Documents
The Long Road to Recovery (p. 20)
In this essay, written shortly after the 2010 earthquake, I grapple with Haiti’s prospects for recovery in light of my own experiences in the country.
Poorest in the West: Probing Haiti’s Image in the Wake of the 2008 Hurricane Season
In the fall of 2008, Haiti was hit by a series of tropical storms that caused widespread flooding, hundreds of deaths, and costly damage to farm fields, roads, and buildings. Although a portion of the destruction is attributable to the vagaries of nature, the extent of the devastation and the frequency of such events in Haiti lead to deeper questions about the history of environmental degradation and the failure of development efforts in the country. In this report, I examine Haiti’s past and future in light of my experiences in Gonaives during the 2008 hurricane season. I also introduce the work of two organizations — one non-profit and one for-profit — that are striving to reshape Haiti’s image through integrated economic and environmental reforms.
Jatropha Biofuels: Miracle Plant or Economic Hazard?
Over the past three years, a shrubby tree called jatropha has landed in the headlines of major news outlets, from the Wall Street Journal to Time magazine to the New York Times. Its claim to fame: oil. Jatropha produces oily seeds that have been hailed as a potential alternative to petroleum diesel. Rising concerns about global climate change, peak oil, and energy security have helped push jatropha into the spotlight. Developing nations have seized on jatropha as a tool for both expanding their energy infrastructure and developing their economies, all the while avoiding the pollution of fossil fuels. Yet, as with most biofuels, researchers must still determine whether jatropha is a miracle plant that can drive sustainable development in some of the poorest regions of the world or an economic hazard that could ruin peasant farmers and run rampant over fragile ecosystems. In this report, I assess the evidence for and against jatropha biofuels.