ABSTRACT
The environment is the backdrop of virtually every area of human endeavor and activity. Yet, certain activities are more central to the topic of environmental concerns than others. The needs and use of natural resources in the more intensive resource extraction industries, such as mining, logging, and timber usage, are areas of concern in the environmental arena. The impact of huge population concentrations, particularly in terms of water and air pollution, creates environmental stress. Finally the impact of the activities of humans on other species, both directly through harvesting for use and indirectly through destruction of habitats, generate disputes.
