The planet's creation and evolution

The noun ‘Environment’ is derived from an ancient French word meaning ‘to surround’ or ‘to encircle’. ‘Environment’ is defined in the Oxford English Dictionary as ‘the surrounding conditions or influences under which organisms, persons or things exist and develop’. From this broad definition ‘environment’ is applied to various physical, political, economic, academic, social systems and conditions. This text is confined to the Planet's physical and biological environment, its atmosphere, climates, ecosystems and natural resources and their relation to biotechnologies.

Anthropological, cosmological and geological evidence indicates that from the time of its creation the Earth, its environment, ecologies, natural resources and the creatures and organisms that have been its inhabitants have continually changed, sometimes by gradual evolution, sometimes from extreme and disruptive occurrences: collisions with large asteroids and meteorites, violent earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and extreme climate change. Justifiable is a growing concern with undesirable changes accelerated by human activities: gaseous and paniculate emissions from combustion of fossil fuels and timber; agricultural, industrial and domestic pollution of atmospheres, inland and coastal waters; deforestation; degradation of land and ecosystems; deliberate or consequential depletion of biodiversity. A comprehensive review of how the universe and planet earth were created and have evolved, the origins and evolutions of living organisms is recorded in a special issue of Scientific American [Scientific American 1994].

An increasing number of reputable observers contend that the styles of more affluent middle classes, now expanding as countries such as the People's Republic of China and India rise in prosperity, with dilating demand for motor vehicles and other amenities, cannot be sustained with the resources available.