Born with a Copper Spoon

by Robrecht Declercq

ISBN: 9780774864862

Published: 2023-11-15

"Born with a Copper Spoon examines how the metal has been produced, distributed, controlled, and sold around the globe. Over the past two centuries, industrial societies hungry for the highly conductive, corrosion-resistant metal--essential for light, power, and communication--have demanded ever-increasing quantities of copper. From copper cartels and the futures market to the consequences of resource nationalism, Born with a Copper Spoon has a global scope. However, this is not simply a narrative of ever-increasing and deepening global connections, as global history often is. It is also about periods of deglobalization, fragmentation, and attempts to sever connections, as was the case in the mid-twentieth century, when a bitter contest over ownership of mineral resources briefly threatened to cause a major realignment of the world economy. Throughout history, copper production has spawned its own practices, technologies, and a constantly changing political economy. Large-scale...