This book was developed to highlight the risks that confront societies, and to indicate the most promising avenues for preemptive policies and actions. The document contains chapters on: (1) the emergence of change; (2) analyzing demographic factors; (3) assessing the future of urbanization; (4) reassessing nuclear power (including an analysis of the impact of the Chernobyl disaster); (5) the electrification of the third world; (6) the potential impacts of recycling on the future; (7) sustaining agriculture in the world; (8) raising agricultural productivity; (9) the stabilization of chemical cycles (with a look at the effects of acid rain); (10) designing sustainable economics (containing a section on balancing economic markets); and (11) charting a sustainable course. An index is included. (TW)