Nauru, die verwüstete Insel

Nauru is a tiny, once-paradisiacal island, measuring barely 21 square kilometers, located somewhere northeast of Australia in the Pacific Ocean. When massive phosphate deposits were discovered on the island in the early 20th century, a golden era began for Nauru, which gained independence in 1968. The precious raw material, used for fertilizer production, was mined on a large scale and sold at high prices. All consumer goods and a decadent Western lifestyle were imported. Corruption and mismanagement followed: today, the state is ruined, the landscape devastated, and the population suffers from diabetes and poverty. French journalist Luc Folliet recounts this ecological and economic disaster at the end of the world in his report. The incredible story of Nauru serves as a parable of how the capitalist dream of eternal growth fails within the limits of the Earth.