Planetary overload
Abstract
Man's increasing population, technology, and consumption are overloading Earth's capacity to adsorb, replenish and repair. Global environmental problems pose major health risks which along with their scientific uncertainties are assessed within a broad biological, historical and social context. Chapters 1 to 4 detail the nature of problems posed by ecological disruption. Chapters 5 to 10 review the underlying problems of excessive population growth and the five main categories of ecological disruption: climate change, stratospheric ozone depletion, land degradation and food production, loss of biodiversity, and increasing growth of cities. Chapters 11 to 13 take a broader look at the social implications of population health problems before examining the prospects for moving forward in terms of scientific uncertainty and policy incentives. -after Author