Responding to a reawakened concern about human activities that put the Earth at peril, this report examines the measures being taken to preserve the ecological balance of this planet. It explores the greenhouse effect, the erosion of soil and the spread of the world's deserts. Seven essays cover such topics as the politics of food aid, the Chernobyl disaster and its aftermath and the effects of pollution on drinking water and the atmosphere. The second half of the book carries some 400 alphabetical entries on subjects ranging from acid rain to zero population growth. These entries target the most significant ecological danger points throughout the world and provide summaries of what is being done to meet the problem.