FOREWORD 



This report has been prepared as a companion volume, a 

 supplement to the third annual report of the National Science Board, 

 Environmental Science — Challenge for the Seventies (NSB 71-1), 

 which was transmitted to the Congress by the President in June 

 1971. It contains much of the information and interpretation that 

 formed the basis for the conclusions and recommendations of the 

 annual report. 



The present document makes no attempt to present a complete 

 view of environmental science or a coherent description of the natural 

 environment. These undertakings would be both impracticable and 

 overambitious within the confines of a single volume. Rather, this 

 volume is a compendium of the views and judgments of a large 

 number of scientific leaders, addressed to a broadly representative 

 array of topics that serve to illustrate, but not define, the scope and 

 nature of environmental science today. 



The National Science Board is deeply grateful to these many 

 individuals for their thoughtful, candid, and sometimes controversial 

 opinions. In some cases the views expressed are in conflict with 

 others contained in the report itself or held by other members of the 

 scientific community. Hopefully these conflicting views will chal- 

 lenge scientists to resolve these differences and will point out that 

 there are, in fact, many areas in environmental science that demand 

 substantial investigation before any degree of adequate understand- 

 ing is achieved. It is these differences that contribute significantly 

 to the "patterns and perspectives" and help to identify directions of 

 needed scientific advance. 



In accepting this report and recommending its publication, the 

 Board does not endorse all views contained herein, but hopes that 

 the report will prove informative to the general reader, that it will 

 provide useful insights to assist policymakers, whether in govern- 

 ment or in private institutions, and that it will contribute to the 

 discussions of scientists — students, teachers, and other professionals 

 — who are most intimately concerned with the status and future 

 progress of environmental science. 



H. E. Carter 



Chairman, 



National Science Board 



in 



