ABSTRACT
Globalization is a powerful driving force behind unprecedented biological implosion. Trade in timber, minerals, and other natural commodities is climbing, and many of the world’s hotspots of biological diversity are threatened by a surge of international investment in resource extraction. Human beings remain fundamentally dependent on the natural world. Global timber trade is far from the only culprit in forest loss: the clearing of land for agriculture and grazing is also a major cause, as are fuelwood gathering and the felling of trees for domestic use. Mining and petroleum development also threaten the health of the world’s forests, mountains, waters, and other sensitive ecosystems. One promising approach is to harness consumer power on behalf of environmental change. A variety of alternative policies and practices being tried around the world could be scaled up to create a global economy that nurtures rather than decimates natural wealth.
