World Ecological Degradation From 3000 BC To 2000 AD

* Book: World Ecological Degradation: Accumulation, Urbanization, and Deforestation, 3000BC-AD2000. by Sing C. Chew. AltaMira Press, 2001.

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Description

"Deforestation, soil runoff, salination and pollution, all recurrent themes of the contemporary world, but they are not new to the world. This is a sweeping review of the environmental impacts of human settlement and development worldwide over the past 5000 years. The book shows that the processes of population growth, intense resource accumulation and urbanization in ancient and modern societies almost universally bring on ecological disaster, which can often contribute to the fall of that society. It then looks at the modern European worldsystem and its impact on the environment. The author, Sing Chew, also traces the existence of environmental conservation ideas and movements over the 5000 year span, and challenges the reader to change longterm trends of ecological disaster."

Reviews

Sing Chew's book is an outstanding contribution to environmental history. By utilizing world systems theory and presenting the pattern of overuse of resources by many different civilizations as they attempted to grow their empires over the past five thousand years, he demonstrates that our current ecological crisis is larger in scale but not different in fundamental form from historical patterns of resource exploitation. This book should be on the 'must read' list for all students of environmental history, environmental studies, and environmental philosophy.

- (Bill Devall, (Director, Deep Ecology Resource Center))

Where there has been surplus accumulation there has been an abuse of nature, argues Chew. It happens throughout history. It isn't new. That's his argument and it's a good one.

- (Albert Bergesen, University of Arizona)

Sing C. Chew suggests that ecological degradation due to economic (over)exploitation was a major historical force in world history since the 3rd millennium B.C. and he has assembled an impressive collection of evidence from archaeology, ancient history and historical ecology to underpin his case. The book adds an important new perspective to world system theory, especially centre-periphery dynamics, and to explaining 'Dark Ages.' World Ecological Degradation continues in the tradition of the grand historical narrative from Eric Wolf, Alfred Crosby, William McNeill and Gunder Frank. As such it will be of great interest to social and economic history as well as ancient history and archaeology.

- (Kristian Kristiansen, (University of Gothenburg))