Ian Simmons
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780748621583
- eISBN:
- 9780748670765
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Edinburgh University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3366/edinburgh/9780748621583.001.0001
- Subject:
- Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology
In the last 12,000 years, human societies have moved through phases of forager, agricultural, industrial and ‘post-industrial’ economies. Each of these has been affected by the natural world and in ...
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In the last 12,000 years, human societies have moved through phases of forager, agricultural, industrial and ‘post-industrial’ economies. Each of these has been affected by the natural world and in turn has changed the workings of the non-human or ‘natural’ components of this planet. For each of these phases the author discusses questions of population growth and distribution together with the technologies available to the human groups of the time. Overall there is no doubt about the central role of access to energy flows and storage in making possible the life ways of many diverse groups. In addition to these basic chronicles the author is at pains to include the question of how these economies and ecologies are represented in today's cultural frameworks. The theme of scale pervades the book. A distinction is made between processes which affect many parts of the world but are not coalescent (‘worldwide’) and those which penetrate the entire biophysical entity and to which the term ‘global’ can truly be applied. Despite the current levels of anxiety about human-environmental relationships this book concentrates on environmental history and not prophecy. There is though a parting shot to the effect that history is probably not a good guide to human futures.Less
In the last 12,000 years, human societies have moved through phases of forager, agricultural, industrial and ‘post-industrial’ economies. Each of these has been affected by the natural world and in turn has changed the workings of the non-human or ‘natural’ components of this planet. For each of these phases the author discusses questions of population growth and distribution together with the technologies available to the human groups of the time. Overall there is no doubt about the central role of access to energy flows and storage in making possible the life ways of many diverse groups. In addition to these basic chronicles the author is at pains to include the question of how these economies and ecologies are represented in today's cultural frameworks. The theme of scale pervades the book. A distinction is made between processes which affect many parts of the world but are not coalescent (‘worldwide’) and those which penetrate the entire biophysical entity and to which the term ‘global’ can truly be applied. Despite the current levels of anxiety about human-environmental relationships this book concentrates on environmental history and not prophecy. There is though a parting shot to the effect that history is probably not a good guide to human futures.
Ramprasad Sengupta
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- May 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780198081654
- eISBN:
- 9780199082407
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198081654.003.0004
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
The chapter introduces some of the basic concepts of ecology to characterize the biosphere of the earth, its ecosystems and their components of biotic and abiotic environment. It describes the ...
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The chapter introduces some of the basic concepts of ecology to characterize the biosphere of the earth, its ecosystems and their components of biotic and abiotic environment. It describes the organic and inorganic substances and climate conditions as constituents of the ecosystems which determine their structure and function and the conditions of supply of various natural resources and eco-services to the human economy. The chapter also explains the solar energy flow and the hydrological and bio-geochemical cycles to further elaborate the functions of eco-services of regeneration of resources and absorption of wastes for the economy. It characterizes the energetics of the ecosystems and its modification due to human intervention, pointing to the need for a holistic view of energy analysis taking account of its flows and uses in both the ecological and the economic processes for our better understanding of the physical conditions of sustainable development.Less
The chapter introduces some of the basic concepts of ecology to characterize the biosphere of the earth, its ecosystems and their components of biotic and abiotic environment. It describes the organic and inorganic substances and climate conditions as constituents of the ecosystems which determine their structure and function and the conditions of supply of various natural resources and eco-services to the human economy. The chapter also explains the solar energy flow and the hydrological and bio-geochemical cycles to further elaborate the functions of eco-services of regeneration of resources and absorption of wastes for the economy. It characterizes the energetics of the ecosystems and its modification due to human intervention, pointing to the need for a holistic view of energy analysis taking account of its flows and uses in both the ecological and the economic processes for our better understanding of the physical conditions of sustainable development.
