Table of Contents

Philosophical Foundations of Environmentalism. General Philosophical Ideas and Concepts. Neoclassical Economics. The Range of Philosophical Concepts in Environmental Ethics. Historical Foundations of Environmentalism. Pre-American Attitudes about the Natural Environment. The Enlightenment and the American Founders. The Nineteenth Century. The Twentieth Century. Modern Environmental Politics. Environmental Interest Groups. Modern Sustainability. Conclusion: Where Do We Go From Here?

About the Author

J. Michael Martinez began his career in the private practice of law. He later earned a Ph.D. in political science and a second Ph.D. in public administration. Martinez’s scholarly work has appeared in numerous academic publications, including Administration & Society; The American Review of Public Administration; The Georgia Historical Quarterly; The Journal of Environment & Development; The Journal of Medicine and Philosophy; The Journal of Policy History; Nonprofit Management & Leadership; Politics & Policy; and The South Dakota Law Review, among others. He also has co-edited and contributed chapters to three academic texts: Ethics and Character: The Pursuit of Democratic Virtues (Carolina Academic Press, 1998); Confederate Symbols in the Contemporary South (University Press of Florida, 2000); and The Leviathan’s Choice: Capital Punishment in the Twenty-first Century (Rowman & Littlefield, 2002). He has written three books on Southern history: Life and Death in Civil War Prisons (Rutledge Hill Press, 2004), a selection of the History Book Club; Carpetbaggers, Cavalry, and the Ku Klux Klan: Exposing the Invisible Empire During Reconstruction ( Rowman & Littlefield, 2007); and Coming for to Carry Me Home: Race in America from Abolitionism to Jim Crow (Rowman & Littlefield, 2012). His other books include Administrative Ethics in the Twenty-first Century (with William D. Richardson; Peter Lang Publishers, 2008), Public Administration Ethics for the Twenty-first Century (Praeger, 2009), and Terrorist Attacks on American Soil: From the Civil War Era to the Present (Rowman & Littlefield, 2012).

Since 1992, Martinez has worked in the Government Affairs & Environment Department at Dart Container Corporation, a leading manufacturer of disposable foodservice products. During the 1990s, he taught political science at Georgia State University and environmental law at Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School. He now teaches political science, criminal justice, and public administration courses as a part-time faculty member at Kennesaw State University, the University of South Dakota, and the University of Georgia, respectively. From 1988 until 1992, he was on the staff of the Southern States Energy Board, a non-profit interstate compact organization that researches energy and environmental laws and regulations

Reviews

"American Environmentalism thoughtfully explores the many balances and policies that have guided environmentalists throughout our country’s history. J. Michael Martinez tells us that ‘tradeoffs’ and ‘accommodations’ are not dirty words; they permit new solutions to new problems as America continues to trace progress."
—Matthew M. McKenna, President and Chief Executive Officer, Keep America Beautiful, Inc.

"This sweeping introduction to American environmentalism presents its salient historical and philosophical features in an insightful overview that displays its continuity over centuries."
—Mark Sagoff, Ph.D., Professor of Philosophy, Director of the Institute for Philosophy and Public Policy, George Mason University, and author of The Economy of the Earth: Philosophy, Law, and the Environment, Second Edition

"American Environmentalism is a fascinating review of the history of the environmental movement. Martinez’s inspired use of intellectual tools like critical thinking, systems analysis, and the scientific method set this book apart and make it a must read for legislators, the media, and others who are seriously interested in understanding and solving our biggest environmental dilemmas."
—Robert Lilienfeld, editor of The ULS Report and co-author (with William L. Rathje) of Use Less Stuff: Environmental Solutions for Who We Really Are"Martinez clearly grasps the impact of American environmentalism that is changing our world. As we all encounter the many aspects of the environmental movement impacting our businesses, make sure you access his keen thinking and analysis."
—William R. Carteaux, President and Chief Executive Officer, SPI: The Plastics Industry Trade Association