The Common Good and Ecological Integrity

Proponents of the concept of ecological integrity argue that it is a necessary component of global governance on which the sustainable future of the planet and its inhabitants depends. This book presents the latest research and current thinking on the role of ecological integrity in support of life on Earth and the importance of governance for the common good, or the benefit of all. The book considers whether present forms of governance support the common good, or whether they are endangering its very foundations. It explores the connection between consumerism and capitalism, the destruction of natural resources and with it, the elimination of many of the ecosystem services that support life in general, and human life in particular. Chapters focus on the defence of human rights, and in particular the rights to key resources such as food, water and general health/wellbeing, as well as energy and security. Topics covered include climate change, biodiversity, migration and conflict resolution, with approaches from various perspectives such as politics, ethics, sociology and law. Overall the book provides a stimulating insight into the multifaceted debates surrounding ecological integrity, global governance and sustainability.

Laura Westra is Professor Emerita (Philosophy), University of Windsor, Canada, and Sessional Instructor at the Faculty of Law, University of Milano (Bicocca), Italy. Janice Gray is Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Law and an Affiliate of the Connected Waters Initiative Research Centre at University of New South Wales, Australia. She is also a Visiting Scholar at the Centre for Socio-Legal Studies, University of Oxford, and Queen Mary University of London, UK. Antonio D'Aloia is Professor of Constitutional Law at the Faculty of Law, University of Parma, Italy.

Introduction: The Common Good and the June 18, 2015 Papal Encyclical Laura Westra and Janice Gray Part 1: The Common Good and the Right to Food and Water 1. Bioeconomy: A Challenge to Integrity? Franz-Theo Gottwald 2. Soil as a Key to Food Security: Social Perception of Soil Erosion in the Czech Republic: A Case Study Eva Cudlinová, Jan Vávra, Miloslav Lapka 3. Czech Water Footprint in the European Context TomáS Hák, Petra Nováková, Pavel Cudlín 4. Food Wars: Food, Intangible Cultural Heritage and International Trade Valentina Vadi 5. The Right to Food Between Food Security and Food Sovereignty: Different Perspectives of the Battle Against GMOs Mery Ciacci 6. Genetically Modified Crops and their Impact on the Environment: Creating a Win-Win for Science and Nature with a Deontological Legal Framework Ngozi Stewart 7. The Water-Energy Nexus: The Role of Water Law Joseph W. Dellapenna Part 2: The Common Good, Climate Change and the Right to Health 8. Lessons Learned From Climate Change on the Need to Fix Responsibility in Governments, Scientific Environmental Organizations, and Environmental NGOs for Applied Ethical Analyses Donald A. Brown 9. Climate Change Challenges in Law and Ethics: Can Individual and Collective Rights be Protected? Kathleen Mahoney 10. David vs. Goliath: Voluntary Professional Societies of Epidemiology and the Industrial Juggernaut Colin L. Soskolne 11. Some Considerations on the Role of the Security Council in Facing the Ebola Outbreak Sabrina Urbinati 12. Human Security in Conflict and Disaster: Ukraine at War John Quinn, Tomas Zeleny and Vladimir Bencko Part 3: The Common Good and Democracy for Environmental Governance 13. War, Militarism and Climate Change: Time to Connect the Dots Sheila D. Collins 14. The Canadian Government's Anti-Democratic Attack on Asylum Seekers Anne Venton 15. Climate Induced Migration: What Legal Protection for Climate Migrants at the International Level? Francesca Mussi 16. Democratic Capitalism for Realizing the Earth Charter Vision Peter Venton 17. Constitution and Future Generations: A New Challenge for Law's Theory Antonio d'Aloia 18. The Need for a New Regulatory Approach for the Promotion of Ecological Sustainability Massimiliano Montini and Francesca Volpe 19. Migration with Dignity for Climate Justice: The Situation of Small Island Developing States Susana Borràs 20. Weapons of Mass Distraction Rose A. Dyson Conclusion: Governing the Commons: Can States Be Trustees? Klaus Bosselmann