| Description |
xiii, 289 pages : illustrations, maps ; 24 cm |
| Contents |
Introduction: alchemy of a material world -- The pleasure of treasure. What lies beneath: the material and mystical origins of mineral wealth -- Creating value: the endurance of precious jewels -- The rush factor: tracing the mineral roots of global power through gold, coal, and oil -- Toil and treasure. The darker side of fortune: the psychology of treasure dependence -- Curing the resource curse: minerals and global development -- The spoils of the earth: the ecological toll of extractive excitement -- Measure for measure. Destination cradle: the quest for material cycling -- The restoration ethic: hurting and healing ecosystems -- Embracing the treasure impulse: toward cautionary creativity -- Epilogue: embracing uncertainty |
| Summary |
"Would the world be a better place if human societies were somehow able to curb their desires for material goods? Saleem Ali's pioneering book links human wants and needs by providing a natural history of consumption and materialism with scientific detail and humanistic nuance. It argues that simply disavowing consumption of materials is not likely to help in planning for a resource-scarce future, given global inequality, development imperatives, and our goals for a democratic global society. Rather than suppress the creativity and desire to discover that is often embedded in the exploration and production of material goods - which he calls "the treasure impulse" - Ali proposes a new environmental paradigm, one that accepts our need to consume "treasure" for cultural and developmental reasons, but warns of our concomitant need to conserve. In evaluating the impact of treasure consumption on resource-rich countries, he argues that there is a way to consume responsibly and alleviate global poverty."--BOOK JACKET |
| Bibliography |
Includes bibliographical references and index |
| Subject |
Consumption (Economics) -- Environmental aspects.
|
|
Consumption (Economics) -- Moral and ethical aspects.
|
|
Sustainable development.
|
|
Environmental policy.
|
|
Natural resources -- Environmental aspects.
|
|
Raw materials -- Environmental aspects.
|
|
Conservation of natural resources.
|
| LC no. |
2009018208 |
| ISBN |
9780300141610 hardback |
|
0300141610 hardback |
|
