Abstract
That circumambient region of the world between the Tropic of Capricorn and the Tropic of Cancer is presently the domain of most of the world’s poor people, as well as the site of an unprecedented, human-activated extinction of life. This crucible of environmental destruction and developmental exigency provides the centre of attention in this paper. Accepting Alfred Marshall’s dictum that the alleviation of poverty is the primary responsibility of the economist, the authors of this paper argue that the foundation of all life is being lost at a non-sustainable rate. Therefore, a precautionary principle has become essential in the pursuit of development and the reduction of poverty. Clearly, the burden of this principle must be borne by those most able to afford it.
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