Ill 



THE ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGE: 

 SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDAHONS 



Over the past three decades considerable progress has been made in rec- 

 ognizing the seriousness of the world's environmental problems. Although 

 many positive steps have been taken to ameliorate them, we are only be- 

 ginning to understand the compleadties of the problems wc face. In the years 

 ahead, continuing struggle is likely because the two most significant forces 

 of environmental degradation— the ever-growing world population and the 

 drive for worldwide industrial and agricultural development— continue 

 unabated. 



The pressing and widespread threats to the biosphere appear more 

 closely linked with the fiincaoning of the world economy than they ever 

 have before. Today's global economy has reinforced the geographic separa- 

 uon of resource extracuon, producrion, and consumprion. Hence, those who 

 reap the economic benefits of using natural resources are often different 

 from those who bear the environmental costs. This complex of issues was 

 brought into sharper foais by the prepararions for the United Narions 0)n- 



