Author: Lambin, Eric & DeBevoise, M B

A noted French geographer provides a concise, readable summary of the present state of the environment and what must be done to avoid catastrophe. Based on rigorous scientific analysis, free of ideological prejudice, Lambin finds merit in the arguments of both optimists and pessimists. Through a combination of global remedies such as international cap-and-trade emission treaties and local ones like municipal programs promoting the use of bicycles, it may yet be possible to rescue humanity from a potentially fatal crisis of its own making. 208 pp.