The problem, of course, is how to create these 'ecodevelopment' alternatives for a human population all striving for a standard of living seemingly based on ever higher levels of resource consumption. So far, we have collectively done a rather miserable job in finding these solutions, as evidenced by the problems of rainforest destruction and species loss, industrial pollution and the squalor of mega-slums, the dying Aral Sea, and the threat of global warming. Part of the problem is that we have yet to come to grips with the true scope of the task.
Sustainable development is inherently an interdisciplinary undertaking.
A telling example of the intellectual gap that exists in our understanding of this path comes from the actions of the World Bank , the premier international lending institution for development. Each question clearly defines an area of interdisciplinary research that is only beginning to be appreciated, let alone addressed. My primary area of research and teaching interest, energy and the environment in developing nations, stands as an example of the need to integrate research and action across disciplines. The process of food preparation is also one of the most important health and development issues facing poorer nations. The smoke from biomass fires contains particulates, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, benzene, formaldehyde, and other pollutants.