Environmental ethics today

Abstract

Preface Acknowledgments INTRODUCTION What Is Environmental Ethics? Enviromental Ethics Under Attack Disturbing Trends in Human Health Future Generations World Trade Population Growth and Obligations to the World's Poor Obligations to Nonhumans Preview of Chapters PART I: ANTHROPOCENTRISM 1. OVERPOPULATION, MARKETS, AND HUMAN RIGHTS Overpopulation and Scarcity What Are Free Markets? Cornucopian Economics The Tragedy of the Commons Public Goods, Externalities, and Government Coercion Trading Pollution Permits A Market Approach to Overpopulation Lifeboat Ethics Psychological Egoism and the Possibility of Sharing Human Rights 2. ENERGY, ECONOMICS, AND FUTURE GENERATIONS Global Warming and Future Generations Human Rights and the Futurity Problem Fair Contracts and Future Generations Environmental Tradeoffs and Cost-Benefit Analysis CBA and Increasing Scarcity CBA and Political Equality CBA and Future Generations 3. COMPETING HUMAN-CENTERED VALUES Environmental Hazards in the Third World How Much Money Is a Human Life Worth? Should Prostitution Be Legalized? Non-economic vs. Economic Anthropocentrism Aesthetic Values National Heritage Transformative Values and Future Generations Moral Pluralism Moral Relativism PART II: NONANTHROPOCENTRISM 4. ANIMAL LIBERATION AND UTILITARIANISM Cruelty to Animals Utilitarianism Speciesism Animal Husbandry Vegetarianism Rodeos and Bullfights The Replacement Argument Against Hedonism Preference Utilitarianism 5. ANIMAL RIGHTS AND MEDICAL RESEARCH Introduction The Nature of Rights Immortal Souls and Rights Language, Abstract Thinking, and Rights Moral Personality and Rights Contracts and Rights An Animal's Right to Life The Benefits of Experiments on Animals Animal Rights vs. Animal Research Limited Animal Rights in Reflective Equilibrium Animal Research in Reflective Equilibrium 6. SPECIES DIVERSITY AND GAIA Massive Extinction of Species Causes of Extinction Why Do We Protect Endangered Species? Animal Rights vs. Species Preservation Species as Individual Living Things The Gaia Hypothesis From Science to Metaphor Metaphors and Moral Implications Mechanical and Organic Metaphors for Nature 7. THE LAND ETHIC Hunting Animals to Preserve Ecosystems The Nature of Ecosystems Does Hunting Help or Hurt Ecosystems? Why Value Ecosystems? Conflicting Moral Commitments Tigers and Elephants in the Third World PART III: ENVIRONMENTAL SYNERGISM 8. HUMAN RIGHTS, AGRICULTURE, AND BIODIVERSITY Poverty, Efficiency, and Human Rights Environmental Synergism The Benefits of High-tech Agriculture Specialization Leads to Preoccupation with Money Fouling Our Own Nest Sustainability Problems The Green Revolution Biodiversity and Human Welfare Anthropocentrism or Synergism? 9. ECOFEMINISM AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE From Feminism to Ecogeminism Women as Subordinate Indigenous People as Subordinate Nature as Subordinate Women and Nature Subordination of Minorities Encourages Pollution Subordination of Women, Environmental Degradation, and Overpopulation Subordination of Native Peoples Reduces Biodiversity 10. RELIGION AND NATURE Should People Play God? The Master Interpretation of Christianity Hermeneutics and the Constitution Hermeneutics and the Bible Narratives, Grand Narratives, and Worldviews Naess' Deep Ecology Native American Religions The Stewardship Interpretation of Christianity The Citizenship Interpretation of Christianity PART IV: APPLICATIONS 11. PERSONAL CHOICES, CONSUMERISM, AND HUMAN NATURE Consumerism vs. Synergism Justifications of Economic Growth High Consumption and Human Welfare Marketing Discontent Extrinsic Motivations and Their Limits Some Instrinsic Motivations Looking for Love Your Money or Your Life 12. PUBLIC POLICIES, EFFICIENCY, AND GLOBALIZATION The Need for Collective Action Subsidizing Inefficiency More Efficient Transportation Agricultural Politics Corporate Welfare and Campaign Finance Reform The Promise of Globalization Globalization and Human Misery The World Trade Organization, Environmental Protection, and Democracy Each chapter ends with a section on Judgment Calls FINAL REFLECTIONS-IS OPTIMISM JUSTIFIED? Conflicting Trends Fragmenting Societies We Are the World Value Nature and Limit Human Power GLOSSARY