The Crisis and the Environment

Given the magnitude and scope of the current economic crisis, the world will no doubt experience a significant economic downturn - of what degree and duration, no one can say - profoundly affecting all aspects of U.S. and international society. Of the many areas that will be impacted by the downturn, the environment stands out in particular. It's closely tied to the tempo of resource consumption, and significant efforts to ameliorate environmental decline will prove very expensive and out of reach for already-stretched budgets.