Book Description

Can Pacific nations, endowed with islands of travel poster beauty, vibrant cultures, and centuries old ways of life based on sustainable practices, hurdle significant development and political challenges they face today - in addition to withstanding climate change and rising sea levels? Corruption, reliance on donor-driven aid and consultants, dwindling rural populations and burgeoning urban centers that stress the ability of governments to provide education and health services, an epidemic of non-communicable diseases as lifestyles change, and battles with countries outside the region for control of fisheries and deep sea resources - these are among the increasingly challenging issues facing the islands today. In a series of essays about the looming climate threat, sustainable development and the region's multi-billion dollar tuna industry, the U.S. nuclear test legacy in the Marshall Islands, and the impact of out-migration, 'Idyllic No More' addresses the often difficult problems and choices facing the Pacific islands today.The author, says veteran Oceania journalist Floyd K. Takeuchi, "frames a view of the Pacific islands that's characterized by hard-edge realism while offering a way forward. 'Idyllic No More' is a bracing look at where the islands are today, and what it will take to build a future of hope and opportunity for islanders across the region." 'Idyllic No More' is an excellent resource for stimulating discussion in classes, and for readers interested in contemporary Pacific island issues.