Awards

• Joint winner for Society for Human Ecology Gerald L. Young Book Award 2009.
• Winner of <PrizeName>Winner of the 2009 Gerald L. Young Book Award in Human Ecology given by the Society for Human Ecology</PrizeName> 2009
• Winner of Winner of the 2009 Gerald L. Young Book Award in Human Ecology given by the Society for Human Ecology 2009
• Winner of Winner of the 2009 Gerald L. Young Book Award in Human Ecology given by the Society for Human Ecology</PrizeName> 2009

Overview

An environmentalist maps the hidden costs of overconsumption in a globalized world by tracing the environmental consequences of five commodities.The Shadows of Consumption gives a hard-hitting diagnosis- many of the earth's ecosystems and billions of its people are at risk from the consequences of rising consumption. Products ranging from cars to hamburgers offer conveniences and pleasures; but, as Peter Dauvergne makes clear, global political and economic processes displace the real costs of consumer goods into distant ecosystems, communities, and timelines, tipping into crisis people and places without the power to resist. In The Shadows of Consumption, Peter Dauvergne maps the costs of consumption that remain hidden in the shadows cast by globalized corporations, trade, and finance. Dauvergne traces the environmental consequences of five commodities- automobiles, gasoline, refrigerators, beef, and harp seals. In these fascinating histories we learn, for example, that American officials ignored warnings about the dangers of lead in gasoline in the 1920s; why China is now a leading producer of CFC-free refrigerators; and how activists were able to stop Canada's commercial seal hunt in the 1980s (but are unable to do so now). Dauvergne's innovative analysis allows us to see why so many efforts to manage the global environment are failing even as environmentalism is slowly strengthening. He proposes a guiding principle of ""balanced consumption"" for both consumers and corporations. We know that we can make things better by driving a high-mileage car, eating locally grown food, and buying energy-efficient appliances; but these improvements are incremental, local, and insufficient. More crucial than our individual efforts to reuse and recycle will be reforms in the global political economy to reduce the inequalities of consumption and correct the imbalance between growing economies and environmental sustainability.

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Reviews

Dauvergne's brilliant investigation will show you the 'other side' of the coin and that we must all incorporate a deeper awareness and take the 'long view' into our efforts to make a positive difference for human well-being near and far -- immediately in your neighborhood and incrementally on the other side of the planet. Scott D. Wright Human Ecology Review

Dauvergne's brilliant investigation will show you the 'other side' of the coin and that we must all incorporate a deeper awareness and take the 'long view' into our efforts to make a positive difference for human well-being near and far-immediately in your neighborhood and incrementally on the other side of the planet. -Scott D. Wright, Human Ecology Review

Dauvergne's brilliant investigation will show you the 'other side' of the coin and that we must all incorporate a deeper awareness and take the 'long view' into our efforts to make a positive difference for human well-being near and far -- immediately in your neighborhood and incrementally on the other side of the planet. -- Scott D. Wright * Human Ecology Review *

Dauvergne's brilliant investigation will show you the 'other side' of the coin and that we must all incorporate a deeper awareness and take the 'long view' into our efforts to make a positive difference for human well-being near and far -- immediately in your neighborhood and incrementally on the other side of the planet. -- Scott D. Wright, Human Ecology Review In The Shadows of Consumption, Peter Dauvergne tackles the often hidden consequences of globalization and consumption for the environment and for human health and well-being. He demonstrates how the worst of these consequences are displaced, often to the most marginalized sectors of global society, and discusses ways to cast light into the shadows of global economic development. This book will be essential reading for students and scholars, indeed anyone interested in understanding more about globalization and its impacts. --Kate O'Neill, Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley The ecological and social consequences of modern patterns of consumption are often overlooked, underestimated, and poorly theorized. Engaging, convincing, and nuanced, Peter Dauvergne's book masterfully excavates and politicizes the shadows of consumption that modern life casts, from the consumption of beef to the use of cars and fridges. Wide-ranging and superbly written, this book is sure to be widely read. --Peter Newell, Professor of Development Studies, University of East Anglia With The Shadows of Consumption, we have at last an elegant elucidation of the often hidden environmental and social costs of today's consumption. Dauvergne has described the problem brilliantly and provided an analysis that should spur far-reaching change, including change in contemporary environmentalism. I hope this book finds a wide audience--soon. --James Gustave Speth, Dean, School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale University, author of The Bridge at the Edge of the World

Dauvergne's brilliant investigation will show you the 'other side' of the coin and that we must all incorporate a deeper awareness and take the 'long view' into our efforts to make a positive difference for human well-being near and far -- immediately in your neighborhood and incrementally on the other side of the planet. -- Scott D. Wright Human Ecology Review

Author Information

Peter Dauvergne is Professor of International Relations at the University of British Columbia. He is the author of Environmentalism of the Rich, Eco-Business- A Big-Brand Takeover of Sustainability (with Jane Lister), and The Shadows of Consumption- Consequences for the Global Environment, all published by the MIT Press.

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