Beyond Interdependence: The Meshing of the World's Economy and the Earth's Ecology
Author(s): Jim MacNeill (Author), Pieter Winsemius (Editor), Taizo Yakushiji (Editor)
Publisher: Oxford University Press, U.S.A.
Publication Date: 1 Aug. 1991
Language: English
Print length: 180 pages
ISBN-10: 0195071263
ISBN-13: 9780195071269
Book Description
Over the last year, the world has seen some cataclysmic changes. Eastern Europe is no longer yoked with Soviet communism, Germany is again a single, powerful nation, and Russia itself is pursuing a free-market economy at an almost frantic pace. Yet as we focus on the triumph of democracy, it is easy to overlook the potentially catastrophic changes that face the world environment, changes that are inextricably linked to the workings of the political and economic institutions of our time. Beyond Interdependence builds upon the Brundtland Commission’s landmark report Our Common Future, a book that has been hailed as “the most important document of the decade on the future of the world” and has sold over one-half million copies in nineteen foreign languages are Jim MacNeill, the principal author of both works, has in this latest study extended the Commission’s analysis of the critical relationships between the global environment, the world economy, and the international order together with his eminent colleagues, Pieter Winsemius and Taizo Yakushiji, MacNeill shows that while our global economy and ecology have become completely interlocked, they have remained separate in our institutions, and in the minds of our policymakers. he result is a wide range of domestic and international policies that are accelerating the depletion of Earth’s basic ecological (and economic) capital-its rivers, lakes, and oceans, its soils and forests, its flora and fauna, and its ozone shield. These short-sighted policies also threaten us in the next century with a greater rise in global warming and sea level than have occurred in the ten-thousand years since the last ice age. The authors argue that this environmental degradation and resource depletion will be the principal source of interstate conflict in the post-cold war world. Providing a fresh analysis of the issues of global change, and taking into account such recent events as the tidal
Editorial Reviews
Review
‘Applied oriented, it gives far-reaching recommendations for policy reforms on all levels.’ Journal of Consumer Policy
`the book’s content strikes a good balance between general observations and detailed examples. Insight is offered into fundamental relationships – responsible for certain environmental problems – which may provide points of application for realsitic solutions.’ Jeroen C.J.M. Van Den Bergh, Free University, Amsterdam, Environmental Policitics, Vol. 1, No. 4, Winter 1992
‘This small book is a stepping stone between arguably two of the world’s most significant environmental events. This book is a primer that builds on the awareness created by the World Commission on Environment and Development. It clearly lays out what must be achieved if the Earth Summit is to succeed. The book is definitely worth buying. It provides a good compilation of material proving the thesis that all nations are economically and ecologically linked.’ Borealis: the Magazine for Canadian Parks & Wilderness, Issue No. 10, 1992
`While the massive scope of the book obviously precludes any detailed discussion of the complex issues at hand, it is a well-written and perceptive summary of the diverse challenges posed by global environmental change and the urgent policy responses required. As such it is of interest to specialists, students and more general readers alike’ International Affairs
`For those who want a terse and pithy explication of the issues that were aired at the Rio conference, Beyond Interdependence would be a good introduction. The language is clear and succinct and the book would be useful for undergraduate courses in international politics, international relations and environmental studies.’ The International Journal of Environmental Studies
‘Part of the value of the prsent volume was and is its timeliness, along with its clear statement of the necessary and anticipated development of a global environmental/economic agenda … its message … shows the benefit of two decades of meaningful experience, limited but encouraging success, intellectual development, and mature reflection on the part of those directly concerned with environment in a global context.’ John F. Disinger, The Environmentalist, 233/4
Review
‘Applied oriented, it gives far-reaching recommendations for policy reforms on all levels.’ Journal of Consumer Policy`the book’s content strikes a good balance between general observations and detailed examples. Insight is offered into fundamental relationships – responsible for certain environmental problems – which may provide points of application for realsitic solutions.’ Jeroen C.J.M. Van Den Bergh, Free University, Amsterdam, Environmental Policitics, Vol. 1, No. 4, Winter 1992‘This small book is a stepping stone between arguably two of the world’s most significant environmental events. This book is a primer that builds on the awareness created by the World Commission on Environment and Development. It clearly lays out what must be achieved if the Earth Summit is to succeed. The book is definitely worth buying. It provides a good compilation of material proving the thesis that all nations are economically and ecologically linked.’ Borealis: the Magazine for Canadian Parks & Wilderness, Issue No. 10, 1992`While the massive scope of the book obviously precludes any detailed discussion of the complex issues at hand, it is a well-written and perceptive summary of the diverse challenges posed by global environmental change and the urgent policy responses required. As such it is of interest to specialists, students and more general readers alike’ International Affairs`For those who want a terse and pithy explication of the issues that were aired at the Rio conference, Beyond Interdependence would be a good introduction. The language is clear and succinct and the book would be useful for undergraduate courses in international politics, international relations and environmental studies.’ The International Journal of Environmental Studies‘Part of the value of the prsent volume was and is its timeliness, along with its clear statement of the necessary and anticipated development of a global environmental/economic agenda … its message … shows the benefit of two decades of meaningful experience, limited but encouraging success, intellectual development, and mature reflection on the part of those directly concerned with environment in a global context.’ John F. Disinger, The Environmentalist, 233/4
Book Description
Perhaps the most important book for the future of our planet
From the Back Cover
Beyond Interdependence shows that the interlocking of the world’s economy and the earth’s ecology is the new reality of the century. Building on the Brundtland Commission’s landmark report Our Common Future, the book extends the Commission’s analysis of the issues of global change and the changing international politics of environment. It shows how industrialized nations can take unilateral and regional action to address environmental threats while improving microeconomic efficiency and international competitiveness. It takes account of recent events, including the tidal shift in East-West relations, and the war in the Persian Gulf. With incisive analysis and far-reaching recommendations for policy reform, Beyond Interdependence shows how we can act urgently but intelligently to advance our common future.
About the Author
Jim MacNeill is President of MacNeill & Associates, a Senior Fellow at the Institute for Research on Public Policy in Ottawa, and Secretary General of the World Commission on Environment and Development. Pieter Winsemius is Director of McKinsey & Company in Amsterdam and is the former Dutch Minister of Housing, Physical Planning, and Environment. Taizo Yakushiji is Professor of Technology and International Relations at the Graduate School of Policy Science at Saitama University in Japan.
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