Imperiling and Saving Our Planetary Home

environmental pollution; environmental protection; heavy metals; climate change; international regulation of human activities

Abstract

Our common planetary home is affected by hazardous environmental processes stemming from human activities. These have gradually reached a global scale during the past century, especially concerning the environmental releases of toxic heavy metals, hazardous chemicals, and waste, the atmospheric emissions of ozone-depleting substances, and greenhouse gases. All these are directly or indirectly related to the accelerated utilization of a multitude of natural resources and land use changes, and in the broadest sense, to unsustainable production and consumption patterns. These significantly influence the living conditions of present and future generations. The chapters of this book present the emergence, globalization, and escalation of the above-mentioned environmental processes, the history of the recognition of their unintended harmful impacts, the development of the associated international scientific and political cooperation, and the most essential outcomes of the latter, including multilateral programs and agreements. Following the extensive review and analysis of these processes, key conclusions and lessons are drawn.