This book is concerned with the question of why the environment is protected in the international arena. This question is rarely asked because it is assumed we all want to achieve the same ends. However, in his innovative study of international environmental ethics, Alexander Gillespie explodes this myth. He shows how nations, like individuals, are creating environmental laws and policies which are continually inviting failure since such laws are riddled with inconsistencies and are ultimately contradictory in purpose. Specifically, he seeks a nexus between the reasons why nations protect the environment, how these reasons are reflected in law and policy, and what complications arise from these choices.

Author Biography

Alexander Gillespie is a lecturer in law at the University of Waikato in New Zealand.