Oil and Power*
Natural resources such as metal ores, coal and oil have been throughout history at the centre of power struggles and ideologies. The history of oil has been described by Yergin in his excellent book The Prize (1991). “The rapid rise of Russian production, the towering position of Standard Oil, the struggle for established and new markets at a time of [...]
European Union Fisheries Policy in Senegal *
‘For us, it has no sense or benefit because the industrial fishing boats don’t leave us any chance of survival. They fish right up to the coast without being stopped and the government doesn’t have the means to control their activities. If the government would listen to us, we wouldn’t sign an agreement with people who catch everything, even the [...]
The Canadian Fish Drama
Northeastern Canadian fisheries – cod, haddock and other species – are in serious crisis since the 1990s. It is “the classic case of the failure of conventional science-based fisheries management: the collapse of the northern cod of Newfoundland and Labrador” (Finlayson and McCay 1998:311). For centuries the extraordinary abundance of cod has been exploited by European settlers. It was done [...]
Can and Should Rural France Be Saved?*
‘When you understand that the take-it-or-leave-it prices now being offered [by wholesalers] mean that you’ll pay more to produce crops than you’ll get back in proceeds, you’re left with the choice of either becoming a slave to this impossible system or find a niche to begin other activities.’ This statement is from a French farmer, who took over her parents’ [...]
Nomads in Mongolia*
Nomadic people of the Eurasian steppes have played a significant role in human history. Notable are the records of nomadic invasions in the 4th and 5th century and, later, of the Mongols in the 13th and 14th century. The important role of the horse in warfare and farming is among their contributions, around the interfaces with settled civilizations in the [...]
Mining in Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea is one of the world's largest island. Called the ‘Last Great Place’, it is home to hundreds of unique species of animals and plants as well as to upward of 820 languages. The Porgera gold mine is situated in the highlands. It produced around 18 tons of gold per year and over $1 billion of profits in [...]