In recent years national governments and international community have been engaged in a simultaneous and fundamental reappraisal of environment and development problems and awareness building among populations.

This process stimulated summit meetings, conferences, formal and informal meetings aimed at finding solutions to these problems.

A powerful learning experience took place in Rio as leaders from all parts of the world shared their concern for the global crisis. The Earth Summit laid the groundwork for important shifts in policies throughout the world. The Summit spawned widespread recognition of a powerful change in thinking that is now underway in both industrial and developing countries. Moreover, this conference was only the first in a continuous series of worldwide meetings to discuss and implement a new generation of global treaties aimed at promoting sustainable economic progress and healing the relationship between civilization and the fragile ecological system of the Earth.

The process also stimulated numerous publications in English as separate editions and as printed materials for the conferences, etc. They cover the problems of planet management, land and water resources, climate warming, ozone layer depletion and other environment and development issues.

The development of these issues revealed the appearance of a new vocabulary stratum - terms used in the sphere of environment and development.

The purpose of GLEAD is to help Russian speaking LEAD associates and fellows as well as a wide range of users in translating and comprehending notions and terms they may come across in modern western and international English language publications.

INTRODUCTION

It is also the intent of this glossary to incorporate as much useful information as possible within the available space to be used by students of ecological departments of universities, colleges and other educational institutions on the territory of the CIS. In this way GLEAD can indirectly promote environmental and developmental issues among the younger generations and serve as an educational tool for bringing up environmentally minded generation.

The environmental terminology selected is not all-embracing, since it would then encroach on other well established disciplines each with its own terminology. The approach of GLEAD is based on the assumption that environmental terminology cuts across the terminology scope of other disciplines.

We hope the glossary will play the role of a friendly guide, pointing out safe, well-travelled roads on the way towards fluent English in the sphere of environment and development.

INSTALLATION

HOW TO USE GLEAD

"RUSSIAN TOPIC" icon will appear on the screen as well as "ENGLISH TERMS" icon. Move the cursor to the term you are searching for and double-click. The translation into and the explanation in Russian will appear on the screen.

To return to the starting position click on the "RETURN" box.

To return to the starting position click on "RETURN" box.

"RUSSIAN ALPHABET" box is used for Russian-English search. Click on the box. Then type the first letter of the words group. All the terms beginning with the letter typed will appear on the screen. Move the cursor to the term you are searching for and double-click. The translation into English will appear on the screen. The explanation in Russian will also appear.

To return to the starting position click on "RETURN" box.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I consider as co-aurthors computer programmers Nickolai V.Barabanov and Victor S.Sidhorin who developed the database for GLEAD.

I am grateful to Nick Yudin who advised me on how to set the task for program development.

I would particularly like to acknowledge the assistance of Vasily I.Sokolov for his valuable consultations on GLEAD contents, for comprehensive and constructive comments. He was a chief adviser in the creation of the glossary.

My gratitude is also extended to Michail L.Kozeltsev for his help.

The glossary was designed at the initiative and with support of LEAD International, Inc.