The Green Tiger: The Costs of Ecological Decline in the Philippines

by Barbara Goldoftas

Overview

The Philippines was once famous for the beauty of its reef-ringed islands, white beaches, and lush forests. In less than a half-century, its forests were felled, its oceans over-fished, and its coral reefs destroyed. The rapid harvest of once-abundant resources has brought droughts, deadly flash floods, and the collapse of vital fisheries. As the rural economy weakened and millions migrated to cities, they overwhelmed the urban infrastructure. Today, the Philippines stands as an example of the profound and sweeping consequences of ecological decline. In The Green Tiger, Barbara Goldoftas documents this tragic trajectory. But hers is not a story of hopelessness and inevitable defeat. In lyrical, unflinching prose, she traces the struggle for conservation in the Philippines, from isolated villages to large cities, and in the process illustrates the surprising ways in which conservation and economic growth can effectively co-exist.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780195350586
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	12/22/2005
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

Barbara Goldoftas teaches environmental studies at Wellesley College. A nonfiction writer trained in botany and environmental health, she is the recipient of a National Magazine Award for Public-Interest Journalism. She lives in the Boston area.

Editorial Reviews

"With vivid, first-hand reporting, Barbara Goldoftas tells the story of environmental destruction in the Philippines, the greed and corruption behind such devastation, and the social, economic, and human costs. There are profound lessons for all nations, rich and poor."—Alan Lightman, author of Einstein's Dreams

"Whole sections of the world exist off the radar screens of the West. Thank heavens for serious writers like Barbara Goldoftas, who in this book vastly expands our knowledge of what is really going on across the archipelago of the Philippines. A very timely and useful chronicle indeed."—Bill McKibben, author of The End of Nature

"Barbara Goldoftas guides readers through a surreally beautiful landscape populated by forest-defending priests and their assassins, land barons, rebel armies, loggers, eco-tourists, farmers, fishers, and public servants. The Green Tiger provides a blueprint for hope and transformation."—Sandra Steingraber, author of Living Downstream: An Ecologist Looks at Cancer and the Environment

From the Publisher