If we want a world of true social-environmental quality to live in, we must change our materialistic values and habits—and be persistent in that change. We must reach beyond where we feel safe and dare to move ahead, despite the fact that perfect knowledge will always elude us.

There are no biological short cuts, technological quick fixes, or political hype embodied in our current symptomatic thinking that can mend what is broken. Dramatic, fundamental change in the form of systemic thinking is necessary if we are really concerned with bettering our quality of life—even that of next year.

Social-Environmental Sustainability is a series of books designed to examine our human-caused, global problems in terms of nature's biophysical support systems and to propose sustainable solutions that will move society toward an ecologically sound environment and a socially just culture. Each book in this series has been thoughtfully selected to add a new dimension to the resolution of our problems—not just repackage old ideas. In this sense, each book comprises part of a roadmap of where to go and what to do when people are at last forced to accept the changes they have fought against for so long.

Chris Maser, Series Editor