Disaster Makers
Tackling Unmanaged Growth for Sustainable Futures
Published on 20. February 2025
Book
Hardback
240 pages
978-1-350-43047-1 (ISBN)
Description
Drawing on decades of on-the-ground experience, a strong body of existing research on the social construction of risk, and his own academic research, Terry Gibson demonstrates the transformative potential of current debates around de- and re-growth for disaster studies.
Some disasters are highly visible to us all, such as the Covid-19 pandemic or the climate emergency. Many more are hidden, everyday disasters grinding down the lives of the poor and vulnerable. Very few of these disasters just happen. Most are caused by those who create risk faster than they can mop it up, by those who pursue reckless, unmanaged economic growth that demands ever-increasing manufacture, consumption, building, food production, and energy consumption. These are the disaster makers.
In this book, Gibson provides a thorough, sophisticated, yet accessible account of who the disaster makers are, what they do, and how we can do things better. Ultimately, Gibson demonstrates the urgency of replacing growth-based economics with a fundamentally different social and economic model. This is more than a dream. As Gibson shows, it becomes a practical possibility the moment enough of us commit to building a movement.
Some disasters are highly visible to us all, such as the Covid-19 pandemic or the climate emergency. Many more are hidden, everyday disasters grinding down the lives of the poor and vulnerable. Very few of these disasters just happen. Most are caused by those who create risk faster than they can mop it up, by those who pursue reckless, unmanaged economic growth that demands ever-increasing manufacture, consumption, building, food production, and energy consumption. These are the disaster makers.
In this book, Gibson provides a thorough, sophisticated, yet accessible account of who the disaster makers are, what they do, and how we can do things better. Ultimately, Gibson demonstrates the urgency of replacing growth-based economics with a fundamentally different social and economic model. This is more than a dream. As Gibson shows, it becomes a practical possibility the moment enough of us commit to building a movement.
Reviews / Votes
T. Gibson's book is a fascinating read. It combines theory and empirical insights to convey a powerful argument in a very clear and accessible prose; that is, disasters are the results of human decisions that must be reconsidered should we wish to aim for a safer future. * Professor JC Gaillard, The University of Auckland, New Zealand * This book challenges us to re-evaluate our responsibility for natural disasters. What we previously saw as acts of God can be the result of political and personal choices - allowing the possibility of change. This radical reframing of risk and consequences is essential reading for anyone concerned about our future and how we manage it. * Richard Sambrook, Cardiff University, UK. Former Director BBC Global News. * Gibson brings common sense and a strong moral sensibility to the naming and shaming of situations and systems that create risk. * Ben Wisner, Co-author of At Risk: Natural Hazards, People's Vulnerability and Disasters (1994) * Thank you so much to Terry for not holding back when describing the origins of and ways forward for humanity's horrific disaster difficulties. In this book delving across centuries, continents, disciplines, and experiences, he goes beyond confined, sectoral viewpoints to explain not only who makes disasters and how, but also why. Knowing the baseline reasons for disasters then leads to helpful approaches for acting to stop the disaster makers. * Ilan Kelman, University College London, UK, and author of Disaster by Choice (2020) * Disaster makers is clearly written by someone on the inside. And yet Gibson manages to take a step back and lay bare the mechanics of why and how we keep creating disaster risk - and what must happen for this to change. Recommended reading for anyone interested in risk management. * Bina Desai, former coordinating lead author of the UN Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Target group
Professional and scholarly
College/higher education
Dimensions
Height: 218 mm
Width: 138 mm
Thickness: 18 mm
Weight
420 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-350-43047-1 (9781350430471)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Terry Gibson is a researcher and practitioner in the disasters, development, and corporate responsibility industries. For eight years, he acted as director of Global Network of Civil Society Organisations for Disaster Reduction. Has published a wide range of papers and chapters, as well as the book Making Aid Agencies Work (2019), and he runs the website inventing-futures.org.
Content
Preface: A Personal Disaster Journey
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Section 1: Unnatural Disasters
Chapter 1. Encountering Disasters
Chapter 2: The Risk Equation
Chapter 3. Vulnerability
Chapter 4: Hazards
Chapter 5. Managing Disasters and Development: The UN Frameworks
Section 2: Unmanaged Growth
Chapter 6: Adventures Into the Anthropocene
Chapter 7. Anthropocene 1. A Very English Anthropocene
Chapter 8: Anthropocene 2: 'Any colour you like as long as it's black'
Chapter 9: The Third Anthropocene - March of the Megacities.
Chapter 10: Halfway Towards Disaster
Section 3: Sustainable Futures
Chapter 11: Identifying the Disaster Makers
Chapter 12: The Public as Changemakers
Chapter 13: Changemaking for the Future we Choose
Conclusion: Unnatural Disasters, Convenient Untruths
Notes
Select Bibliography
Index
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Section 1: Unnatural Disasters
Chapter 1. Encountering Disasters
Chapter 2: The Risk Equation
Chapter 3. Vulnerability
Chapter 4: Hazards
Chapter 5. Managing Disasters and Development: The UN Frameworks
Section 2: Unmanaged Growth
Chapter 6: Adventures Into the Anthropocene
Chapter 7. Anthropocene 1. A Very English Anthropocene
Chapter 8: Anthropocene 2: 'Any colour you like as long as it's black'
Chapter 9: The Third Anthropocene - March of the Megacities.
Chapter 10: Halfway Towards Disaster
Section 3: Sustainable Futures
Chapter 11: Identifying the Disaster Makers
Chapter 12: The Public as Changemakers
Chapter 13: Changemaking for the Future we Choose
Conclusion: Unnatural Disasters, Convenient Untruths
Notes
Select Bibliography
Index