Science Magazine's State of the Planet 2006-2007Donald Kennedy, the Editors of Science Island Press, 2006 M06 15 - 216 pages How often in today's environmental debates have you read that "the science is in dispute"-even when there is overwhelming consensus among scientists? Too often, the voice of science is diminished or diluted for the sake of politics, and the public is misled. Now, the most authoritative voice in U.S. science, Science magazine, brings you current scientific knowledge on today's most pressing environmental challenges, from population growth to climate change to biodiversity loss. Science Magazine's State of the Planet 2006-2007 is a unique contribution that brings together leading environmental scientists and researchers to give readers a comprehensive yet accessible overview of current issues. Included are explanatory essays from Science magazine editor-in-chief Donald Kennedy that tie together the issues and explore the relationships among them. Each of the book's 18 chapters is written by the world's leading experts, such as: Joel Cohen on population Peter Gleick on water Daniel Pauly on fisheries Thomas Karl on climate change science Paul Portney on energy and development Elinor Ostrom and Thomas Dietz on commons management Interspersed throughout are Science news pieces that highlight particular issues and cases relevant to the main scientific findings. An added feature is the inclusion of definitions of key terms and concepts that help students and nonspecialists understand the issues. Published biennially, State of the Planet is a clear, accessible guide for readers of all levels-from students to professionals. |
Contents
New Visions for Addressing Sustainability | 161 |
The Burden of Chronic Disease | 167 |
The Political Situation | 179 |
Index | 195 |
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Common terms and phrases
aerosols agricultural air pollution appeared in Science areas article first appeared Asia Assessment atmosphere biodiversity carbon challenges climate change common pool resource conservation consumption costs crop decline developing countries dioxide diseases Earth’s ecological economic ecosystems effects energy Environ environmental erosion estimated example farmers Figure fish fisheries food security forest fossil fuels future Geophys global warming governance greenhouse gases groups growth Hardin helminth human impact improved increase industrial infrastructure Institute International irrigation Island Press KEY TERM Kyoto Protocol land long-term marine ment Millennium Ecosystem Assessment million models National Academy Press ocean Ostrom ozone P. C. Stern percent plants political population ppbv problem production programs projected rates reduce regions requires Research resource management ronmental scenarios scientific scientists social capital soil quality species stakeholders sustainability technologies temperature tion tradable environmental allowances troposphere United Nations warming Washington
Popular passages
Page 122 - Adding together the component partial utilities, the rational herdsman concludes that the only sensible course for him to pursue is to add another animal to his herd. And another; and another. . . But this is the conclusion reached by each and every rational herdsman sharing a commons. Therein is the tragedy.
Page 124 - To couple the concept of freedom to breed with the belief that everyone born has an equal right to the commons is to lock the world into a tragic course of action.
Page 120 - the greatest good for the greatest number" be realized? No— for two reasons, each sufficient by itself. The first is a theoretical one. It is not mathematically possible to maximize for two (or more) variables at the same time. This was clearly stated by von Neumann and...
Page 122 - Ruin is the destination toward which all men rush, each pursuing his own best interest in a society that believes in the freedom of the commons. Freedom in a commons brings ruin to all.
Page 124 - Freedom To Breed Is Intolerable The tragedy of the commons is involved in population problems in another way. In a world governed solely by the principle of "dog eat dog" — if indeed there ever was such a world — how many children a family had would not be a matter of public concern. Parents who bred too exuberantly would leave fewer descendants, not more, because they would be unable to care adequately for their children. David Lack and others have found that such a negative feedback demonstrably...
Page 121 - This inevitableness of destiny can only be illustrated in terms of human life by incidents which in fact involve unhappiness. For it is only by them that...
Page 122 - Christmas. Free parking courtesy of the mayor and city council." In other words, facing the prospect of an increased demand for already scarce space, the city fathers reinstituted the system of the commons. (Cynically, we suspect that they gained more votes than they lost by this retrogressive act.) In an approximate way, the logic of the commons has been understood for a long time, perhaps since the discovery of agriculture or the invention of private property in real estate. But it is understood...
Page 121 - The tragedy of the commons develops in this way. Picture a pasture open to all. It is to be expected that each herdsman will try to keep as many cattle as possible on the commons.
Page 119 - I try to show here that the solution they seek cannot be found. The population problem cannot be solved in a technical way. any more than can the problem of winning the game of tick,tack,toe. WHAT SHALL WE MAXIMIZE? Population. as Malthus said. naturally tends to grow "geometrically.
Page 121 - ... will, in fact, be the best decisions for an entire society. If this assumption is correct it justifies the continuance of our present policy of laissez-faire in reproduction. If it is correct we can assume that men will control their individual fecundity so as to produce the optimum population. If the assumption is not correct, we need to reexamine our individual freedoms to see which ones are defensible. TRAGEDY OF FREEDOM IN A COMMONS The rebuttal to the invisible hand in population control...