Climate change gets the lion's share of media attention, but it is not the most certain, not the least reversible, and not the most significant (to date) of human-caused changes to the earth system. This talk , given by Stanford professor Dr. Peter Vitousek, examines the major components of human effects on Earth, with emphasis on the changing composition of the atmosphere, the transformation of Earth's surface by human activity, and the loss of biological diversity.

Much was left unsaid at the UNCED conference in Rio about the interactions among population growth, human deprivation, and resource use. Dr. Walter Falcon, director of Stanford's Institute for International Studies, develops these themes, drawing on his extensive knowledge of hunger, land use, and agriculture, and on his specific experiences in South and Southeast Asia.