Australia : State of the Environment

"Australia: State of the Environment 1996" is the first ever independent nation-wide assessment of the status of Australia's environment.

Prepared by a group comprising Australia's key scientists, academics, industry leaders and environmentalists, the report is up-to-date, credible and comprehensive.

It provides a scientific assessment of environmental conditions, focusing on the impacts of human activities, their significance for the environment, and societal responses to the identified trends. Key features include: seven major chapters covering human settlements, biodiversity, the atmosphere, land resources, inland waters, estuaries and the sea, and natural and cultural heritage; an introductory chapter - "Portrait of Australia" - summarizing the evolutionary history and biological characterstics of this unusual continent, the impact of human settlements and how we manage the environment; a comprehensive list of references for each of the major chapters; a key chapter - "Towards Ecological Sustainability" - placing the major findings in their future context; a full listing of extinct and endangered plants and animals; and a detailed glossary of terms and an exhaustive subject index. "Australia: State of the Environment 1996" should be of interest to high school teachers and students as a general reference, university academics and students studying the environment, planners in government and industry, and all environmentalists and general readers with an interest in Australia's future.