International Society for Environmental Ethics Newsletter _____________________________________________________ Volume 20, No. 1 Winter 2009 _____________________________________________________ GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS Preview from the Editor: Please note that the bibliographic items listed toward the end of the ISEE Newsletter have been reorganized. The old section titled “Recent Articles and Books” has now been split into three separate sections. For ease of reference, new environmental philosophy books are listed in the first section titled “Recent Environmental Philosophy Books.” The second section is a new addition to the Newsletter: “Recent Articles in Environmental Philosophy Journals” tracks the contents of the six journals that focus on environmental philosophy. Everything else is listed in the third section titled “Other Recent Articles and Books.” Starting with this issue, there will now be more than “everything else” in each Winter issue of the ISEE Newsletter. In the new section titled “2008 Round-Up: Journal Neighbors of Environmental Philosophy,” the 2008 contents of ten different journals are listed. The Newsletter Editor agrees with Bob Frodeman’s claim that environmental challenges require interdisciplinary approaches to knowledge that might productively be drawn together by the field of environmental philosophy. Accordingly, the “2008 Round-Up” section contains the contents of journals in socialist ecology, conservation biology, environmental law, the theory and practice of sustainability, environmental history, environmental justice, environmental politics, environmental economics, environmental social sciences, and the experiences of nonhuman animals. It is the Newsletter Editor’s wish that this new section can make a small contribution toward more holistic environmental knowledge and practice. Astute readers will note that at 130 pages, this issue of the ISEE Newsletter is not short. Part of this is explained by the fact that the Newsletter now comes out only three times a year. The rest is explained by the contents of this issue, including the bibliographic items. James Griffith’s article on Brazilian environmental ethics is available for native readers of Portuguese, Spanish, and English. There are synopses of a number of conferences and seminars about global climate change, as well as Andrew Light’s blogs about the recent climate change talks in Poznań, Poland. Holmes Rolston provides a narrative of his recent trip to Taiwan. And for the musically inclined, there is a list of climate change and human impact on the environment songs. ISEE Membership: ISEE membership dues are now due annually by Earth Day (April 22nd) of each year. Please pay your 2009-2010 dues on time. You can either use the form on the last page of this Newsletter to mail a check to the ISEE Treasurer, or you can use PayPal with a credit card from the membership page of the ISEE website: <http://www.cep.unt.edu/iseememb.html>. Nominations for ISEE Officers Sought: At the end of 2009, Clare Palmer’s term as President of ISEE comes to an end. Emily Brady, currently Vice-President of the Society, will be her 1 successor. The ISEE is seeking nominations for persons to run for the three officer positions of Secretary, Treasurer, and Vice-President that will become vacant at the end of 2009. Descriptions of the responsibilities of the officers are available on request. The election will be held electronically in late April and early May. The Nominations Committee is currently recruiting for these positions. Please send suggestions for nominations (including self- nominations) for Vice-President, Treasurer, and/or Secretary to any member of the Nominations Committee by 15 March 2009. The Committee members are: Robin Attfield (<[email protected]>), Jennifer Everett (<[email protected]>), Ned Hettinger (<[email protected]>), and Christopher Preston (Chair) (<[email protected]>). The Nominations Committee will be responsible for choosing a slate of candidates for the election. In addition to the officer positions, ISEE is also recruiting for future members of the Nominations Committee. Please contact any of the above if you are willing to stand for a position on this Committee. Ronald Hepburn died on 23 December 2008: Hepburn was long a professor of philosophy at the University of Edinburgh. In environmental circles, he was best known for his classic “Aesthetic Appreciation of Nature,” (Harold Osborne, ed., Aesthetics in the Modern World, New York: Weybright and Talley, 1968), which triggered a resurgence of interest in environmental aesthetics, contrasting it with an aesthetics of artifacts. He remained a pivotal figure in the field for over four decades. Many of his papers are gathered into his The Reach of the Aesthetic: Collected Essays on Art and Nature (Aldershot: Ashgate, 2001). He was active until his death, completing a paper for the 7th International Conference on Environmental Aesthetics in Finland (26-28 March 2009), which will be read there by Emily Brady (University of Edinburgh). Call for Papers: Sixth Annual Joint Meeting on Environmental Philosophy, 16-19 June 2009, Allenspark, Colorado, sponsored by the International Society for Environmental Ethics, the International Association for Environmental Philosophy, and the University of North Texas: The sixth annual meeting bringing together the environmental philosophy community will take place from 16-19 June 2009 at the Highlands Center, on the border of Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. This is a recently constructed retreat center that is approximately 8,500 feet above sea level (2,591 meters) and that offers extensive hiking opportunities. Sessions will take a variety of formats. This call is for proposals of the following kinds: (1) General Session Papers: Abstracts need to be submitted by 15 February 2009; full papers need to be available to be placed online by 15 May 2009. Paper proposals are welcomed from all philosophical traditions, and in environmental philosophy broadly conceived (not just environmental ethics). (2) Themed Sessions: Suggestions for themed sessions are encouraged, including poster sessions or sessions emphasizing socially engaged philosophic activities. (3) Commentators: We particularly welcome offers to give 15 minutes of comments on general, themed, or plenary session papers. Commentators are asked to summarize key points of the papers on which they are commenting, as well as offering critical/constructive thoughts on them. We will try to match commentators with papers in their field of interest, so please indicate what these are when offering to comment. (4) Session Chairs: All sessions are highly participatory, and chairs actively facilitate the discussion. Alongside these sessions there will be one plenary session with a paper given by a leading figure in the field. Offers of assistance with organizing group walks and suggestions relating to other aspects of the conference would also be very welcome. Please submit abstracts (not full papers!) of up to 1 page in length by 15 2 February 2009. Acceptances will be announced by 15 March 2009. Full papers must be ready for distribution on the web by 15 May 2009. Send abstracts, proposals, or expressions of your willingness to comment or chair via email to: (1) Clare Palmer (Washington University in St. Louis) at: <[email protected]>, or Robert Frodeman (University of North Texas) at: <[email protected]>. We have reserved 24 rooms, each of which comfortably house between two and four guests. Rooms are available at the Highlands Center ranging from $110 (single or double) for the first night, then $70 for subsequent nights; for four people the rates are $140 the first night/$100 for subsequent nights (see <http://www.highlandscamp.org/retreat_center.htm> for further information). In addition, camping facilities and other housing options are available nearby. There will be free time in the course of the conference to enable conversation and hiking. Our hope is to attract a broad cross-section of the environmental philosophy community, including graduate students. ISEE Group Sessions at the American Philosophical Association, Central Division Meeting, Palmer House Hilton, Chicago, Illinois, 18-21 February 2008: Thursday, 19 February, 1715-1915 Topic: Flourishing in a Changing World Chair: Jason Kawall (Colgate University) Speakers: 1. Allen Thompson (Clemson University) “Radical Hope for Living Well in a New and Warmer World” Commentator: Kathryn Norlock (St. Mary’s College of Maryland) 2. Baylor Johnson (St. Lawrence University) “Reduced Consumption and a Theory of Needs” Commentator: Keith Bustos (University of Bern) Saturday, 21 February, 1215-1415 Chair: Ronald Sandler (Northeastern University) Speakers: 1. Derek Turner and Simon Feldman (Connecticut College) “Why not NIMBY?” Commentator: Brett Werner (University of Minnesota) 2. Sarah Wright (University of Georgia) “The Value of Beta Diversity” Commentator: Daniel Milsky (Northeastern Illinois University) ISEE Nominations Committee Member Jennifer Everett is a New Mother: Jennifer Everett and Rich Cameron (both at DePauw University) are new parents to Clara Cameron Everett, who was born on 7 December 2008! To see the birth announcement and baby pictures, visit: <http://www.flickr.com/photos/afrjc/3134720070/in/set-72157611037149320/>. Invitation to Join the Association for Environmental Studies and Sciences: Faculty, students, and education-minded environmental professionals are encouraged to join the newly