International Environmental Problems: Systems Approach Used to Identify Scientific and Political Perceptions and Responses

The objective of this paper is to demonstrate how a systems approach can be used to contribute to the identification and solution of environmental problems by governments acting individually and collectively. In approaching complex environmental problems one must be concerned with far more than the sciences of environmental degredation and the technologies of pollution control; one must also understand the problems of development, national priorities and the cultures of the peoples of the world. The huge amount of data submitted for the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment was analysed and organized into a meaningful form for decision making by considering the technical, philosophical, ethical, political and emotional issues involved in preserving the environment. Before discussing the details of the analysis, a summary view of the U.N. Conference process will be presented.