European Environment Commissioner Margot Wallstrom has voiced fears that economic gloom in the wake of last month's terrorist attacks on the United States could crowd environmental issues off the global agenda.

This issue of brings together for the first time diverse perspectives from the world’s religious traditions regarding attitudes toward nature with reflections from the fields of science, public policy, and ethics. The scholars of religion in this volume identify symbolic, scriptural, and ethical dimensions within particular religions in their relations with the natural world. They examine these dimensions both historically and in response to contemporary environmental problems.

A parasitic weed is sucking the life out of East African corn. One way to deal with it would be to engineer corn for herbicide resistance, so that chemicals could be sprayed on the corn to kill the parasite--even though the corn and the herbicide would probably be too expensive for poor farmers, the herbicide would pollute, and the weed would likely become resistant. Another way would be to improve soil health. Tough call.

In areas of Ethiopia where droughts are common and rainfall irregular, the construction of small dams for irrigation can increase food production. What impact do such dams have on the health of those living nearby? Do they increase the risk of malaria by providing a breeding ground for mosquitoes?