Environmental Dilemmas: Ethics and Decisions

ISBN-13: 9789401737579 / Angielski / Miękka / 2013 / 271 str.

R. J. Berry

Opis

This is a book by people who have had to make decisions which affect the environment in which we all live, decisions which sometimes affect the quality of life of millions. It is not an academic disquisition on how to approach decision-making. Most of the chapters are written by scientists who have had to take action or make recommendations on environmental matters in situations where the data are incomplete or choices hedged by factors beyond scientific resolution; the result is that they have had to resolve dilemmas about the proper way forward in the matter. My brief to the authors was to describe issues with which they had been personally concerned, rather than simply select from the vast range of envir- mental problems 'out there'. The only exception to this was Andrew Brennan (Chapter 1), who is a professional philosopher; I asked him to say something about the processes and errors indulged by environmental decision-makers. There is some overlap between chapters, but this is not extensive. I have made no attempt to eliminate it, because the aim has been to present personal points of view, not a systematic account of environmental problems. Similarly, there are important topics which are not covered. Indeed, a critic would complain that a book on environmental dilemmas which does not deal directly with the crucial divide between development and conservation is almost wholly irrelevant; from one point of view, it could be condemned as fiddling while Rome burns.

Recenzje

Thought provoking - ntegral Environmental Management; All of the chapters are well written - Environmental Policy and Practice; ... The appearance of a book which claims to shed light on some of these issues is to be welcomed. ECOS; ...this book is an important addition to the 'environmental' literature - Journal of Environmental Studies; This book will enlighten readers ...This set of essays is broad and deep...The authors provide rich techical and scientific detail, and are especially good at highlighting what they view as central ethical dilemmas... - The Quarterly Review of Biology; This set of essays is broad and deep. Each author writes from a position of authority. . . . The book does an especially good job of presenting the range of different positions, values and attitudes that emerge in environmental disputes, and the roles played by different groups. . . . The authors provide rich scientific detail, and are especially good at highlighting what they view as central ethical dilemmas, and the difficulty of reconciling the perspectives of science with those of planning and public policy. The essays may be particularly helpful for graduate students and others in the sciences who are likely to confront similar dilemmas in their careers |o The Quarterly Review of Biology |d June 1994; Thought provoking - Integral Environmental Management

Spis treści

Preface - R J Berry; Environmental decision-making - A A Brenan; Environmental attitudes in North America - F B Golley; Environmental attitudes in Germany: on the transfer of scientific information into political action - W Haber; Case study: air quality - T M Roberts and J Sheail; Case study: the history and ethics of clean air - P Brimblecombe and F M Nicholas; Case study: nuclear power -L E J Roberts; Case study: agricultural plenty-more or less farming for the environment? - B H Green; Case study: farm animals - R Harrison; Case study: lowland wetland conservation - B Moss; Case study: nature conservation - a Scottish memoir - J M Boyd; Case study: research - O W Heal; Case study: economics - the challenge of integrated pollution control - R K Turner and J Powell; Case study: industry - G Wyburd; Case study: the government sector - D A Everest; Environmental concern - R J Berry; Index