The Vulnerable Planet Summary

In “The Vulnerable Planet ” John Bellamy Foster argues that, All ecological problems faced today and in the past are brought on by humans caused factors, these problems and factors being “overpopulation, destruction of ozone layer, global warming, extinction of species, loss of genetic diversity, acid rain, nuclear contamination, tropical deforestation, the elimination of climax forests, wetland destruction, soil erosion, desertification, floods, famine, and the despoliation of lakes streams and rivers”(pg.11). In addition, In the first chapter, Bellamy discusses the history of our society and how capitalism came to be and evolved over time, starting with European colonization, where Europe began to expand and created an outflow of surplus

This in turn causing extensive damage to the environment such as toxic waste being dumped into waterways and emissions lowering air quality.”The conservation movement came to be dominated by more business-oriented forces who sought not so” much to oppose the Environmental depredations of the large corporations as to regulate and rationalize the exploitation of Natural Resources for purposes of long-term profit”(pg.75). Corporations continued to abuse the environment and took advantage of the conservation movement making it so corporations can take natural resources for their own gains with no worries for what is happening to the environment. In chapter Five Bellamy explains Colonialism and imperialism and how it has shaped our society into what it is today. Bellamy examines how the English concentrated on activities in the Indian subcontinent where beginning in 1611 they established what were called “Factories”, “points of settlement and commerce along the coast”(pg.86). These “factories” began hundreds of years ago, yet can still be seen in most cities today and has only contributed to the degradation of the environment. The economic surplus from India helped feed British industrialization and from this India was gradually integrated into the capitalistic economy as a dependency of Britain. Equally important, In chapter five Bellamy considers Ecological imperialism and how it affects native species within an ecosystem. One problems caused by ecological imperialism is Genetic erosion or the loss of diversity; not only were invaluable species lost through the extension of Agricultural monocultures But crucial varieties (land races built up over thousands of years) of key crops disappeared as well. In the last two decades around 1,000 traditional seed companies have been absorbed by International biochemical