1. Poverty, Injustice, and the Ecological Crisis
Presentation by Jason White

2. Political Interaction
Several influential people in the U.S. used their political power to instill a capitalist system most of the Global South
E.g. the over throw of the democratically elected Guatemalan government in the effort to create a “Middle Class”

3. The new land was used to create export agriculture, especially cotton and sugar
This meant that large quantities of forestation were destroyed to make room for the necessary farm land
Many animals were permanently displaced during this process
By the late 1970’s only 2% of the original rain forest remained
This spread of capitalist ideals created what is called disarticulated development
This means that the products grown do not help the population

4. The Ecological Cost of Disarticulated Development
-Because these Global South countries are so dependant on the export of their goods, the country acts like a large corporation.
-Because their economy cannot control the price of the good, so they must increase their production

5. This leads to improper and damaging use of the land
Any land that is not owned by the corporation is not taken into the corporation’s external cost equation
This includes not using proper water pollution control equipment
This is one of the main causes for diarrheal diseases being the major killers in these countries

6. Coffee plantations are the main offender in this area which discharge high levels of boron, chlorine, and arsenic-laden wastewater
In El Salvador, more than 200 coffee producers were found to have dumped these chemicals directly into the countries rivers and streams

7. Ecological Impoverishment of the Peasantry
Because these countries need to keep their production costs low, this means that wage rates must be low
The system keeps these costs low by maintaining the peasant subsistence sector
They do this by giving the families of the subsistence workers small plots of land that they do not pay them for, thus justifying the lower wages

8. Ecological Collapse of Family Farms
Central America’s peasantry are largely denied state funding projects that would encourage more sustainable farming techniques
So, they need to exploit the land more and more as the size of their land decreases
This includes wood, animal populations, water, and other natural resources
There is growing evidence that the ecological systems on these small farms is on the state of collapse

9. Because of this crisis, food production on these farms has decreased by as much as 22%, making it almost impossible to sustain the peasant family on their small patch of land
Because of the lack of nutrients in the soil, many workers are suffering from nutrient deficiency

10. Population dynamics and the Ecological Crisis
The growing population is only adding to the crisis, as more children are surviving in families, thus stretching the resources of the small farms even more
To add to this, more and more former farm owners are now subsistence farmers who survive by working on the large corporate fields

11. The population control methods have thus been ineffective, as there is both a lack of educational opportunities and a steady religious view that opposes some forms of population control
Some population control methods have been effective in the past, although they are ethically questionable
Such as sterilizing women

12. Ecological and Economic Damage to Capitol
The loss of the normal chemicals in the soil is starting to make a loss of profit for the companies
The companies need to use more and more fertilizers to compensate for the lack of minerals, which rises the overall production cost

13. Toward a Sustainable Future
Many groups are seeking change in not only the agricultural system in South America, but a change in the overall economic situation
A comprehensive overhaul is needed in both the ecological and the economic conditions in South America
This needs to start with the governmental agencies changing their policies toward an ecological future