The author attempts to combine tools of political philosophy with questions of environmental ethics and politics. He defends a radical position in relation to environmental protection and social policies in order to put forward a political theory.

Why is there a gap between the questions that environmental philosophers discuss and the issues that motivate environmental activists? The author attempts to bridge this gap by combining tools of political philosophy with questions of environmental ethics and politics. He defends a radical position in relations to environmental protection and social policies in order to put forward a political theory, which is not only philosophically sound, but also relevant to the practice of environmental activism. He argues that attempts to find 'independent' values in nature can be at odds with the contemporary political debates surrounding environmental politics. In the second half of the book, the author examines the environmental scope of several key political ideologies: liberalism, communitarianism, participatory democracy, and socialism.

Introduction
PART I: WHY HASN'T ENVIRONMENTAL PHILOSOPHY HAD AN IMPACT ON POLICIES?
1. The social role of the philosopher and the philosophical role of society
2. Where philosophy meets politics: the concept of the environment
PART II: PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT: FROM META-ETHICS TO POLITICAL THEORY
3. Is liberalism environment friendly?
4. The community of nature and the nature of community
5. Democracy and the environment: a radical theory of participation
6. Socialism and the environment
Summary: from theory to practice