The Age of Sustainable Development
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- USD 38.99
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- USD 38.99
Publisher Description
Jeffrey D. Sachs is one of the world's most perceptive and original analysts of global development. In this major new work he presents a compelling and practical framework for how global citizens can use a holistic way forward to address the seemingly intractable worldwide problems of persistent extreme poverty, environmental degradation, and political-economic injustice: sustainable development.
Sachs offers readers, students, activists, environmentalists, and policy makers the tools, metrics, and practical pathways they need to achieve Sustainable Development Goals. Far more than a rhetorical exercise, this book is designed to inform, inspire, and spur action. Based on Sachs's twelve years as director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University, his thirteen years advising the United Nations secretary-general on the Millennium Development Goals, and his recent presentation of these ideas in a popular online course, The Age of Sustainable Development is a landmark publication and clarion call for all who care about our planet and global justice.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Sachs (The End of Poverty), an economist and director of Columbia University's Earth Institute, argues that it's time for humankind to reconcile its needs with those of the planet, in this sprawling manifesto. He surveys the great dilemma facing civilization: how to ensure broadly inclusive economic growth, especially in the poorest countries, without destroying the natural environment and deranging the climate on which survival depends. Deploying clear, straightforward prose and a wealth of statistics the book's countless tables and graphs are an eye-opening education in themselves he follows the threads of this knotty problem from their scientific and economic roots to their potential solutions in new technologies and a mix of market dynamics and vigorous government action. Sachs balances alarming forecasts with signs of progress, giving brief, even-handed rundowns of policy prescriptions such as carbon taxes, foreign aid to help Africa escape its "poverty trap," and reforms of America's hideously expensive private health-care system. The overstuffed book suffers from a scope that precludes detailed analysis of the many contentious debates over sustainability policies and technologies, particularly in its inadequate assessments of the pros and cons of wind, solar, and nuclear power. Still, Sachs's overview demonstrates the seriousness of the sustainability crisis while illuminating workable paths to resolving it. Maps and photos.
