... and the world is heating up like a greenhouse - melting glaciers in the Antarctic and drowning small islands in the Indian Ocean. While, cosmetically, cities like London appear to be getting 'greener', cities in less developed countries (LDCs) are now confronting the age-old problems of industrialisation: apparently breathing the air of Mexico City for a day is equal to smoking 40 cigarettes a day (Kirkby et al; 1999, p.1). These kind of discoveries have led us to question the whole process of development through industrialisation (Woodhouse; 2002, p.142), as has been experienced by the West, and whether in terms of the best interests of the planet, it is conceivable that LDCs should proceed to develop in this way. Neither is industrialisation the only threat to the environment. The other cause for concern in environmental debate is usually resource depletion in the 'South', often attributed to exploding rural populations who ...

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