Book description
The pace of human progress accelerated profoundly in the twentieth
century, spawning revolutionary advances in medicine, agriculture, and
industry. Between 1900 and 2000, the world's population quadrupled,
and production and consumption of goods increased by a factor of
twelve. In The State of the Earth, award-winning historian Paul K.
Conkin offers a balanced, nuanced, and ultimately hopeful assessment
of the major environmental challenges that must be met after a century
of torrid growth and development. Unlike many recent polemics that
reduce serious environmental debates to partisan political arguments,
The State of the Earth provides a thorough and scientifically informed
introduction to current environmental concerns. Conkin demonstrates
how the explosion in population, production, and consumption has begun
to deplete critical resources such as soil nutrients and fresh water,
leading to potentially widespread shortages in the world's poorest
regions. Fossil fuel emissions have assured a rapid increase in
greenhouse gases and contributed to rising surface and ocean
temperatures, a warming that is almost certain to continue throughout
the twenty-first century. Conkin explains how the complex interactions
between pollution, warming, and resource depletion may threaten the
planet's biodiversity and endanger innumerable species. The State of
the Earth, however, is much more than a summary statement of potential
catastrophes. Conkin details the long history of global conservation
and environmental protection movements and places their efforts in
accessible historical, theoretical, and scientific contexts. He
anchors his analysis with the awareness that environmental concerns
are simultaneously hotly debated political issues, variables in
economic decision making, and matters of extraordinary social and
cultural significance. Conkin's mission is neither to proclaim certain
doom nor to suggest blithely that technological innovation and other
free-market solutions will soon repair the damage already done.
Rather, The State of the Earth explains the realities and consequences
of ecological disruption, unsustainable growth, and environmental
degradation. Conkin provides a sober and comprehensive introduction to
the science and history of the environmental challenges facing humans
in the new century, highlighting the need to act now on a global scale
to reverse these troubling trends.
""Earnest, honest and readable. Recommended for those
looking for a new perspective on environmental issues."
--Northeastern Naturalist" --
Paul K. Conkin, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of History at
Vanderbilt University, is the author of numerous books, including The
Southern Agrarians and When All the Gods Trembled: Darwinism, Scopes,
and American Intellectuals.
