The Plundered Planet : Why We Must--and How We Can--Manage Nature for Global Prosperity

Paul Collier's The Bottom Billion was greeted as groundbreaking when it appeared in 2007, winning the Estoril Distinguished Book Prize, the Arthur Ross Book Award, and the Lionel Gelber Prize. The Economist wrote that it was "set to become a classic," the Financial Times praised it as "rich in both analysis and recommendations," while Nicholas Kristof of the New York Times called it the "best nonfiction book so far this year." Now, in The Plundered Planet , Collier builds upon his renowned work on developing countries and the poorest populations to confront the global mismanagement of nature. Proper stewardship of natural assets and liabilities is a matter of planetary urgency: natural resources have the potential either to transform the poorest countries or to tear them apart, while the carbon emissions and agricultural follies of the rich world could further impoverish them. The Plundered Planet charts a course between unchecked profiteering on the one hand and environmental romanticism on the other to offer realistic and sustainable solutions to dauntingly complex issues. Grounded in a belief in the power of informed citizens, Collier proposes a series of international standards that would help poor countries rich in natural assets better manage those resources, policy changes that would raise world food supply, and a clear-headed approach to climate change that acknowledges the benefits of industrialization while addressing the need for alternatives to carbon trading. Revealing how these are all interconnected, The Plundered Planet charts a way forward to avoid the mismanagement of the natural world that threatens our future. Paul Collier's The Bottom Billion was greeted as groundbreaking when it appeared in 2007, winning the Estoril Distinguished Book Prize, the Arthur Ross Book Award, and the Lionel Gelber Prize. Now, in The Plundered Planet, Collier builds upon his renowned work on developing countries and the world's poorest populations to confront the global mismanagement of natural resources. Proper stewardship of natural assets and liabilities is a matter of planetary urgency: natural resources have the potential either to transform the poorest countries or to tear them apart, while the carbon emissions and agricultural follies of the developed world could further impoverish them. The Plundered Planet charts a course between unchecked profiteering on the one hand and environmental romanticism on the other to offer realistic and sustainable solutions to dauntingly complex issues. Grounded in a belief in the power of informed citizens, Collier proposes a series of international standards that would help poor countries rich in natural assets better manage those resources, policy changes that would raise world food supply, and a clear-headed approach to climate change that acknowledges the benefits of industrialization while addressing the need for alternatives to carbon trading. Revealing how all of these forces interconnect, The Plundered Planet charts a way forward to avoid the mismanagement of the natural world that threatens our future. Cover 1 Table of Contents 4 Preface 5 Part I - The Ethics of Nature 11 1. Poverty and Plunder 11 2. Is Nature Priceless? 20 Part II - Nature as Asset 37 3. Cursed by Nature? 37 4. Discovering Natural Assets 59 5. Capturing Natural Assets 71 6. Selling the Family Silver 85 7. Investing in Investing 110 Part III - Nature as Factory 129 8. Is a Fish a Natural Asset? 129 9. Natural Liabilities 144 Part IV - Nature Misunderstood 170 10. Nature and Hunger 170 Part V - Natural Order 187 11. Restoring Natural Order 187 A Note on Sources 199 8 Cover ......Page 1 Table of Contents ......Page 4 Preface ......Page 5 1. Poverty and Plunder ......Page 11 2. Is Nature Priceless?......Page 20 3. Cursed by Nature? ......Page 37 4. Discovering Natural Assets ......Page 59 5. Capturing Natural Assets ......Page 71 6. Selling the Family Silver ......Page 85 7. Investing in Investing ......Page 110 8. Is a Fish a Natural Asset? ......Page 129 9. Natural Liabilities......Page 144 10. Nature and Hunger ......Page 170 11. Restoring Natural Order......Page 187 A Note on Sources ......Page 199 Poverty And Plunder -- Is Nature Priceless? -- Cursed By Nature? -- Discovering Natural Assets -- The Capture Of Natural Assets -- Selling The Family Silver -- Investing In Investing -- Is A Fish A Natural Asset? -- Natural Liabilities -- Romance And Hunger -- Restoring Natural Order. Paul Collier. Includes Index. Argues that technological innovation, environmental protection, and regulation are key to managing the planet's natural resources and ensuring equitable development