It has only been a matter of decades since global environmental problems have gained world attention. These problems arising from a conflict between planetary ecosystems and human activities are complex and their study requires an integrated application of knowledge from both the natural sciences and humanities. Therefore, global environmental studies as a field of academic endeavor has to be structured in a way that integrates a wide range of  disciplines. On one hand it must comprise of knowledge from the natural sciences in areas such as climate, natural resources, engineering, technology ecosystems and on the other hand, knowledge from the humanities in areas such as law, economics, philosophy, ethics, population studies and sociology. 

In addition, several themes that have until now escaped questioning have begun to emerge such as what it is exactly that entails the notion of "sustainable development". Delving deeper into the many ecological dilemmas facing humanity, we see many serious themes such as the conservation of ecosystems in order to mitigate climatic change, the prevention of atmospheric and oceanic pollution, the problem of waste materials, and the conservation of biodiversity. Being given that such problems are still far from being solved, it would be no exaggeration to say that the field of global environmental studies is still in its infant stages.