Ecocide : A Short History of the Mass Extinction of Species

by Broswimmer, Franz

• ISBN13: 9780745319346
• ISBN10: 0745319343
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2002-09-20
• Publisher: Pluto Press

Summary

At the dawn of the 21st century, it is clear that changes of enormous ecological significance are occuring on our planet. The ozone layer is beginning to disintegrate. Since 1970 the world's forests have almost halved. A quarter of the world's fish have been depleted. We live in an age of ecocide. 70% of biologists believe the world is now in the midst of the fastest mass extinction of species in the planet's 4.5 billion-year history. Biodiversity loss is rated as a more serious environmental problem than the depletion of the ozone layer, global warming, or pollution and contamination. How have we come to this, and what can be done to conserve our environment for the future? Ecocide: A Short History of the Mass Extinction of Species examines the facts behind the figures to offer a disturbing account of the ecological impact that the human species has on the planet. Research specialist Franz Broswimmer shows how we are wilfully destroying our world. Highlighting important countermovements who are working for ecological democracy, this unique book is essential for anyone who cares about conserving our environment for the future.

Author Biography

Franz J. Broswimmer is a Research Specialist at the Globalization Research Center, University of Hawai'i -Manoa. His academic fields of expertise include environmental sociology, social theory, and globalization. He has published several articles in academic social science journals.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	xi
List of tables	ix
Introduction
The problem	1	(5)
Why bother?	6	(3)
Etiology of ecocide	9	(1)
Chapter outline	10	(2)
The Human Odyssey: From Biological to Cultural Evolution
Beginnings	12	(2)
From Tree Shrews to Primates	14	(3)
Fire Use and Dietary Changes	17	(2)
The Rise of Modern Humans	19	(3)
The Megafauna Extinction	22	(5)
The Pivotal Role of Language	27	(2)
Problematic Society-Nature Relations Before the Modern Era
The Neolithic Revolution	29	(3)
Ecological Blunders of Antiquity	32	(22)
The Mesopotamians, Southwest Asia: 3700 BCE to 1600 BCE	35	(3)
The Greeks, Mediterranean: 770 BCE to 30 BCE	38	(3)
The Romans, Mediterranean: 500 BCE to 500 CE	41	(4)
The Chaco Anasazi, Northwestern New Mexico: 700 CE to 1300 CE	45	(3)
The Mayas, Mesoamerica: 200 CE to 900 CE	48	(2)
The Easter Islanders, Rapa Nui: 700 CE to 1700 CE	50	(4)
The Modern Assault on Nature: The Making of Ecocide
The Capitalist System: A Brief Historical and Sociological Overview	54	(2)
The Rise of Scientific and Technological Thinking	56	(2)
The Capitalist Ethos: Ecological and Social Values	58	(1)
Social and Ecological Implications of the ``Columbian Exchange''	59	(1)
The Enslavement of Land and Nature	60	(2)
Early Modern Fur Trade	62	(4)
The Mass Slaughter of the North American Bison	66	(1)
The Rise of Commercial Whaling	67	(3)
The Planet as Sacrifice Zone
The Enclosure of the Commons: A Global Phenomenon	70	(1)
The Industrial Revolution	71	(1)
Ecology and Modern Warfare	72	(2)
Ecocide and Modern Warfare	74	(3)
The Planet as National Sacrifice Zone	77	(4)
The Planet as Demographic Sacrifice Zone	81	(5)
Ecocide and Globalization
The Impact of Globalism	86	(2)
Poverty and Ecocide	88	(3)
A Terminal Grand Buffet?	91	(2)
Ecocide and the Global Treadmill of Production	93	(2)
The Failure of Environmental Education	95	(1)
The Ideological Turn	96	(1)
The Currents of Ecological Democracy	97	(1)
The Imperatives of Ecological Democracy	98	(3)
Envisioning an Equitable Global Commons	101	(2)
Epilogue
Living in the Age of Ecocide	103	(3)
Glossary	106	(13)
Tables	119	(60)
Selected bibliography	179	(16)
Index	195