WORLD RESOURCES: A GUIDE TO THE GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT

Abstract

Review by Donna M. Hanson Science Librarian, University of Idaho Library, Moscow, Idaho 83844. USA. TEL: 208-885-2505. WORLD RESOURCES 1992-93: A GUIDE TO THE GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT. A Report by The World Resources Institute in collaboration with The United Nations Environment Programme and the United Nations Development Programme. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1992. ISBN: 0-19-506231-0 (pbk) $19.95; 0-19-506231-0 (cloth) $32.50. LC: 86-659504. Printed on recycled paper. WORLD RESOURCES 1994-95: A GUIDE TO THE GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT. A Report by The World Resources Institute in collaboration with The United Nations Environment Programme and the United Nations Development Programme. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1994. ISBN: 0-19-521045-X (pbk) $21.95; 0-19-521044-1 (cloth) $35.00. Printed on recycled paper. In 1986, when the World Resources Institute and the International Institute for Environment released the first volume in the World Resources series, the editors acknowledged the challenges involved in producing a publication that would address the many ways in which environmental and resource issues are related. Narrative chapters and data tables presented information that attempted to identify indicators of resource use and environmental quality. In the process, the editors also identified areas where basic information was lacking. The data series that were selected for presentation were influenced by the kinds and amounts of comparable data for major resources that were available for the 146 countries included in the volume. From the beginning, the goal of the editors has been to meet the critical need for accessible, accurate information on some of the most pressing issues of our time. The third volume in the series, 1988-89, marked the beginning of the regional focus section and the change from annual to biennial publication. Asia was the focus for 1988-89 and Latin America was the special focus of the 1990-91 edition. In the intervening years, the World Resources Institute cooperates with the United Nations Environmental Programme and the United Kingdom Department of the Environment to produce The Environmental Data Report. This review will concentrate on the 1992-93 and the 1994-95 editions. The 1992-93 volume in the World Resources series opens with a special section on Sustainable Development. The Regional Focus in this volume presents an overview of the environmental and resource problems confronting the nations of Central Europe as they make the transition to market-driven democratic governments. Sections presenting Basic Conditions and Trends worldwide and supporting Data Tables complete the volume. The material in this volume was compiled to provide support for the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development held in Rio de Janeiro. The authors and editors present arguments that support the position that sustainable economic development must be accompanied by concern for development of human resources and technologies that are less destructive of natural resources. The seven major industrialized countries, six rapidly industrializing countries, and the forty-one countries with per capita GNP of less than $250.00 are examined and compared in the Special Focus section. The conclusions drawn will not surprise anyone who has followed the discussions of environmental concerns over the past