Common Wealth: Economics for a Crowded Planet“Lucid, quietly urgent, and relentlessly logical . . . this is Bigthink with a capital B.” —The New York Times Book Review “Common Wealth explains the most basic economic reckoning that the world faces.” —Al Gore, winner of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize and former vice president of the United States In Common Wealth, Jeffrey D. Sachs-one of the world's most respected economists and the author of The New York Times bestseller The End of Poverty- offers an urgent assessment of the environmental degradation, rapid population growth, and extreme poverty that threaten global peace and prosperity. Through crystalline examination of hard facts, Sachs predicts the cascade of crises that awaits this crowded planet-and presents a program of sustainable development and international cooperation that will correct this dangerous course. Few luminaries anywhere on the planet are as schooled in this daunting subject as Sachs, and this is the vital product of his experience and wisdom. |
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... (T).We use theletterT to signify thelevel of technology. WhenTis high,thekind of technology being used imposes ahigh environmental burden (forexample, extensive use of land or high emissions of greenhouse gases) per.
... (T).We use theletterT to signify thelevel of technology. WhenTis high,thekind of technology being used imposes ahigh environmental burden (forexample, extensive use of land or high emissions of greenhouse gases) per.
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... emissions of greenhouse gases ) per unit of GNP . The total human impact on the environment is equal to the product of population , per capita income , and technology , so that : I = PX AX T. This is sometimes called the I - PAT ( pro ...
... emissions of greenhouse gases ) per unit of GNP . The total human impact on the environment is equal to the product of population , per capita income , and technology , so that : I = PX AX T. This is sometimes called the I - PAT ( pro ...
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... . Four types of policies can be used to align private incentives and society's environmental interests . The simplest is a tax on the environmental harm , in this case a tax on sulfur emissions . In the OUR CROWDED PLANET | 35.
... . Four types of policies can be used to align private incentives and society's environmental interests . The simplest is a tax on the environmental harm , in this case a tax on sulfur emissions . In the OUR CROWDED PLANET | 35.
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... emissions . In the economics jargon , this " internalizes " the externality . Assuming the tax per ton of sulfur emission is high enough , equal to the high social cost to the forests of an incremental ton of emissions , each factory ...
... emissions . In the economics jargon , this " internalizes " the externality . Assuming the tax per ton of sulfur emission is high enough , equal to the high social cost to the forests of an incremental ton of emissions , each factory ...
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... emission of carbon dioxide by fossil fuel users . Carbon dioxide is the most important greenhouse gas now chang- ing the Earth's climate system . It is not a typical pollutant , because carbon dioxide is harmless and odorless , and ...
... emission of carbon dioxide by fossil fuel users . Carbon dioxide is the most important greenhouse gas now chang- ing the Earth's climate system . It is not a typical pollutant , because carbon dioxide is harmless and odorless , and ...
Contents
The Anthropocene | 57 |
Global Solutions to Climate Change | 83 |
Securing Our Water Needs ྡྲ | 115 |
A Home for All Species | 139 |
Global Population Dynamics | 159 |
The Strategy of Economic Development | 205 |
Ending Poverty Traps | 227 |
Economic Security in a Changing World | 255 |
Rethinking Foreign Policy | 271 |
Achieving Global Goals | 291 |
The Power of One | 313 |
Acknowledgments | 341 |
List of Acronyms | 347 |
References | 361 |
Index | 371 |
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Common terms and phrases
achieve action activity Africa agriculture areas average basic become billion carbon cause century challenges climate change cooperation costs countries crop Darfur decline disease Earth's economic ecosystems effect efforts emissions energy environment environmental example extreme face farm fertility fertility rates Figure financing fish forces fuels funding global goals growing growth households human important improved income increase India industrial institutions investments land lead less living major means Millennium mortality natural ocean organizations percent planet planning political poor poorest population poverty problem production programs Project reach recent reduce regions require result rich rise rivers role roughly scale scientific sector share social society Source species success sustainable technologies tion United University villages