Our Common Future (Oxford Paperback Reference)

Book Description

Most of today's decision makers will be dead before the planet suffers the full consequences of acid rain, global warning, ozone depletion, widespread desertification, and species loss. Most of today's young voters, however, will be alive. In this, perhaps the most important document of the decade on the future of the world, the urgency of changing certain policy decisions, some of which threaten the very survival of the human race, is made abundantly clear. The World Commission on Environment and Development, headed by Gro Harlem Brundtland, Prime Minister of Norway, was set up as an independent body in 1983 by the United Nations. Its brief was to re-examine the critical environment, to develop proposals to solve them, and to ensure that human progress will be sustained through development without bankrupting the resources of future generations. In Our Common Future, the Commission serves notice that the time has come for a marriage of economy and ecology, so that governments and their people can take responsibility not just for environmental damage, but for the policies that cause the damage. It is not too late to change these policies; but, it warns, we must act now.

Customer Reviews:

Interesting, but . . ........1997-12-13

While the topic of this text, sustainable development, is interesting, the text is not. The first chapter provides most of what is necessary to understand the commission's findings. The 300+ pages which follow are filled with too many examples, which disrupts the flow of the book.

Multiple Origins, Uncertain Destinies: Hispanics and the American Future

Average customer rating:

Multiple Origins, Uncertain Destinies: Hispanics and the American Future
Committee on Transforming Our Common Destiny: Hispanics in the United States , and National Research Council
Manufacturer: National Academies Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Demography | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Hispanics and the Future of America

ASIN: 0309096677

Who Owns the Sky?: Our Common Assets And The Future Of Capitalism

Average customer rating:

Corporations Own the Sky?
Creative ways of making clean air a sustainable business
Don't waste your time and/or money
A Way Out For George Bush ?
A brainstorm of workable solutions

Who Owns the Sky?: Our Common Assets And The Future Of Capitalism
Peter Barnes
Manufacturer: Island Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Economic Conditions | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Natural Resources | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Public Policy | Government | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Environmental Science | Earth Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

Conservation | Environment | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

General | Conservation | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 1559638559

Book Description

Global warming has finally made clear the true costs of using our atmosphere as a giant sponge to soak up unwanted by-products of industrial activity. As nations, businesses, and citizens seek workable yet fair solutions for reducing carbon emissions, the question of who should pay -- and how -- looms large. Yet the surprising truth is that a system for protecting the atmosphere could be devised that would yield cash benefits to us all.

In Who Owns the Sky?, visionary entrepreneur Peter Barnes redefines the debate about the costs and benefits of addressing climate change. He proposes a market-based institution called a Sky Trust that would set limits on carbon emissions and pay dividends to all of us, who collectively own the atmosphere as a commons. The Trust would be funded by requiring polluters to pay for the right to emit carbon dioxide, and managed by a non-governmental agency. Dividends would be paid annually, in much the same way that residents of Alaska today receive cash benefits from oil companies that drill in their state.

Employing the same spirit of innovation that brought millions of dollars to the nonprofit sector through his company Working Assets, Barnes sets forth a practical new approach to protecting our shared inheritance -- not only the atmosphere, but water, forests, and other life-sustaining and economically valuable common resources. He shows how we can use markets and property rights to preserve and share the vast wealth around us, allowing us not only to profit from it, but to pass it on, undiminished, to future generations.

Who Owns the Sky? is a remarkable look at the future of our economy, one in which we can retain capitalism's virtues while mitigating its vices. Peter Barnes draws on his personal experience as a successful entrepreneur to offer viable solutions to some of our most pressing environmental and social concerns.

Customer Reviews:

Corporations Own the Sky?.......2003-04-24

In the book, Who Owns the Sky?, Peter Barnes makes a compelling and interesting theoretical argument of the need to address a systematic problem, which is how to allocate common resources and issue them a value in a manner congruent to capitalism. Barnes's revelation examines the idea of the putting a price on our common assets (natural resources) through our capitalistic market ideals. The market, therefore, would set prices on natural resources that the common people of our country have inherited through mutual ownership, and use the ideas of the market to charge for the use and exploitation of the resources. This idea of placing ownership of natural resources into a common trust is Barnes's most dynamic point or theory. His theory basically would charge anyone (mainly corporations) exploiting the resources and give the money back to the people in dividends. The companies that are environmentally sound would also be given subsidies for taking the effort reduce resource use or degradation.
A trust is a legally supported concept of an entity designed to hold and manage assets or in this case natural resources for the well being of the people, the beneficiaries. Barnes uses this democratic idea in a modern way where resources and their value can be assimilated into capitalism without throwing off the market. His catastrophic finding is that people will benefit from dividends and more importantly the wealth and health of environment will become sustainable through the market. This theoretical scheme seems like a solution that would the allow the environment and capitalism to mutually coexist in some form of harmony, which almost seems like an oxymoron.
This book was an excellent road map for a feasible change in democracy for the better. Capitalism would be able to continue thriving, the environment could begin thriving, and the people of this democracy would actually get rewarded in a fair way for the abstinence in resource use and abuse. However, my optimism in Barnes's theory is minute because of the corporation's ability to act as such a catalyst in the government's decision making. Corporations have so much money that I find it hard to believe Barnes's theory is highly plausible. The corporations will use every mechanism in the book including, lobbying, donations to high government officials, and mass communication to disable the theory of a general trust that would take money from the rich and give to the poor.
The last argument against Barnes's theory of a general trust is the idea of capitalism in itself. Big government involvement is a taboo issue where less is more. The idea of a trust is seen as a socialist idea where the government intervenes with the innocent corporations in attempt to play good cop, bad cop.
Who Owns the Sky?, is an incredible book with magnificent ideas, but the answer to the question of who owns the sky is simple. As of right now the corporations do and to change that would take more than a theory that benefits the people as a whole, but rather a theory that somehow benefits the driving force of the market, the corporations.

Creative ways of making clean air a sustainable business.......2003-04-22

Who Owns the Sky presented a very ambitious plan for conserving the atmosphere. In this book Peter Barnes looked at earth's atmosphere as a valuable commodity that everyone owns. In many ways this argument made sense. Everyone uses air, so everyone should consider it important. Barnes explained many reasons why too much carbon secretion is disturbing the climate, not to mention the life on earth. If we need clean air to maintain quality life then the people polluting the air should pay for their damage. Writing in a time dominated by capitalism, it was not far fetched to associate ecological toll on a natural resource to a monetary tax being placed on polluters. All humans and other life needs air therefore there is already a natural sense that one should protect something that is vital to life. Barnes used the association of air as common property to all to be guarded with expensive fines for those who threaten that property. This will convince non-conservationists that the atmosphere is a resource that is valuable.
What is the Sky Trust? The Sky Trust is Barnes' economic investment system that sells rights to polluters and distributes the revenue to all citizens equally. This is one kind of cap-and-trade system that will best relate the energy companies responsible for pollution with the government and its citizens. Shareholders are all equal. All citizens are shareholders. Shares are not transferable. The Sky Trust will be a transparent pseudo mutual fund in which all shareholders will see where every dollar goes. The Sky Trust will affect consumers according to how much impact they have on the atmosphere. This will be measured in the amount of energy a consumer gets from carbon burning sources. The tax paid by the energy companies to the Sky Trust will be transferred to the consumer. This means the people driving SUV's will have to pay more because they need to buy more fuel to run their vehicle.
There are some serious questions that some people have about how the Sky Trust would work. My first one just happens to be the title of this book. Who is to say that the citizens of the United States own the sky? Sky is property of commons, in order to ration does some kind of ownership needs to take place? Why now? What is an accurate economic value to some huge space of gas? What will the effects be on the U.S. and Global economy? When the extra cost of the Sky Trust tax is passed onto the consumer who will be left out and what businesses will die? Entering all the extra charges onto every good and service might collapse the economy.
Barnes does have a working example of his plan, in the Alaskan Permanent fund. This program showed me that there could be good effects to government-organized sale of natural resources. The idea to create an investment portfolio that will outlive the natural resource, while at the same time getting the most money for a scarce resource to discourage overuse is very positive. The positive effects of the Alaskan Permanent Fund also apply to the Sky Trust. If Sky Trust money is entitled to the citizens of the U.S. then they can decide how they want to spend this extra money. Families will benefit from the tax advantages and an opportunity to start a savings because it will provide opportunities that would not be possible before. Parents that are trying to save for their children's college education will be able to give their next generation more of a chance for social and economic advancement than they had. Entrepreneurs will be able to have the capital it takes to get a small business off the ground.
I really like the idea that Barnes advances that sustainable business is possible. He talked about changing the DNA of business to be more socially conscious. Business should view giving back to the community as crucial to the business cycle. It is simple for businesses to make small philanthropic contributions but it is quite another thing to factor in the effects to the community and the environment on level terms with the dollars and cents of the bottom line. I like the ideas in Who Owns the Sky, but I question the feasibility. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in ways of changing the institutions of society to preserve the world's riches while creating social harmony

Don't waste your time and/or money.......2003-04-01

As an economics student, this book makes NO sense whatsoever. His ideas are SO far fetched it almost looks as though it is a sci-fi book. Whoever gave it 5 stars must not know how capitalism really works, and how gov't works. It was so off base that I don't even know where to begin. As soon as you read the into and the first chapter you'll notice that the author's propositions are whimsical at best. One thing is caring about our environment (I do), but to create this NGO (Non-Gov't org) to collect environemntal taxation is one of the most nonsensical ideas I've ever heard! Just do yourself a favor and don't buy this book, that is, unless you really want to make the author rich and make yourself miserable.

A Way Out For George Bush ?.......2001-10-23

Review of ‘Who Owns The Sky’ by Peter Barnes pub Island Press 2001

Chris Rose

This is a great little book that should be read by any environmentalist who really wants to save the atmosphere. Original and iconoclastic, its main fault is that it is so packed with big and new ideas so that it is in danger of being overlooked as too complicated.

Really it should be called ‘Let’s Own The Sky’ as it’s a rationale and rallying cry to take the common asset of the sky into common (as distinct from state) ownership. Barnes suggests a way to get Americans (or anyone) to take a stake in the sky as a waste disposal resource, and then charge for polluting it. Americans want to protect the climate says Barnes, but only if they can do so without any economic pain. Done right, via a ‘sky trust,’ Barnes says, would be a money-earner for most. Result – incentives to pollute less.

In the Barnes plan a Sky Trust would be funded by emission permits sold to energy companies at the top of the ‘carbon chain.’ The revenues would be paid out to citizens in equal dividends, like the Alaska Permanent Fund does with that State’s oil revenues.

Barnes is an entrepreneur with impeccable capitalist if Californian credentials. He has proposed a cap-and-trade system which charges polluters rather than handing out emission rights for nothing. As such it might appeal to less-government libertarians and egalitarian environmentalists alike.

...and you can get a notional non-transfer-able share of America’s sky. Barnes has a blueprint but is it a Bushprint ? Where else though is George Bush to go if he is to regain any credibility on the climate, after rashly rejecting the Kyoto Protocol, the climate treaty accepted by every other nation ? America needs some fresh thinking and this might be it.

A brainstorm of workable solutions.......2001-10-10

Who Owns The Sky?: Our Common Assets And The Future Of Capitalism offers opinions and economical solutions to the complex problem of global warming. Author Peter Barnes (cofounder and president ofthe socially responsibile telephone company "Working Assets") argues persuasively in favor of treating the sky as a commonly owned asset, through a non-governmental Sky Trust that would charge rent for carbon emissions and pay equal yearly dividends, which would make the burden easier to bear for workers and firms that have the most difficult transition to a lower-carbon economy. A unique melding of capitalism, enlightened self-interest, environmentalism, and hope for the future, Who Owns The Sky? is just what the world needs most - a brainstorm of workable solutions to one of the potentially most monumental of global environmental problems.

Average customer rating:

Hispanics and the Future of America
Committee on Transforming Our Common Destiny , and National Research Council
Manufacturer: National Academies Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0309100518

1) The Future of Ideas: The Fate of the Commons in a Connected World / 3) Active Liberty: Interpreting Our Democratic Constitution / 3) The Revolution Will Not Be Televised: Democracy, the Internet, and the Overthrow of Everything / (Unboxed Set of Books)

Average customer rating:

1) The Future of Ideas: The Fate of the Commons in a Connected World / 3) Active Liberty: Interpreting Our Democratic Constitution / 3) The Revolution Will Not Be Televised: Democracy, the Internet, and the Overthrow of Everything / (Unboxed Set of Books)
Joe Trippi , Lawrence Lessig , and Stephen Breyer
Manufacturer: various
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000WMF7UO

Product Description

1) The Future of Ideas: The Fate of the Commons in a Connected World / 3) Active Liberty: Interpreting Our Democratic Constitution / 3) The Revolution Will Not Be Televised: Democracy, the Internet, and the Overthrow of Everything / (Unboxed Set of Books), in either Hard or Softcover, (See Seller Condition Comments), Shipped in one package to save on shipping costs.

The Christian Concept of Salvation: A Common Sense Look at Our Notion of the Afterlife

Average customer rating:

The Christian Concept of Salvation: A Common Sense Look at Our Notion of the Afterlife
Daniel R., Jr. Francis
Manufacturer: Secret Wishes Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Comparative Religion | Religious Studies | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Creating Our Common Future: Educating for Unity in Diversity

Average customer rating:

Creating Our Common Future: Educating for Unity in Diversity
Jack Campbell
Manufacturer: Berghahn Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Average customer rating:

Debates on Issues of Our Common Future
Wilhelm (ed) Krull
Manufacturer: Velbruck Wissenschaft
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000X6YW7I

Education ; Designing and Building Our Common Future

Average customer rating:

Education ; Designing and Building Our Common Future
Ramesh Chandra
Manufacturer: Kalpaz Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 8178352303

Environment and Health: Protecting Our Common Future

Average customer rating:

Environment and Health: Protecting Our Common Future
K. Duncan
Manufacturer: Wit Pr/Computational Mechanics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Ethics | Business Life | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Environmental Science | Earth Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

Conservation | Environment | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Ecology | Environment | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

General | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1845641302

Book Description

For years, the residents of Diamond, Louisiana, lived with an inescapable acrid, metallic smell -- the "toxic bouquet" of pollution -- and a mysterious chemical fog that seeped into their houses. They looked out on the massive Norco Industrial Complex: a maze of pipelines, stacks topped by flares burning off excess gas, and huge oil tankers moving up the Mississippi. They experienced headaches, stinging eyes, allergies, asthma, and other respiratory problems, skin disorders, and cancers that they were convinced were caused by their proximity to heavy industry. Periodic industrial explosions damaged their houses and killed some of their neighbors. Their small, African-American, mixed-income neighborhood was sandwiched between two giant Shell Oil plants in Louisiana's notorious Chemical Corridor. When the residents of Diamond demanded that Shell relocate them, their chances of success seemed slim: a community with little political clout was taking on the second-largest oil company in the world. And yet, after effective grassroots organizing, unremitting fenceline protests, seemingly endless negotiations with Shell officials, and intense media coverage, the people of Diamond finally got what they wanted: money from Shell to help them relocate out of harm's way. In this book, Steve Lerner tells their story.

Around the United States, struggles for environmental justice such as the one in Diamond are the new front lines of both the civil rights and the environmental movements, and Diamond is in many ways a classic environmental-justice story: a minority neighborhood, faced with a polluting industry in its midst, fights back. But Diamond is also the history of a black community that goes back to the days of slavery. In 1811, Diamond (then the Trepagnier Plantation) was the center of the largest slave rebellion in United States history. Descendants of these slaves were among the participants in the modern-day Diamond relocation campaign.

Steve Lerner talks to the people of Diamond, and lets them tell their story in their own words. He talks also to the residents of a nearby white neighborhood -- many of whom work for Shell and have fewer complaints about the plants -- and to environmental activists and Shell officials. His account of Diamond's 30-year ordeal puts a human face on the struggle for environmental justice in the United States.

Customer Reviews:

amazing insight into the lives of fenceline residents.......2005-08-24

mr. lerner does an excellent job of reporting exactly what happened to the diamond subdivision of norco, louisiana. he interviews many residents of diamond and neighboring norco and gives invaluable perspective to the struggles of both: one, a community smushed between two toxic-spewing behemoths and the other, a largely white, largely shell-employed suburb trying to "protect" their company and town. basically, the white residents are being paid to suffer the health and environmental consequences of living next to chemical and petrochemical refineries, whereas the black community, diamond, was not only suffering the brunt of the chemical emissions but not even hired by shell--i think the rate was 3% in diamond. the history of this particular part of louisiana was fascinating and well researched. the racial divides in this part of louisiana are historically intense (as they were in southeastern texas, where i grew up); the environmental racism perpetuated by shell is obvious and appalling. that it took as much time as it did for shell to relocate this community, then to do it in stages that decimated generations of family ties, is proof of their utter lack of concern for the human cost of their operations. i tried to feel a little good for shell in the giving credit where credit is due part of the book, but i still am appalled by their utter lack of concern for the health of the community, and when they did care it was only because they were threatened with bad publicity. the suggestions made by the author at the end of the book for change were excellent, and i loved margie richard's statement to the chemical companies that they should be doing this cleaner, cheaper and healthier. theirs was not a total victory, but a big one nonetheless. i look forward to any new books written by mr. lerner and i am really looking forward to seeing what happens to the current and former residents of diamond, who i hope bring forth a massive suit against shell for the damage done to their health.

wow.......2005-04-28

This is an exceptional book. Hard hitting, informative, life affirming and full of the pulls and pushes of the real challenges people face. That said, I could not help but think what a great movie this would make. I could see this book. The images are so vivid. The stories so real. The wins so bittersweet. Mr. Lerner is a gifted writer with a warm heart and brillant mind. Thank you for writing this story. Hopefully it will inspire other real life stories.

An inspring struggle for justice.......2005-04-17

"Diamond" by Steve Lerner is a compelling account of a community's struggle for environmental justice. This highly-readable work skillfully examines the subject of toxics pollution and the petrochemical industry's tendency to disproportionately harm people of color. In particular, the book is noteworthy for the care and compassion with which Mr. Lerner has profiled and documented the remarkable individuals who successfully led a grassroots campaign for justice in Diamond, Louisiana. In so doing, the author has alerted us to the potential for the environmental and racial justice movements to collaborate and work for change.

The first section recounts the unique history of Diamond. The tight-knit African-American community had endured centuries of slavery and segregation only to find itself on a collision course with Big Oil due to Diamond's location near the Gulf of Mexico. Over many years, the massive amounts of pollution released by Shell's refineries and chemical plants located adjacent to Diamond had caused ill health among the local population and spurred the citizens into organized action.

The second section discusses Shell and its relations with its neighbors. Through numerous interviews and visits to Diamond and the adjacent community of Norco, Mr. Lerner uncovered a startling difference in how the two ethnically stratified towns perceived reality. The mostly white residents of Norco, many of whom were employed by Shell, seemed unwilling to acknowledge the ill effects of the pollution and openly questioned the motivations of the black residents of Diamond, most of whom did not benefit economically from the plant and consequently did not shrink from vocalizing their discontent. In my view, the author's mature treatment of this particular aspect of the story provides insight into the deep-rooted racial divide in America and helps us understand how we might heal the relationship.

The third and fourth sections document the increasing tension as hard evidence of toxic releases exposed Shell's non-compliance with EPA regulations and elevated the level of distrust in the community. Greenpeace and other organizations joined with the local residents in highlighting the injustice and brought increased media scrutiny on the situation.

The fifth section shows how victory was achieved through the linking of the struggle in Diamond with the well-known case of the Ogoni people and their victimization by Shell's operations in Nigeria. The threat of negative publicity prior to a prominent international conference proved to be decisive, moving Shell management to strike a deal with Diamond residents.

In the final section, Mr. Lerner discusses the lessons learned. The author recommends buffer zones around plants, better monitoring of air and the phase-out of toxic chemicals.

In the Conclusion, Mr. Lerner credits Shell with doing the right thing but discusses the human costs of relocating the residents, a strategy that took people out of harm's way but divided neighbors who had lived near one another for generations. But in winning this David-versus-Goliath struggle, the author praises Diamond resident Margie Richards for her faith, intelligence and perseverance in leading the struggle to fruition. Ms. Richards is compared with Rosa Parks as a role model and an inspiration to all who are struggling for environmental justice.

I highly recommend this pathbreaking and important book to everyone.

Diamond: a struggle for environmental justice in Louisiana's Chemical Corridor. : An article from: Environmental Health Perspectives

Average customer rating:

Diamond: a struggle for environmental justice in Louisiana's Chemical Corridor. : An article from: Environmental Health Perspectives
Dan VanderMeer
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B000BJB20C
Release Date: 2005-09-22

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Environmental Health Perspectives, published by Thomson Gale on January 1, 2005. The length of the article is 762 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Diamond: a struggle for environmental justice in Louisiana's Chemical Corridor.
Author: Dan VanderMeer
Publication: Environmental Health Perspectives (Magazine/Journal)
Date: January 1, 2005
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 113 Issue: 1 Page: A68(1)

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books