Throughout history, poverty has bccn the lot of most members of thehuman race.1 As we approach the 21 st century, the world is stili sharplypolarized betwecn the rich and the poor - on the one hand, the developedindustrialized Northern countries vvith affluent lifestyles; on the other the lessdeveloped, impoverished Southern countries vvhich aspire to the same modeland level of economic development.The emcrgence of ecological scarcitics has added a new controversy tothe longstandirıg debate över the strueture of relationships betvveen the Northand the South, for, according to one view, environmental issues are justanother means for the developed countries to continue to control and exploitthe economies of less developed countries, vvhile, from a more optimisticperspeetive, environmental threats could be utilized as an opportunity forglobal coopcration.