These Proceedings consider all aspects of the environmental problems facing the world today - scientific, social, economic, philosophical and historical. Many of the discussions which followed paper presentations are included in the text. Along with scientific discussions of solutions to particular problems, the book argues for a new approach to thought and action in the use of natural resources. If a constructive global strategy towards the protection of the environment is to be socially compatible and economically sound, then it must be developed through an interdisciplinary approach which will avoid the impractical solutions which might be suggested by theoretical or unilateral considerations. Ecological, economic, social and cultural research must be accompanied by the development of a new mentality of respect for the environment which will inculcate a reasonable and moderate use of natural resources.

This second edition of “Sustainable Mountain Development” is a history of the development of mountain environmental awareness from its origins during the Stockholm Conference on the Environment in 1973. This provided intellectual input into UNESCO’s MAB Programme, especially MAB-6 (Impact of Human Activities on Mountain Environments), The International Geographical Union’s commission on mountains, and The United Nations University’s (UNU) mountain project, the latter initiated in 1978. All this research and intellectual activity saw its maturation during the 1992 Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro. The major document universally agreed upon was AGENDA 21, with Chapter 13 concentrating on mountain environmental problems which led to 2002 being dedicated as The International Year of Mountains, and December 17th as International Mountain Day. The research that inspired this book, accompanied by intensive environmental and political activity, was initially propagated by a small group of colleagues that ultimately expanded to a world-wide endeavour. The work was recognised by three awards of the King Albert Gold Medal, two RGS Gold Medals, approved by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, and countless other awards. It led to the founding of the International Mountain Society in 1980 and its quarterly journal “Mountain Research and Development” (1981). The work expanded into subsequent research efforts, including specific assessments of projected major catastrophes such as the status of the potential outbreak of glacier lakes (GLOFs), the impacts of climate warming, and incorporation of the mountain subsistence men and women whose environmental knowledge was enthusiastically recognized. This edition provides a new epilogue, which outlines the considerable changes to world environmental assessment since the establishment of 2002 as the International Year of Mountains, and notes that 2022 has been designated as the International Year of Sustainable Mountain Development.

The emergence of landscape ecology during the 1980s represents an impor tant maturation of ecological theory. Once enamored with the conceptual beauty of well-balanced, homogeneous ecosystems, ecologists now assert that much of the essence of ecological systems lies in their lumpiness. Patches with differing properties and behaviors lie strewn across the land scape, products of the complex interactions of climate, disturbance, and biotic processes. It is the collective behavior of this patchwork of eco systems that drives pattern and process of the landscape. is not an end point This realization of the importance of patch dynamics in itself, however. Rather, it is a passage to a new conceptual framework, the internal workings of which remain obscure. The next tier of questions includes: What are the fundamental pieces that compose a landscape? How are these pieces bounded? To what extent do these boundaries influence communication and interaction among patches of the landscape? Will con sideration of the interactions among landscape elements help us to under stand the workings of landscapes? At the core of these questions lies the notion of the ecotone, a term with a lineage that even predates ecosystem. Late in the nineteenth century, F. E. Clements realized that the transition zones between plant communi ties had properties distinct from either of the adjacent communities. Not until the emergence of patch dynamics theory, however, has central signif icance of the ecotone concept become apparent.

The first book to present the environmental teachings of this beloved pope—the newly canonized St. John Paul—and the hopeful words of Pope Francis, thoughtfully synthesized into a complete spiritual and practical vision for the future. "The ecological crisis is a moral crisis." So said Pope John Paul II, an unexpected and fierce advocate for ecological responsibility throughout his papacy. Rather than seeing environmental concerns as “earthly” or “political,” he showed that they are in fact at the heart of the covenant between human beings and their Creator. In dozens of addresses, sermons, and encyclicals, Pope John Paul II made specific recommendations on twelve interconnected ecological issues, including climate change, ocean destruction, water scarcity, poverty, the role of women, and war. He showed that each could become a source of spiritual, social, and economic transformation. Following St. Francis integrates Pope John Paul II’s vision with that of St. Francis of Assisi, patron saint of ecology, and the galvanizing words of Pope Francis. Accessible and illuminating, it speaks to hearts and minds, to nonreligious readers as well as devoted Catholics, incorporating Scripture, current science, and inspiring stories of solutions and restoration. Marybeth Lorbiecki unifies and champions the late, beloved pope’s view that all life issues are related and that all forms of life deserve care. And if we work with God and each other to protect them, we can “renew the face of the earth” (Psalm 104:30).