To mark the close of its first 100 years of business and to continue its commitment to environmental conservation, CEMEX Inc. (cemexusa.com) has released a new conservation book, "The Human Footprint: Challenges for Wilderness and Biodiversity." By using the best tools and technology available to conservationists today, the book showcases not only the severity of the problem, but also what can be done to improve it.

Produced in partnership with the Wildlife Conservation Society (wcs.org), Agrupación Sierra Madre (sierramadre.com.mx), The WILD Foundation (wild.org) and The International League of Conservation Photographers (ilcp.com), the book concludes that protecting large wilderness areas is crucial to the future of our planet and is an indispensable tool for preserving the world's biodiversity.

Through a series of photographs, maps and essays, "The Human Footprint," shows the collective effect that humanity's demands have had on the Earth's ecological resources. The book delivers a sobering message and warning that human beings are consuming too much of our planet, and polluting the rest. The damage has come to the point of threatening the lifelines on which a moderate climate, productive oceans, functioning ecosystems, and the circle of life depend.

"Our 100 year anniversary marks a milestone of producing an essential building material that has benefited mankind for centuries, a material that is organic in nature. But as we celebrate the past, we also look to the future," said Gilberto Perez, president of CEMEX USA. "With the release of our 14th consecutive conservation book, we are proud to continue focusing on the relationship between humans and our environment, the need for balance and harmony in our coexistence, and our commitment to promoting a sustainable future."
The CEMEX conservation book series is the result of a dynamic partnership with global conservation groups to identify and protect the world's most threatened and precious wild spaces. Since the inception of the conservation book program in 1993, CEMEX has donated these works to organizations such as Conservation International, World Wildlife Fund and the World Conservation Union, supporting an array of conservation projects. In addition, more than 175,000 books have been donated to universities, research institutions, governments and libraries worldwide. CM