Publisher's Synopsis
The biosphere is universally recognized as essential to the support of the world's life, yet every hour its stability is threatened by demographic growth and increasing industrialization.;This book tackles the crucial subject of man's attitude to the biosphere. The result of discussions held at an international forum of 70 of the world's leading ecologists, it challenges current thought on environmental policy and argues for stronger measures to protect the environment.;Begining with a study of man's industrial history and his relationship with the environment, the book goes on to discuss recent changes in the biosphere as a result of a series of events culminating in Chernobyl and the hole in the ozone layer. Ecological productivity and the need for genetic diversity are looked at, and the whole question of an ecological moral code is discussed.
