Summary

2007 marked the 20th anniversary of the G.H.Brundtland Commission report that broke new ground by addressing the issue of sustainable development as a means of avoiding an ecological catastrophe. This led to a multitude of political declarations, documents and scientific articles while Agenda 21 - adopted in 1992 in Rio de Janeiro - has been accepted by the governments of more than 100 countries. Sadly, however, this has not prevented certain recent dangerous trends, nor have the wider public, journalists, business circles or politicians grasped the urgency of the problem. It is therefore important to make humanity understand its real place in the natural environment and the gravity of the ecological threat before us.

The exclusive role of natural ecosystems is a key factor in the maintenance of the biospheric equilibrium. The current global crisis is largely caused by their dramatic decline by 43% in the past hundred years. Ignoring the immutable laws and limitations which determine the existence of all living things in the biosphere could lead humanity to an ecological catastrophe. This book presents the ecological, demographic, economic and socio-psychological manifestations of the global crisis and outlines the immutable laws and limitations which determine the existence of all living things in the biosphere.

Choice Review

This timely, well-organized book provides intriguing insights into the 21st-century plight of the human-built and natural worlds. Danilov-Danil'yan and Losev (both, Russian Academy of Sciences) and Reyf (German journalist) argue that the direct dependence of people on critical ecosystem services requires that we realistically confront the global ecological crisis and unpack the demographic, social, psychological, and economic trends that underpin the problem. The book's six parts aptly reveal the breadth and depth of the analysis: "Civilization in Crisis: On the Edge of the Abyss"; "Civilization Teetering over the Abyss of Crisis (Conclusion)"; "The World Community: Politicians and Scientists in Search of a Solution"; "Sustainable Development: Between Complacency and Reality"; "On the Scale of a Scientific Approach"; and "Is There Enough Community, Responsibility, Discipline and Love?" The lucid synthesis of sustainability, ecosystem conservation, and economic systems needs to be read and digested by a large readership. Although some may challenge certain details of the analysis, the advice to act prudently and expeditiously in order to mitigate the ever-quickening collapse of the biosphere and, hence, human well-being is a compelling one. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All levels/libraries. P. R. Pinet Colgate University