STATE OF THE WORLD 1989

Worldwatch Institute's annual report on the global ecology. The publisher touts this as ""the world's most widely read public document""; it's also probably the world's most frightening public document, as the Worldwatch staff chronicles in no-nonsense prose precipitous rises in land degradation (especially deforestation), ozone depletion, ocean pollution, AIDS, toxic wastes, fuel depletion and air pollution (culprit: the automobile), world military expenditure, etc. For each problem, the Worldwatch team presents possible solutions, and, gratefully, finds private-and-public sector interest in ecology growing along with the global deterioration. For example, in regard to military expenditure, the report comments favorably on China's decision to cut its military budget by one quarter ""and to utilize part of the military-industrial capacity to manufacture civilian goods""; along the same lines, the report points out that the cost of one Trident submarine equals the cost of a ""5-year child immunization program against 6 deadly diseases, preventing 1 million deaths a year."" A book, then, of literally vital interest.