Doing Environmental Ethics

by Traer,Robert

• ISBN13: 9780813347417
• ISBN10: 0813347416
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Nonspecific Binding
• Copyright: 2012-07-31
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

Doing Environmental Ethicsoffers a way to face our ecological crisis that draws on environmental science, economic theory, international law, and religious teachings, as well as philosophical arguments. It engages students in constructing ethical presumptions based on duty, character, relationships, and rights, and then tests these moral presumptions by predicting the likely consequences of acting on them. Students apply what they have learned to specific policy issues discussed in the final part of the book: sustainable consumption, environmental policy, clean air and water, agriculture, managing public lands, urban ecology, and climate change. Questions after each chapter and a worksheet aid readers in deciding how to live more responsibly as consumers and as citizens. The second edition has been updated throughout to reflect the latest developments in environmental ethics, including new coverage of sustainable practices of corporations, NGOs' environmental actions, and rainforest certification programs. This edition also incorporates more theory with new sections on social justice and environmental justice as well expanded coverage of ecofeminism. Revised study questions emphasize application and analysis, and new "Decisions" boxes, short exercises that allow students to evaluate current environmental issues, appear throughout the text.

Author Biography

Robert Traer holds a Ph.D. from the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California, a J.D. from the School of Law of the University of California at Davis, and a D.Min. from the Divinity School of the University of Chicago. He is a faculty member of the Dominican University of California. With Harlan Stelmach, he is coauthor of Doing Ethics in a Diverse World (Westview Press).

Table of Contents

Preface	p. ix
Acknowledgments	p. xiii
Ethics and Science
Moral Philosophy: An Adventure in Reasoning	p. 3
Right and Good	p. 4
Reasoning about Our Feelings	p. 7
Environmental Ethics	p. 11
Learning from Diverse Theories	p. 13
Doing Ethics Together	p. 16
Questions	p. 20
Ethics and Science: Moral Consideration	p. 21
What We Know and Can't Know	p. 22
An Evolving Theory of Evolution	p. 24
Ecosystems and Emergent Properties	p. 29
Ascribing Value to Nature	p. 33
Questions	p. 39
Ethics and Economics: The Common Good	p. 41
Invisible Hand?	p. 42
Economic and Ethical Issues	p. 43
Globalization and Economic Growth	p. 48
Green Economics	p. 54
Questions	p. 60
Constructing and Testing Ethical Presumptions
Duty: Nature and Future Generations	p. 63
Doing Our Duty	p. 63
Right Action	p. 67
Commanded by God: Jews and Muslims	p. 70
Government, Land and Property	p. 73
Applying the Golden Rule	p. 76
Animals, Species, Ecosystems, and Landscapes	p. 80
Questions	p. 82
Character: Ecological Virtues	p. 83
Being Good	p. 84
Children's Stories	p. 90
Christian Stewardship	p. 91
Virtues: Integrity, Gratitude, and Frugality	p. 97
Respecting and Appreciating Nature	p. 99
Questions	p. 102
Relationships: Empathy and Integrity	p. 103
Empathy Is Natural	p. 104
Culture and Human Nature	p. 106
Deep Ecology	p. 111
Ecofeminism: A Social Ecology	p. 114
Ecological Integrity	p. 120
Questions	p. 122
Rights: Humans and Animals?	p. 123
Human Rights Law	p. 124
Environmental Rights	p. 127
Animal Rights?	p. 131
A Rights Strategy	p. 138
Questions	p. 142
Consequences: Predicting the Future	p. 143
Utilitarianism	p. 143
Animal Suffering	p. 147
Cost-Benefit Analysis	p. 152
Biocentric Consequentialism	p. 155
Scientific Consequences	p. 159
Questions	p. 162
Worksheet	p. 163
Learning from Nature
Ecological Living: Sustainable Consumption	p. 169
Duty: To Reduce Our Consumption	p. 170
Character: Consumer Choices	p. 174
Relationships: Our Natural Community	p. 177
Rights: To a Healthy Environment	p. 181
Consequences: Sustainable Consumption	p. 184
Questions	p. 188
Environmental Policy: Governments, Corporations, NGOs	p. 189
Governments: International and US Policies	p. 189
Corporations: Sustainable Practices	p. 194
Nongovernmental Organizations (NGOs): Advocacy and Action	p. 200
Ethical Reasoning: Analysis	p. 206
Questions	p. 209
Air and Water: A Healthy Environment	p. 211
The Earths Atmosphere	p. 211
Air: Pollution and Greenhouse Gases	p. 212
Water: Quality and Scarcity	p. 218
Economic Predictions: Shortsighted	p. 225
Questions	p. 229
Agriculture: Land and Food	p. 231
Nature's Cycles	p. 232
Industrial Agriculture	p. 233
Poor Farmers	p. 240
Sustainable Farming	p. 243
Questions	p. 249
Public Land: Adaptive Management	p. 251
Conservationists versus Preservationists	p. 251
National Forests and Parks	p. 254
Restoring Deserts and Wetlands	p. 258
Rainforests	p. 261
Wildlife Reserves in Asia and Africa	p. 264
Ethical and Legal Presumptions	p. 268
Questions	p. 269
Urban Ecology: Building Green	p. 271
The Built Environment	p. 272
Transportation	p. 275
Water and Waste	p. 278
Sustainable Cities	p. 280
Environmental Justice	p. 282
Consequences	p. 285
Questions	p. 290
Climate Change: Global Warming	p. 293
The Carbon Cycle	p. 294
Responsibility	p. 295
Predicting Consequences	p. 300
Taking Action	p. 311
Questions	p. 314
Notes	p. 315
Bibliography	p. 367
Index	p. 375
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