ABSTRACT
Neoliberal development has not worked and is not working. Development introduced colonialism, the industrial revolution, and capitalism, all of which have contributed to climate change and the social and ecological collapse we are now living in. Environmentally, climate change is the greatest challenge to our planet and its people, and science dictates that we must limit global temperature rise below two percent, but to do so society must act now, both globally and locally, to ensure not just ecological sustainability but social and environmental wellbeing – now and for the future. Latin America is one continent highly affected by these failures of development, where inequality, social fractures, environmental destruction, and economic disparity are rife. Large-scale extractivism threatens the fragile balance of that biodiversity and poses various challenges to communities and the environment. The chapter also presents an overview on the key concepts discussed in this book.
