Environmental Concerns, 1991 An Inter-disciplinary Exercise

"How am I concerned about the environment from where I stand professionally?" Or, "what is the environmental edge of my profession?" A number of outstanding academics were asked to consider these questions in 1989 with the aim of opening an innovative discussion on environmental changes and an understanding of how these are related to human activities. At the personal invitation of the Programme Committee, 17 individuals, each of whom have different professional backgrounds and nationalities, prepared a paper and met for a symposium in Elsinore, Denmark, in September of 1990. Some of the authors revised their original papers as a result of the discussions during the symposium. After peer review and editing, the contributions were printed in this book in versions that express the authors' personal convictions and priority environmental concerns. The authors contributed to the symposium by delivering papers and participat­ ing in stimulating and sometimes provocative discussions. The Programme Committee is grateful for the professional inspiration provided and for the spiritual and warm, social atmosphere in which the symposium took place.

1 Environmental Change — Problems and Options.- 2. The Long Perspective.- 3. The Evolution of the Environmental Engineer.- 4. The Environmental Issue and Medicine.- 5. Environmental Problems in Food Production, Processing and Preservation.- 6. Energy and Environment: Confrontation or Compromise?.- 7. Meteorology.- 8. The World’s Wetlands Under Threat — Developing Wise Use and International Stewardship.- 9. Understanding the Forest Ecosystem — A Prerequisite for Survival.- 10. The Conservation of Biological Diversity: Using Birds to set Priorities.- 11. Microbial Ecology and Population Biology.- 12. Insects, Man and Environment: Who will Survive?.- 13. Man as Selector — A Darwinian Boomerang Striking Through Natural Selection.- 14. Philosophy and the Environmental Crisis.- 15. Plural Rationalities: The Rudiments of a Practical Science of the Inchoate.- 16. The Formation of Green Parties Environmentalism, State Response and Political Entrepreneurship.- 17. Urban Green Oases and Recreational Areas.- Index of Contributors.