The environment has a decisive influence on the daily lives of millions of people, especially in the poor parts of the world. When the environment is ruined, it is the poorest who suffer the most. Those of us who live in the Western world are much better equipped to protect ourselves against climactic change, air pollution and a reduction in the quality of water. The poor, on the other hand, often stand completely unprotected and vulnerable in the face of environmental destruction. They are the ones who have to pay – both for their own as well as our transgressions against the environment.