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. |
From inside the book
Page
... irrigation islikelyto affect hundreds of millions, perhapsbillions, ofpeople in thecoming decades unless itismuchbetter managed. Climate change will render large parts of the worldunfitfor agricultureunless we are able to mitigate ...
... irrigation islikelyto affect hundreds of millions, perhapsbillions, ofpeople in thecoming decades unless itismuchbetter managed. Climate change will render large parts of the worldunfitfor agricultureunless we are able to mitigate ...
Page 26
... irrigation , mechanization , and innovations in farm man- agement ( crop rotations , tillage , pest control , and more ) -has enabled a de- cling share of the world's population to feed all the rest and , therefore , has enabled a ...
... irrigation , mechanization , and innovations in farm man- agement ( crop rotations , tillage , pest control , and more ) -has enabled a de- cling share of the world's population to feed all the rest and , therefore , has enabled a ...
Page 29
... irrigation is likely to affect hundreds of millions , perhaps billions , of people in the coming decades unless it is much better managed . Climate change will render large parts of the world unfit for agriculture unless we are able to ...
... irrigation is likely to affect hundreds of millions , perhaps billions , of people in the coming decades unless it is much better managed . Climate change will render large parts of the world unfit for agriculture unless we are able to ...
Page 30
... irrigation to maximize the crop output per unit of water input , and improved seed va- rieties that produce higher agricultural output on a given amount of farm- land . In ways such as these , the world can sustain a rising global ...
... irrigation to maximize the crop output per unit of water input , and improved seed va- rieties that produce higher agricultural output on a given amount of farm- land . In ways such as these , the world can sustain a rising global ...
Page 37
... irrigation , safe drinking water , industrial production , and more ; the growth of fish populations , which are harvested for fish con- sumption ; the regrowth of grasses that feed grazing livestock ; the natural fix- ation of nitrogen ...
... irrigation , safe drinking water , industrial production , and more ; the growth of fish populations , which are harvested for fish con- sumption ; the regrowth of grasses that feed grazing livestock ; the natural fix- ation of nitrogen ...
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