time requiring careful monitoring and measurement. There are many paradoxes that have to be managed in something as large and as complex as this cleanup.
Along the way they raise several alternative views that could explain away the success of this mammoth project. With careful examination, it becomes very hard to give them much weight. Other views are also presented in Appendix 1. That the authors are so open about other possibilities for the success or that it is all an illusion I think strengthens their case.
For me, the biggest reward came in chapter 9 when everything discussed previously is brought together in a very practical way. The reader is given a very practical explanation of the principles learned from this project and how to apply them in one's own work.
So, do yourself a favor and open your mind to approaching work from the Abundance model rather than trying to find success by avoiding mistakes. It is not only a more successful way to work, it is a lot more fun and better for everyone around you.
good strategic structure and a cool story to back it up.......2007-01-06
this is a good book in that it provides a management model for consideration, explains it thoroughly, and then applies that model directly to a very interesting and challenging business situation. The idea that abundance - or driving for the ultimate activity - is doable is a new approach, and one that flies in the face of the "stretch goal" failure currently in management thinking. this books takes "beyond" and gives it texture - and real examples
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Green Development
W. M. Adams
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World Development Report 2003: Sustainable Development in a Dynamic World: Transforming Institutions, Growth, and Quality of Life (World Development Report, 2003)
ASIN: 0415147662 |
Book Description
Now in paperback,
Green Development analyzes the evolution of the concept of "sustainable development," and assesses how this can be applied in the real world. William Adams questions the established understanding of the problems of environment and development, stressing the inadequacy of a narrow view of environmental impacts and a limited response based on traditional conservation measures. He bridges the gap between environmentalism and development studies and argues that the central focus of "green development" should be on the needs of the poor, and their capacity for control, power, and self-determination.
Amazon.com
In their eye-opening, soul-prodding look at the excess of American society, the authors of Affluenza include two quotations that encapsulate much of the book: T.S. Eliot's line "We are the hollow men / We are the stuffed men," which opens one of this book's chapters, and a quote from a newspaper article that notes "We are a nation that shouts at a microwave oven to hurry up." If these observations make you grimace at your own ruthless consumption or sigh at the hurried pace of your life, you may already be ill. Read on.
The definition of affluenza, according to de Graaf, Wann, and Naylor, is something akin to "a painful, contagious, socially-transmitted condition of overload, debt, anxiety and waste resulting from the dogged pursuit of more." It's a powerful virus running rampant in our society, infecting our souls, affecting our wallets and financial well-being, and threatening to destroy not only the environment but also our families and communities. Having begun life as two PBS programs coproduced by de Graaf, this book takes a hard look at the symptoms of affluenza, the history of its development into an epidemic, and the options for treatment. In examining this pervasive disease in an age when "the urge to splurge continues to surge," the first section is the book's most provocative. According to figures the authors quote and expound upon, Americans each spend more than $21,000 per year on consumer goods, our average rate of saving has fallen from about 10 percent of our income in 1980 to zero in 2000, our credit card indebtedness tripled in the 1990s, more people are filing for bankruptcy each year than graduate from college, and we spend more for trash bags than 90 of the world's 210 countries spend for everything. "To live, we buy," explain the authors--everything from food and good sex to religion and recreation--all the while squelching our intrinsic curiosity, self-motivation, and creativity. They offer historical, political, and socioeconomic reasons that affluenza has taken such strong root in our society, and in the final section, offer practical ideas for change. These use the intriguing stories of those who have already opted for simpler living and who are creatively combating the disease, from making simple habit alterations to taking more in-depth environmental considerations, and from living lightly to managing wealth responsibly.
Many books make you think the author has crammed everything he or she knows into it. The feeling you get reading Affluenza is quite different; the authors appear well-read, well-rounded, and intelligent, knowledgeable beyond the content of their book but smart enough to realize that we need a short, sharp jolt to recognize our current ailment. It's a well-worn cliché that money can't buy happiness, but this book will strike a chord with anyone who realizes that more time is more valuable than toys, and that our relentless quest for the latest stuff is breeding sick individuals and sick societies. Affluenza is, in fact, a clarion call for those interested in being part of the solution. --S. Ketchum
Book Description
In chapters with titles like "Swollen Expectations" and "A Rash of Bankruptcies," Affluenza, from the producer of the award-winning TV specials Affluenza and Escape from Affluenza, uses the whimsical metaphor of a disease to tackle a very serious subject: the damage done — to our health, our families, our communities, and our environment — by the obsessive quest for material gain. The authors examine the origins, evolution, and symptoms of the affluenza epidemic. But more importantly, they explore cures and suggest strategies for rebuilding families and communities and for restoring and respecting the earth. "A fantastic book, very funny yet deeply serious." — Peter Barnes, cofounder, Working Assets
Customer Reviews:
Book a of TV show - and it shows.......2007-10-01
I believe strongly in the message that this book is trying to get accross; that our current way of living in the Western world is unsustainable in the long term and it doesn't make us happy anyway. However, much like a TV show this book lacks depth and detail in it's arguments and tries to cover too much ground with too few words. AS the book progresses it feels less like new information and more like a cut and paste job from a whole range of sources, held together with some interesting graphics. On the upside, the book is set out well and it follows a logical order, building on firstly the problems and causes of Affluenza and then suggesting solutions, none of which would mean the end of life as we know it. The world, and more importantly your life, can be better and happier - just stop working so hard and consume less. Thats the general theme of the book.
As a better read, may I suggest 'Affluenza' by Clive Hamilton, which covers a lot of the same ground, but does so with a more cogent argument, albeit with an Australian slant.
Alternatively, watch the TV show.
Misses the mark but an important topic regardless..(2.5 stars).......2007-06-05
Affluenza has its heart in the right place but unfortunately fails in the execution, which is a shame since the message of the book is dead on. Western society has a serious problem with mass consumption brought on by media, politics and societal institutions. Studies have shown that people who simplify their lives and consume less, are actually happier in the long run.
The bulk of Affluenza sums up the issues from various different angles. It delves into the history of consumerism and how interest groups have their hold on the current system. As the book progresses it hints as various solutions to the problems which are pretty much of the buy less, drive less and eat less meat variety.
My problem with Affluenza is twofold. The book is poorly written and I'm referring mostly to the pacing. It will bring up a topic and quickly start describing a fictional family in some hokey situation to try to bring the point home. This gets old before it even begins and just doesn't work. The authors focus too long on most points and the I quickly started scanning through complete chapters that really offered little insight that logical people haven't already concluded.
This brings me to my next point....who is this book meant for? It's very preaching when it should be engaging. The people I know who would be interested in this book would find it too pedestrian because of their high knowledge content of the topic already. The people who should read this probably wouldn't be able to get through a third of it. This brings up the more important question of how to reach the general public on important issues that require people to sacrifice.
Bottom Line: Credits to the authors for the purpose, research and effort, but there is a very selective few I would give this book to.
I wanted it to be better..........2007-05-28
I love the concept of this book, and think it sheds light on a very important epidemic in our society. However, I have to agree with other reviewers that while the idea of Affluenza might have been revolutionary when the show was first aired, in 2007 the book just tells you a lot of stuff that - if you're tuned into the world - you probably already know.
Despite the fact that there isn't anything really groundbreaking in this book, I think it provides a lot of insights into a serious American problem (that we're exporting all over the world), and is a nice, easy read.
American Dream or Global Nightmare.......2007-02-03
"Affluenza" takes on the idea of materialism and survival, although by the time I had reached page fifteen, I wasn't sure it was having the desired effect. A visit to the Mall of America still sounded pretty good although traveling that far to shop seems less appealing in the days of "order it online" instant gratification. In the world of clutter clogged houses, shopping is often used as therapy which in the end can make us feel worse with looming credit card debts.
What does no recess for second graders, depression, bankruptcy and perhaps even suicide have in common? The authors present every possible societal problem for consideration. Is Affluenza the symptom or the problem? The authors would like us to believe that materialism is the disease and spending less money is the cure.
My thought on the matter (after taking the quiz and only having a score of 17 - I'm not yet afflicted even with a serious LUSH beauty product addiction looming :), is...this...Affluenza is a symptom of a society that has forgotten its soul. The book does briefly discuss gaining the world and losing your soul, but I've always thought this to be more of an eternal principle.
Will this book raise your blood pressure? It might in places where you read about the real reason whales seem to be washing up on beaches, why butterflies are dying from genetic engineering and how it could one day become possible to advertise on the moon (please no).
While the book presents problems for society to solve in very creative ways, they leave most of the solutions to the reader. However, if you think about it that is really where the responsibility rests in the end. Most of us realize money doesn't make you as happy as being in love or even as happy as having a life purpose you really believe in. In the end, I don't think having money to spend is the problem, buying gifts for friends and family, is not the problem.
If the way you live your life makes you and others around you unhappy, that might be a problem to consider. Then, on a more global scale, you can consider how your choices affect the world. If you really want
to change the world, I think sponsoring children all over the world is one step in the right direction. The way you spend your money could actually make you happy, I've found this to be true.
"Affluenza" is printed on recycled paper.
~The Rebecca Review
History, facts and insights are pointed and revealing messages addressing the modern condition........2007-01-07
The second edition of AFFLUENZA: THE ALL-CONSUMING EPIDEMIC will reach new audiences who might have missed one of the best nonfiction title nominees of 2001, providing updated details and healthy alternatives to the consumer oriented 'epidemic' of modern times. From shopaholics and bankruptcies to those seeking meaning in material goods, AFFLUENZA details the process of recovery from physical and cultural clutter, and offers both personal and political remedies for the problem. History, facts and insights are pointed and revealing messages addressing the modern condition.
Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch
Book Description
World Agriculture and the Environment presents a unique assessment of agricultural commodity production and the environmental problems it causes, along with prescriptions for increasing efficiency and reducing damage to natural systems. Drawing on his extensive travel and research in agricultural regions around the world, and employing statistics from a range of authoritative sources including the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, the author examines twenty of the world’s major crops, including beef, coffee, corn, rice, rubber, shrimp, sorghum, tea, and tobacco. For each crop, he offers comparative information including:
• a “fast facts” overview section that summarizes key data for the crop
• main producing and consuming countries
• main types of production
• market trend information and market chain analyses
• major environmental impacts
• management strategies and best practices
• key contacts and references
With maps of major commodity production areas worldwide, the book represents the first truly global portrait of agricultural production patterns and environmental impacts.
Customer Reviews:
Quick review.......2006-03-01
World Agriculture and Environment in my opinion is a very interestig book, in which you can find, besides the basic information of agricultural production, techniques that help to reduce damage to natural systems, and also this book gives important evaluations of modern agriculture and its failure.
Superb reference.......2004-05-18
This is a superb and unique reference. It provides an incredible amount of detail on crops that enter world trade, and their impact on the environment.
The very best thing about this book is that it is not strident and does not blatantly advocate a particular political agenda. It is written in a scientific, objective tone that makes it far more convincing than the rhetorical works. Only when he comes to tobacco (a crop that ruins the environment AND then ruins the consumers) does he use a few value-laden words!
The reader is struck by what a mess the world is in, and how easily we could fix a lot of that. The book provides enormous detail on soil erosion, chemical use, biodiversity reduction, and the rest of our woes, but it presents equal detail on how to prevent those problems. Only a few crops (notably cotton, salmon, chocolate) would be hard to manage well.
Two social themes stand out: first, the very rapid concentration of commodity trade in the hands of a very few firms; second, the degree to which governments subsidize production-at-any-cost as opposed to production-with-environmental-protection. (Subsidizing includes nonlegal subsidies, such as letting the rich get away with breaking environmental laws and dumping huge costs on poorer neighbors.) One cannot escape the conclusion that changing this subsidy structure would fix most of the damage, worldwide.
Environmentalists should think more about subsidies!
Meanwhile, what can a concerned reader do? The book tells how to seek out shade-grown coffee, responsibly raised beef and paper, and so on. It is much harder, at least in the US, to find decently-produced soybeans or corn or wheat, but you can do it. Cotton is a special problem, and the alternatives to it are mostly worse. The hemp advocates will be vocal!
We are in such a mess, and it would be so easy to do so much.... This is not a time to lose hope or give up. By providing the big picture, this book should make every concerned citizen stop and think. The few errors I could spot in the book are trivial ones.
This is an absolute must-read and must-have for anyone who works on problems of production and environment or on problems of world food supply and health.
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Climate Change 2001: The Scientific Basis: Contribution of Working Group I to the Third Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (Climate Change 2001)
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
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ASIN: 0521014956 |
Book Description
Climate Change 2001: The Scientific Basis is the most comprehensive and up-to-date scientific assessment of past, present and future climate change. The report: • Analyses an enormous body of observations of all parts of the climate system. • Catalogues increasing concentrations of atmospheric greenhouse gases. • Assesses our understanding of the processes and feedbacks which govern the climate system. • Projects scenarios of future climate change using a wide range of models of future emissions of greenhouse gases and aerosols. • Makes a detailed study of whether a human influence on climate can be identified. • Suggests gaps in information and understanding that remain in our knowledge of climate change and how these might be addressed. This latest IPCC assessment will again form the standard scientific reference for all concerned with climate change and its consequences, including students and researchers in all aspects of environmental and atmospheric science, and policymakers in governments and industry worldwide.
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This working Group I report brings us completely up-to-date on the full range of scientific aspects of climate change.
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The Impact of Climate Change on the United States Economy
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0521607698 |
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Understanding the impacts of climate change on economic behaviour is an important aspect of deciding when to take policy actions to prevent or mitigate its consequences. This book applies advanced new economics methodologies to assess impacts on potentially vulnerable aspects of the US economy: agriculture, timber, coastal resources, energy expenditure, fishing, outdoor recreation. It is intended to provide improved understanding of key issues raised in the recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports. It concludes that some climate change may produce economic gains in the agriculture and forestry sectors, whereas energy, coastal structures, and water sectors may be harmed. The book will serve as an important reference for the scientific, economic, and policy community, and will also be of interest to natural resource/environmental economists as an example of economic valuation techniques. The volume will clearly be of main importance to researchers and policymakers in the US, but will also be influential as a model for assessment of impacts on economies worldwide.
Average customer rating:
- Thank god some sanity on the issue!
- Too broad range for an environmental issue
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Ecological Numeracy: Quantitative Analysis of Environmental Issues
Robert A. Herendeen
Manufacturer: Wiley
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A Primer for Policy Analysis
ASIN: 0471183091 |
Book Description
Master the fundamental math skills necessary to quantify and evaluate a broad range of environmental questions.
Environmental issues are often quantitativeâhow much land, how many people, what amount of pollution. Computer programs are useful, but there is no substitute for being able to use a simple calculation to slice through to the crux of the problem. Having a grasp of how the factors interact and whether the results make sense allows one to explain and argue a point of view forcefully to diverse audiences.
With an engaging, down-to-earth style and practical problem-solving approach, Ecological Numeracy makes it easy to understand and master basic mathematical concepts and techniques that are applicable to life-cycle assessment, energy consumption, land use, pollution generation, and a broad range of other environmental issues. Robert Herendeen brings the numbers to life with dozens of fascinating, often entertaining examples and problems.
Requiring only a moderate quantitative background, Ecological Numeracy is a superb introduction for advanced undergraduate students in environmental science, planning, geography, and physical and natural sciences. It is also a valuable professional resource for environmental managers, regulators, and administrators.
Customer Reviews:
Thank god some sanity on the issue!.......2000-12-19
This book should be read by any who want some reality applied to their ecology beliefs. This book is really a competent upper division text book that takes quantitative analysis seriously. My take is that Herendeen is attempting to make ecology into something akin to current day economics. The education about and then critique of cost benefit analysis (consider the time discount rate of the value defined over 300 years) was informative to novices like me who are inclined to promote simple cost benefit analysis approaches of almost all ecology problems. The raw data on large numbers of ecology parameters is also useful (e.g. half life of CO2 in the atmosphere, and hundreds of other data points) just to get some scale to your ecology intuitions.
Too broad range for an environmental issue.......1998-11-22
This book presents a broad range of environmental analysis. We have a brief introduction to the problem. The best way must be a focus in quantitative analyis of specific environemtal problem
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