Environmental Ethics

Third Edition

Edited by Michael Boylan

This edition first published 2022

© 2022 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Edition History

Prentice Hall (1e, 2001); John Wiley & Sons, Inc (2e, 2014 and 3e, 2022)

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Boylan, Michael, 1952- editor. Title: Environmental ethics / edited by Michael Boylan. Description: Third edition. | Hoboken, NJ : John Wiley & Sons, 2022. | Includes bibliographical references and index. | Summary: “In 2007 when I was a senior research fellow at The Center for American Progress, a progressive policy think tank in Washington, D.C., I spent some time on the Environmental Policy Team. This team had as it's goal the creation of various papers that would be listed on the Center's website and distributed to appropriate committees in Congress to influence public policy. At the time it did seem like the country and the world was on the way to combatting the causes of global warming: CO2 and other chemical emissions that were creating a “greenhouse” effect that was moving us to climate disaster. In 2009 there was the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference in which plans were laid for creating a cooperative international structure for implementing some of the policy recommendations of the Kyoto Protocol (1997). Progress was made to identify options for various countries to play their part in this project (the details to be negotiated later) and a goal was set to respond to climate change in the short and long term. To this end, a “red line” was established to avoid allowing the average global temperature to rise 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Procedurally, developed countries like the United States promised certain levels of funding so that the goals might be achievable for poorer countries. Methods of measurement were agreed upon and finally there were new agencies created under the auspices of the United Nations to help administer and monitor these goals”-- Provided by publisher.

Identifiers: LCCN 2021034359 (print) | LCCN 2021034360 (ebook) | ISBN 9781119635062 (paperback) | ISBN 9781119635093 (pdf) | ISBN 9781119635109 (epub)

Subjects: LCSH: Environmental ethics.

Classification: LCC GE42 E67 2022 (print) | LCC GE42 (ebook) | DDC 179/.1--dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021034359LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/202103436

Cover images: © David Merron/Getty Images

Cover design by Wiley

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For Seán

1 Cover

2 Title page Environmental Ethics Third Edition Edited by Michael Boylan

3 Copyright

4 Dedication

5 Notes on Contributors

6 Preface to the Third Edition

7 Source Credits

8 Companion Website

9 Part I Theoretical Background 1 Ethical Reasoning 2 What is ‘Nature,’ and Why Should We Care? 3 The Tragedy of the Commons 4 Worldview Arguments for Environmentalism A. The Land Ethic and Deep Ecology The Land EthicThe Shallow and the Deep, Long-Range Ecology Movement: A SummaryWhat Social Ecology? B. Eco-Feminism and Social Justice Ecofeminism and Feminist Theory The Power and the Promise of Ecological FeminismPatently Wrong: The Commercialization of Life Forms C.Aesthetics Aesthetics and the Value of NatureWorldview and the Value-Duty Link to Environmental Ethics 5 Anthropocentric Versus Biocentric Justifications A. Anthropocentric JustificationsHuman Rights and Future Generations Environmental Values, Anthropocentrism and Speciesism B. Biocentric Justifications Environmental Ethics: Values in and Duties to the Natural WorldRespect for Nature: A Theory of Environmental Ethics C. Searching the Middle Reconciling Anthropocentric and Nonanthropocentric Environmental EthicsOn the Reconciliation of Anthropocentric and Nonanthropocentric Environmental EthicsReconciliation Reaffirmed: A Reply to Steverson

10 Part II Applied Environmental Problems 6 Pollution and Climate Change A.Air and Water PollutionBlue WaterPolluting and UnpollutingMoral Valuation of Environmental Goods