Humankind has dramatically altered the composition of the atmosphere during the past 150 years, chiefly by increasing the concentrations of naturally occurring greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and, in the last half century, by introducing new ones. Excessive amounts of greenhouse gases trap heat, which the earth would normally radiate back to space, thereby affecting the energy-storage capacity of the atmosphere and oceans.
In recent decades the ozone layer has been severely damaged by man-made chemicals called chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). Though their use is now prohibited, they will remain in the atmosphere for many decades and, with their effects exacerbated by global warming, will continue to destroy ozone for many years to come.
The greatest concern for our well-being during the next millennium is that a modified climate now seems inevitable. How much can we afford to let it change? This highly accessible book introduces and explains the processes causing these interrelated environmental crises, examines the measures currently being formulated to tackle them, and considers how effective such measures are likely to be.

Irena Fiket is a Senior Research Fellow and academic coordinator of the Laboratory for Active Citizenship and Democratic Innovations at the Institute for Philosophy and Social Theory, University of Belgrade. Her current research interests lie in deliberative democracy, citizens’ participation, democratic innovations, social movements and the Western Balkans.

Čedomir Markov is a Research Fellow at the Institute for Philosophy and Social Theory, University of Belgrade. His current research deals with the deliberative inquiry approach to audience-media relations, anti-press hostility and democratic innovations in hybrid regimes.

Vujo Ilić is a Research Fellow at the Institute for Philosophy and Social Theory, University of Belgrade. His research primarily deals with participation in political processes, from elections and democratic institutions to political conflicts and violence.

Gazela Pudar Draško is a Senior Research Fellow and the Director of the Institute for Philosophy and Social Theory, University of Belgrade. Her fields of interest are deliberative democracy, participatory democratic innovations, social movements and gender.