Jeffrey D. Sachs

This book describes why general prosperity is a good thing, tells how the changing global environmental and demographic situations change the traditional story with respect to prosperity, and presents ideas for how general global prosperity might be achieved.

Sachs argues that the 20th and 21st centuries will see the end of American and European economic dominance. This is largely due to the fact that the population is increasing much more quickly in the rest of the world than in the U.S. and Europe and the standard of living is improving in (most) of those countries much more quickly than it is in the U.S. Even though most of the world is unlikely to meet the standards of living in the developed countries for many years, the sheer number of people in countries with growing populations and growing economies will cause their total economic output and consumption to vastly exceed that of the developed countries.

Sachs also points out the danger of excessively large population growth coupled with fast economic growth. As the population of the world increases, we will stress our environmental resources more and more. This pressure is a danger to global security, especially as economies become more intertwined (think about the rising prices of oil and grains).

However, we (i.e., the developed world) cannot just tell the developing world to stop developing. For one thing, we do not have the power to enforce such a demand. For another, it would just be wrong and hypocritical for us to forbid others from trying to reach the standard of living we enjoy (or even from trying to reach a standard of living that allows for basic food, shelter, and security needs).

So that is the depressing part. Sachs also goes into detail on some solutions. I will not detail them here (the book is 300 pages, and I am already over 300 words). In brief, we need to 1. figure out sustainable systems for energy, land, and resource use (climate change increases the need, but is not the only reason for it). 2. Stabilize the global population at about 8 billion by voluntary reduction of fertility rates (part of this is decreasing child mortality rates). 3. End extreme poverty and increase economic security in rich countries (because, even as income is increasing, personal economic security is decreasing). 4. Revitalize global co-operation in solving these global scale problems.

I am very stupid about these sorts of things in general. I would love for someone more versed in these types of issues to read the book and give their opinion on it. But given that, I found it a very interesting and educational read.… (altro)