Vol. 8 No. 9 (September 1998) pp. 359.

LAW AND THE ENVIRONMENT: A MULTIDISCIPLINARY READER edited by Robert V. Percival and Dorothy C. Alevizatos. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1997. 439 pp. Cloth $69.95, ISBN 1-56639-523-2. Paper $29.95, ISBN 1-56639-524-0.

Reviewed by Rosemary O'Leary, Maxwell Graduate School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University. Email : OLEARYR@spea.spea.indiana.edu.

 
It was a delight to read LAW AND THE ENVIRONMENT: A MULTIDIS-CIPLINARY READER, edited by Robert V. Percival and Dorothy C. Alevizatos. The reader emphasizes the very important point that to truly understand environmental law and policy, one must examine issues from a multitude of perspectives. These perspectives include, but are not limited to: the historical perspective, the economic perspective, the legal perspective, the political perspective, the scientific/technical perspective, the ethical perspective, and the sociological perspective. Each of these perspectives is presented in the book through reprints of classic articles by some of environmental law and policy's great thinkers. Examples of authors represented in the book include: Edward Abbey, Bruce A. Ackerman, Robert D. Bullard, Lynton K. Caldwell, Herman Daly, David Doniger, Aldo Leopold, Thomas O. McGarity, Roderick Nash, William D. Ruckelshaus, Mark Sagoff, Joseph L. Sax, Sidney A. Shapiro, Richard B. Stewart, Christopher D. Stone, A. Dan Tarlock, and Al Gore.

Part I examines how scholars in ecology, economics, and ethics analyze environmental problems and why they support collective action to respond to them. Part II examines the history and present state of environmental law, from early attempts to engage the government to the current debate over the effectiveness of environmental policy. Part III explores the process by which environmental law gets translated into regulatory policy. Part IV considers the future of environmental law at a time when international environmental concerns have become a major force in global diplomacy and international trade agreements.

While the book would be strengthened by an overarching introductory chapter and a broad concluding chapter that tie together the multidisciplinary themes, it is nonetheless a welcome addition to the literature. It is well-edited and easy to read, making it a natural for both graduate and advanced undergraduate courses on environmental law or environmental policy.


Copyright 1998