Ecosystems have been compared to a house of cards: remove or damage a part, and you risk destroying or fundamentally and irreversibly altering the whole. Protecting ecological integrity means maintaining that whole dominating influence of humanity. This book, from the Global Ecological Integrity Group, is the definitive examination of the state of the field now, and the way things may (and must) develop in the future.

Written and edited by an international collection of the world’s most respected authorities in the area, the book considers the extent to which human rights—such as the right to food, energy, health, clean air or water—can be reconciled with the principles of ecological integrity. The issue is approached from a variety of economic, legal, ethical and ecological standpoints, providing an essential resource for researchers, students and those in government or business in a wide range of disciplines. It ends with a declaration of the principles the authors believe we must adopt if we are to avoid the destruction that is otherwise envisaged.