ABSTRACT
Although each group of concerns is “most obviously” related to either the natural or the social sciences, that is an oversimplification. Both natural and social science concerns-about food and other environmental issues-are closely connected. Those connections are not always obvious because they have different perspectives, definitions, and histories. News about the broader connections between the natural and social worlds has not been good in recent decades. Begin with news about the obvious: wilderness and soil and water resources are under stress, forests are disappearing, we are awash in pollution and garbage of our own creation, and the earth’s climate is changing significantly. Add to these, in no particular order, concerns about indoor air pollution, landfill overcrowding, low-level nuclear wastes, urban sprawl, unsustainable consumption and population growth, environmentally induced diseases, and the variety of energy issues that we face. This list could continue for a long time, and you have probably heard of them. They are, I think, measures of how rapidly and pervasively environmental issues and problems have entered the popular consciousness and political discourse of our times.
