Environmental Planning and Ecological Possibilities

It is reasoned that man faces an environmental predicament caused by the essential indeterminancy and unpredictability of outcomes of man's actions. As man's growing activities increasingly effect the entire biosphere, it becomes imperative that this predicament be incorporated into management strategies. It is reasoned that existing strategies of environmental management are poorly defined and inadequate to accommodate this predicament. Four levels of basic decision strategies are examined. An environmental strategy is developed which is based on the avoidance of large-scale irreversible change. This strategy calls for the preservation of environmental diversity. It is reasoned that such a strategy has the potential of reducing the chances of unanticipated environmental conditions and events which significantly destroy the quality of life. The importance of research priorities in developing suitable environmental strategies is reviewed.