Guano and the Opening of the Pacific World A Global Ecological History [Hardcover]

This book traces the history of bird guano, demonstrating how this unique commodity helped unite the Pacific Basin with the industrialized world.This book provides a global history of guano, a once little known but vastly important commodity that originates in the Pacific Basin. Gregory T. Cushman argues that this unique resource played an integral role the Western Industrial Revolution, influencing modern developments such as environmental consciousness and conservation movements, the ascendance of science and technology, and world war.This book provides a global history of guano, a once little known but vastly important commodity that originates in the Pacific Basin. Gregory T. Cushman argues that this unique resource played an integral role the Western Industrial Revolution, influencing modern developments such as environmental consciousness and conservation movements, the ascendance of science and technology, and world war.For centuries, bird guano has played a pivotal role in the agricultural and economic development of Latin America, East Asia, and Oceania. As their populations ballooned during the Industrial Revolution, North American and European powers came to depend on this unique resource as well, helping them meet their ever-increasing farming needs. This book explores how the production and commodification of guano has shaped the modern Pacific Basin and the world's relationship to the region. Marrying traditional methods of historical analysis with a broad interdisciplinary approach, Gregory T. Cushman casts this once little-known commodity as an engine of Western industrialization, offering new insight into uniquely modern developments such as environmental consciousness and conservation movements; the ascendance of science, technology, and expertise; international relations; and world war.List of illustrations; Preface; Abbreviations and acronyms; Prologue; 1. Introduction; 2. The guano age; 3. Neo-ecological imperialism; 4. Where is Banaba?; 5. Conslc^