“Dispossessed peasants slash-and-burn their way into the rain forests of Latin America, hungry nomads turn their herds out into fragile African rangeland, reducing it to desert, and small farmers in India and the Philippines cultivate steep slopes, exposing them to the erosive powers of rain. Perhaps half the world's billion-plus absolute poor are caught in a downward spiral of ecological and economic impoverishment. In desperation, they knowingly abuse the land, salvaging the present by savaging the future.” WorldWayAmericaTurnsPoorHalfEconomicLandRainAbuseIndiaAbsolutesCaughtBillionsHungryForestsDesertPlusLatinFarmersFragileDesperationReducingPeasantsHerdsLatin AmericaEcologicalExposingSpiralsPhilippinesSlopesSteepNomadDownward Spiral Author:Alan Thein Durning
“Most of us still believe in the intrinsic value of nature, but I think the first century of the environmental/conservation movement demonstrated pretty clearly that this value cannot compel a civilization-wide shift toward sustainable behavior and enterprise when stacked up against the urgent economic and social needs of 7 billion people, most of whom are struggling to get out of poverty.” PeopleThinkingNeedsFirstsBelieveStillsValuesSocialPovertyStruggleEconomicCenturyMovementCivilizationBehaviorEnvironmentalWideBillionsEnterpriseConservationUrgentIntrinsic Value Author:Edward Norton
“We aren't leveraging this great economic engine, the strongest economy in the world. And yet we have this totally weak response. We import $500 billion a year more in products than we export.” WorldYearsEconomyEconomicProductsWeakResponseBillionsStrongestEnginesImports Author:Jennifer Granholm
“Falling prices are driving renewable energy investment in India, which rose 13 per cent last year and is expected to surpass 10 billion dollars in 2015. Adoption of increasingly cost-effective renewables holds the genuine promise of a new age of socio-economic development, powered by clean, increasingly decentralised, and sustainable energy. The opportunity for India is tremendous.” YearsAgeLastsFallOpportunityEnergyEconomicDevelopmentPromiseCostIndiaDollarsRoseCleanInvestmentExpectedBillionsDrivingGenuineCentsLast YearAdoptionNew AgeRenewable EnergyEconomic DevelopmentSustainable Energy Author:Adnan
“We can decide that the presence of cancer-causing substances in our air, water, and food is too expensive. A 2009 study, for example, has found that coal miners in Appalachia costs the region five times more in premature deaths, including from cancer, than it provides to the region in jobs, taxes, and economic benefits. In California, the production and use of hazardous chemicals cost the state $2.6 billion in 2004 alone in lost wages and health-care expenses to treat workers and children with pollution-linked diseases.” ChildrenStatesUseCareJobsFoundLostWaterStudyFiveAirEconomicExampleCostTaxesDiseaseBenefitsTreatsEnvironmentalWorkersIncludingCancerProductionsBillionsHealth CareSubstanceCaliforniaExpensiveRegionsExpensesChemicalsPollutionWagesCoalLinkedPrematureMinersAppalachiaCoal MinersPremature Death Author:Sandra Steingraber
“Air pollution is a threat to health, especially of older persons. It contributes significantly to the rising rates of chronic respiratory ailments. It stains our cities and towns with ugliness, soiling and corroding whatever it touches. Its damage extends to our forests and farmlands as well. The economic toll for our neglect amounts to billions of dollars each year.” YearsWellsPersonsCitiesAirEconomicAmountTownsDollarsThreatEnvironmentalRateBillionsForestsDamageRisingNeglectPollutionUglinessStainsTollsAilmentsAir PollutionFarmlandRespiratoryCities And Towns Author:Lyndon B. Johnson
“Meaningful rules in the consumer credit market can accelerate economic recovery. Rules would increase consumer confidence and, more importantly, weed out all the tricks and traps that sap families of billions of dollars annually.” EconomicIncreaseDollarsCreditBillionsMeaningfulTricksRecoveryConsumersWeedTrapsSapAccelerateEconomic RecoveryConsumer Confidence Author:Elizabeth Warren
“There's real economic costs to climate change - So, Superstorm Sandy led to billions of dollars in damages. The fires out in the west, 70 million dollars a day are being spent in fighting fires that have clearly been exacerbated by drought and climate change. So, people have pointed out the true dollars and cents cost of inaction on climate change.” PeopleRealFightingMillionsFireEconomicCostDollarsWestClimateClimate ChangeBillionsDamageCentsMillion DollarsInactionDroughtSandySuperstorm Sandy Author:Naomi Oreskes
“The rules in this new 'post-partisan' era are pretty simple: If the Democratic Party wants it, it's 'stimulus.' If the Republican Party opposes it, it's 'politics' - as in headlines like this: 'Obama Urges GOP To Keep Politics To A Minimum On Stimulus.' These are serious times: As the president says, it's the worst economic crisis since the Thirties. So politicians need to put politics behind them and immediately lavish $4.19 billion on his community-organizing pals at the highly inventive 'voter registration' group ACORN for 'neighborhood stabilization activities.” IfsWantNeedsPresidentCommunitySimplePartyBehindsGroupsEconomicWorstSeriousPoliticianRepublicanActivityCrisisDemocraticBillionsErasPostsNeighborhoodUrgesVotersMinimumRepublican PartyDemocratic PartyStimulusHeadlinesPartisansGopPalsEconomic CrisisAcornsRegistrationCommunity OrganizingVoter Registration Author:Mark Steyn
“How do we give credible hope to the billion poorest people in the world? It requires compassion to get ourselves started, and enlightened self-interest to get serious... If economic divergence continues, combined with global integration, it will build a nightmare for our children.” PeopleIfsWorldGivingChildrenSelfInterestCompassionEconomicSeriousOur ChildrenBillionsEnlightenedNightmareIntegrationSelf InterestPoorestCredibleDivergence Author:Paul Collier
“Wall Street is perhaps the most powerful economic and political force in this country. You have companies like Goldman Sachs, who just recently paid a settlement fine with the federal government for $5 billion for defrauding investors.” CountryGovernmentPoliticalForcePowerfulCompanyEconomicStreetsWallFinePaidBillionsMost PowerfulInvestorsFederal GovernmentSettlementGoldman Sachs Author:Bernie Sanders