The Primary Source: Tropical Forests and Our Future

by Norman Myers

“With extensive knowledge and avid enthusiasm. . . . Myers, a worldwide conservation consultant, presents a sobering, consciousness-raising account of the environmental crisis that will develop if the thoughtless exploitation of tropical forests is allowed to continue. . . . An important contribution.” ―ALA Booklist Tropical forests form the most diverse and complex ecosystem on earth―a virtual powerhouse of evolution―containing 40 percent of all living species. They provide us with food, medicines, germplasm stocks to replenish our crops, and new types of energy sources. It is clear we cannot afford to lose our tropical forests. But we are losing them―to the overexploitation of multinational corporations, to the severe economic needs of the Third World, and to the consumerist appetites of the developed nations. Where is this happening and why? The answers to these critical questions are set forth eloquently by Norman Myers, one of the world’s leading experts on the environment and the author of The Long African Day , The Sinking Ark , and A Wealth of Species . Dr. Myers delineates the scope of the problem and offers a blueprint for its solution.

452 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1985

About the author

Norman Myers (born 24 August 1934 – 20 October 2019) was a British environmentalist specialising in biodiversity and also noted for his work on environmental refugees. He lived in Kenya for over 30 years and later settled in Headington, Oxford, England. Myers's work has ranged over diverse critical global issues and includes 18 books and over 250 scientific papers [bio sketch copied & shortened from en.wikipedia.org]

https://www.iucn.org/news/species/201...