Ron, while I believe your comments on the natural advantages of Russia are basicly correct it is not true that they have few environmental or pollution problems.The 70 years of communist management resulted in appalling degradation.
Nancy Lubin wrote a chapter on this subject in "The New World Order" edited by Carol Rae Hansen (1992).
Also,Vaclav Smil's "China's Environmental Crisis"(1993) could be of interest.
I'm sure there is more up to date information around as well.

Ron, while I believe your comments on the natural advantages of Russia are basicly correct it is not true that they have few environmental or pollution problems. The 70 years of communist management resulted in appalling degradation.

thirra,

You should re-read the original post. He did not say that Russia has "few environmental/population problems". Here it is again, for your benefit:

"Russia, because of its immense size and sparse population, is less affected by all the other environmental problems like pollution and erosion than almost any other place in the world."