Environmental Thought

Since the early 1980s there has been an explosive growth in research into environmental issues from a social science perspective. Ecological economics, in particular, has emerged as a true transdiscipline which seeks to conceptualize environmental concerns, thus allowing for the formulation of appropriate policy measures. This volume takes stock of this emerging body of work and offers an authoritative insight into current environmental thought. The book is divided into three broad sections: Disciplinary Approaches, Concepts and Issues. The first section reviews the state of environmental thinking in the diverse fields of philosophy, politics, sociology, economics and law. The concepts addressed include the precautionary principle, sustainable development, environmental security and ecological modernization. The last section assesses a range of crucial environmental issues such as consumption, biodiversity, global climate change and population.