The key themes of the third edition of this established text are the rise of the globalised economy and the free-traders' current dominance of the economic agenda, and the continuing retreat by Australian governments, particularly the federal government, from involvement in environmental management. What impact have these had upon the state of Australia's environment? In particular upon the four commercial sectors that for decades have been the economic backbone of rural Australia and, traditionally, the major contributors to Australia's exports ie: forestry resources tourism mining and energy, and agriculture and pastoralism.