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FOR A GREEN EARTH

About 15 years ago, the people who run www.ecological-sustainability.info would have been derided as Malthusians. But the hazards of economic expansion and overpopulation are part of the research agenda in much of academia today.

The site under review is, however, not merely about academic concerns. It has been created by the UK-based Ecological Publishing projects. who seriously believe in makin a change. The site's authors say, "We feel there is no value in the mealy-mouthed fudging. We aim to be forthright and indeed blunt. We firmly believe that the multiple and interacting crises it seeks to address are not some tragedy but the product of identifiable and usually deliberate actions for which those responsible should be held to account. That said, we also seek to be fair and reasonable'.

The site is timely in another way. There is now an even more urgent need for sharp-edged polemics on ecological issues given the disappearance or makeover of magazines like The Ecologist that once performed that role. According to the authors of the site, "The costs of printing and difficulties with traditional means of distribution make it necessary to rely on electronic media, despite our deep reservations about computerization'.

But the site has many features common to any published respository. It has vast amount of material including bibliographic studies guiding readers to the best literature on various topics. There are essays on currently topical issues and debates, reviews of books, films and music.

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