Insatiable Appetite: The United States and the Ecological Degradation of the Tropical WorldNow in a concise edition created expressly for students and general readers, this widely hailed study traces the transformation of the tropics in modern times. Exploring the central role of the United States in the ongoing devastation of tropical lands, Richard P. Tucker highlights the unrelenting pressure caused by the demands of U.S. consumerism. The forced domestication of varied natural systems ultimately led to a devastating decline in biodiversity. The author brings his analysis to life with a series of vivid case studies of sugar, bananas, coffee, rubber, beef, and timber--each a virtual empire in itself. All readers who are interested in environmental degradation and its links to the world economy will be enlightened by this nuanced history. |
From inside the book
Results 1-5 of 42
Page 8
Sorry, this page's content is restricted.
Sorry, this page's content is restricted.
Page 19
Sorry, this page's content is restricted.
Sorry, this page's content is restricted.
Page 44
Sorry, this page's content is restricted.
Sorry, this page's content is restricted.
Page 50
Sorry, this page's content is restricted.
Sorry, this page's content is restricted.
Page 52
Sorry, this page's content is restricted.
Sorry, this page's content is restricted.
Contents
Americas Global Environmental Reach | 1 |
Americas Sweet Tooth Cane Sugar Transforms Tropical Lowlands | 7 |
Banana Republics Yankee Fruit Companies and the Tropical American Lowlands | 43 |
The Last Drop The American Coffee Market and the Hill Regions of South America | 81 |
The Tropical Cost of the Automotive Age Corporate Rubber Empires and the Rainforest | 113 |
The Crop on Hooves American Cattle Ranching in Latin America | 151 |
Unsustainable Yield American Loggers and Foresters in the Tropics | 185 |
Consuming Appetites | 217 |
Notes | 223 |
| 251 | |
| 255 | |
About the Author | |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
acreage acres Agriculture American areas banana became beef began Brazil Brazilian British cane capital Caribbean cattle Central America century coast coastal coffee coffee production Colombia colonial commercial consumers consumption corporate Costa Rica countries Criollo crop Cuba Cuban dominated early ecological economy ecosystems estates Europe European expanded export Filipino Firestone foreign forestry frontier Fruit Company global grasslands Gros Michel Guatemala hardwoods hectares Hevea hills Honduras impact imports industry investment investors islands King Ranch labor land Latin America Liberia logging lowlands mahogany major Manila Mexico million modern natural rubber Negros Nicaragua North northern numbers operations Pacific Panama Panama Disease pasture Paulo peasants percent Philippine plantations planted planters political population port purchasing railroad rainforest ranchers ranching region São Paulo social soil Southeast Asia Spanish species strategic Sumatra timber tion tons trade transformation trees tropical forest United Fruit University Press workers World Yankee York