Wasted World: How Our Consumption Challenges the Planet

by Rob Hengeveld

All systems produce waste as part of a cycle—bacteria, humans, combustion engines, even one as large and complex as a city. To some extent, this waste can be absorbed, processed, or recycled—though never completely. In Wasted World , Rob Hengeveld reveals how a long history of human consumption has left our world drowning in this waste.

This is a compelling and urgent work that traces the related histories of population growth and resource consumption. As Hengeveld explains, human life (and population growth) depends not only on mineral resources but also on energy. People first obtained energy from food and later supplemented this with energy from water, wind, and animals as one source after another fell short of our ever-growing needs. Finally, we turned to fossil energy, which generates atmospheric waste that is the key driver of global climate change. The effects of this climate change are already leading to food shortages and social collapse in some parts of the world. Because all of these problems are interconnected, Hengeveld argues strenuously that measures to counter individual problems cannot work. Instead, we need to tackle their common cause—our staggering population growth. While many scientists agree that population growth is one of the most critical issues pressuring the environment, Hengeveld is unique in his insistence on turning our attention to the waste such growth leaves in its wake and to the increasing demands of our global society.

            A practical look at the sustainability of our planet from the perspective of a biologist whose expertise is in the abundances and distributions of species, Wasted World presents a fascinating picture of the whole process of using, wasting, and exhausting energy and material resources. And by elucidating the complexity of the causes of our current global state, Hengeveld offers us a way forward.

Genres: Environment, Nonfiction, Science, History

337 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2012

Reviews

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

In looking at the Natural Processes of our world, the author discusses the biological systems as they are relevant to the future of the planet. He examines the cycles of nature before moving on to the Ongoing Processes in the Human Population of planet Earth. Part of the Growing Problem of Mankind is population growth. This growth concerns both agricultural production and industrial production. The eventual truth in the discussion of these factors is that the paths we’ve chosen have led us into even greater difficulties, leaving us with a problem that requires an immediate solution. With a world population that has almost tripled since the 1970s, the problems have grown exponentially, leaving us ever closer to the point of resource exhaustion.

Following this discussion, the author examines Exhausting and Wasting Our Resources where, among other issues, the author discusses the problem of landfills overflowing with manmade, non-biodegradable waste. As far as resources are concerned, when we’ve used them up. They are gone. Likewise, when the freshwater is gone, there is no magic wand to wave and produce more. Pollution in the air is warming the climate, bringing about changes that could lead to catastrophe. As deforestation degrades continents, there is a loss in biodiversity; as the demand for agricultural land and wood and for timber increases, the inevitable result is world-wide, total destruction of the forests.

Will the demands of population growth and infrastructure lead to society’s collapse? What will happen if the overpopulation of the planet continues at its current rate? Can there be another [brighter] future for our world?

Thought-provoking and urgent in its message, this is an edict no one should ignore. Yes, it seems heavy-handed; yes, it is frustrating in that there are more problems than there seem to be solutions for them [or, at least solutions people are willing to try]. It’s depressing, but ignoring the science presented here will not make the problems vanish. This is the future for our world unless we become proactive in addressing these issues.

A selected bibliography follows the text; all readers should take time to explore the problems and the possible solutions for changing the dire predictions currently facing humanity.

Highly recommended.

[Seth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mixed bag on this one. This book does an admirable job of being the science people should know regarding issues like climate change and why human activity can be detrimental to the environment.

Unfortunately the book comes off as heavy handed. Virtually all human activity is often described in terms that seem to be problematic. This probably wasn't intentional, but it makes the book a bit frustrating, as well as the underwhelming attempts at philosophy. The author clearly is a scientist first, and a philosopher, maybe fifth? The philosophical arguments in this book wouldn't really stand up to scrutiny, and aren't very compelling. Often they feel forced and out of place in this book.

However, the book is important, and is a valuable addition to any discussion pertaining to ecology and human activity is something to be taken seriously.

[GurmeOkur · Rating 2 out of 5]

Beklentimin altında kalan bir kitap oldu. Sürekli kendini tekrarlayan bir kitap ayrıca çeviri çok zayıf. Birebir yapılmış çeviri sonucu anlaşılması zor cümleler ve ne anlama geldiği belli olmayan çevrilmemiş kelimeler içermekte.

[Andrea Hickman Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Depressing, as much for the fact that I highly doubt any of his recommendations would be put into place, as for the actual content.

[Edward Etzkorn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is probably the most important book I've read over the past several years. And I don't read fluff. It is also the most scary. It is a no-holds-barred analysis of what we have done and are continuing to do to our world--the only world we have and which we are clearly killing. The scholarship is incredible, the writing clear and compelling.Our grandchildren and great grandchildren will be indebted to us if--and only if--we follow the author's recommendations on how to save ourselves from the mess we have created.

[Uğur Deniz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bakış açısı radikal olmak üzere, ortaya koyduğu istatistik veriler ve kaynak araştırması ile dört dörtlük bir çalışma olmuş . Böyle bir kitabı okuduktan sonra iyimser olmak maalesef mümkün değil. Öte yandan artık mesele iyimser olmak değil, bundan sonra ne yapılması gerektiğine odaklanmak olması gerekiyor.

[Oğuzcan Önver · Rating 3 out of 5]

vegan ol

[Yanick Punter · Rating 4 out of 5]

An alarming book. Particularly interesting was the fact the Middle East used to be much greener as it is now. Hengeveld is not your typical environmentalist, he argues in favor of nuclear energy. It has been a while I read this book and it deserves another read.

Read 2: A horrifying read.