New Books by Professor Robin Attfield

Emeritus Professor Robin Attfield, based here in the Sustainable Places Research Institute has recently published two new books.  

Robin Attfield, a Sustainable Places Affiliate, is a leading academic in the field of Environmental Ethics and Philosophy having published book in this area since its inception. Robin's research concerns ethics, philosophy of religion, history of ideas and environmental philosophy. 

In 2014, Robin Attfield published the 2nd Edition of Environmental Ethics: An overview of the 21st century. This is a comprehensive revised and up-to-date introduction to environmental ethics, which addresses and debates the key issues in this field. The book introduces environmental problems and environmental ethics and surveys theories of the sources of the problems. The revised edition features a new chapter on climate change, new treatments of animal issues, ecofeminism, environmental aesthetics, invasion biology and virtue ethics, and new applications of the precautionary principle to fisheries, genetic engineering and synthetic biology. 

Robin's most recent book from February 2015 entitled "The Ethics of the Global Environment" concerns itself with the ethical principles and concepts relating to the environment: nature, resources and the planet. This is placed in the context of ethical theory, and consideration is given to the way these values have transformed received ethical traditions. Issues include the intrinsic value of nonhuman species, obligations to future generations, and the aesthetic needs of humanity. Both the universal responsibilities and their application are investigated. The international responsibilities to the planet are seen in the context of some of the most alarming future scenarios: limited access to water, the changing global climate, population explosion, the destruction of ecosystems, and even the extinction of humanity.