Many environmental problems do not recognise political boundarles, state or national. Decisions taken in Australia should, therefore, be conditioned by the costs they impose on both the national and global environments, as well as on the community's economic well-being. We should not export our environmental problems. Indeed, ln dealing with global environmental problems like the greenhouse effect. lt may be desirable to sustain some marginal degradation domestically or relocate energy-intenslve activities to energy efficient producing countries like Australia, if that makes for a better global outcome.

Similarly, while development may result in some localised loss of biodiversity or environmental degradation, this may be sensible if, in the broader context, biodiversity and ecological processes are maintained.

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