|
Showing 1 - 1 of
1 matches in All Departments
Winner of the 2017 Paul Sweezy Marxist Sociology Book Award from
the American Sociological Association Although humans have long
depended on oceans and aquatic ecosystems for sustenance and trade,
only recently has human influence on these resources dramatically
increased, transforming and undermining oceanic environments
throughout the world. Marine ecosystems are in a crisis that is
global in scope, rapid in pace, and colossal in scale. In The
Tragedy of the Commodity, sociologists Stefano B. Longo, Rebecca
Clausen, and Brett Clark explore the role human influence plays in
this crisis, highlighting the social and economic forces that are
at the heart of this looming ecological problem. In a
critique of the classic theory “the tragedy of the commons” by
ecologist Garrett Hardin, the authors move beyond simplistic
explanations—such as unrestrained self-interest or population
growth—to argue that it is the commodification of aquatic
resources that leads to the depletion of fisheries and the
development of environmentally suspect means of aquaculture. To
illustrate this argument, the book features two fascinating case
studies—the thousand-year history of the bluefin tuna fishery in
the Mediterranean and the massive Pacific salmon fishery. Longo,
Clausen, and Clark describe how new fishing technologies,
transformations in ships and storage capacities, and the expansion
of seafood markets combined to alter radically and permanently
these crucial ecosystems. In doing so, the authors underscore how
the particular organization of social production contributes to
ecological degradation and an increase in the pressures placed upon
the ocean. The authors highlight the historical, political,
economic, and cultural forces that shape how we interact with the
larger biophysical world. A path-breaking analysis of
overfishing, The Tragedy of the Commodity yields insight into
issues such as deforestation, biodiversity loss, pollution, and
climate change.Â
|
You may like...
Higher
Michael Buble
CD
(1)
R172
R154
Discovery Miles 1 540
Come Boldly
C. S. Lewis
Hardcover
R610
R195
Discovery Miles 1 950
|