Writing in a conversational tone, DesJardins (St. John's University) introduces students to philosophical issues surrounding environmental and ecological controversies. Two initial chapters introduce the relevance of philosophy for environmental concerns and review some traditional ethical theories and principles. The next three chapters survey applied ethics models and describe attempts to extend moral standing to such things as individual animals, future generation, and natural objects. The book's final seven chapters examine environmental and ecological philosophies in more detail, covering biocentrism, ecocentrism, deep ecology, environmental justice, the wilderness ideal, and ecofeminism. Each chapter begins with a real-life modern case or a contemporary controversy. Discussion questions help students see the need for addressing philosophical issues and encourage them to develop their own environmental positions. This fifth edition offers new material and cases on areas such as global climate change, the BP oil spill, synthetic biology, hunting, and carbon mitigation. Annotation ©2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)