Since the 1960s there has been a growing recognition that there is an environmental crisis. The solution to this problem cannot be purely technical or engineering based. A new environmental ethic is needed that promotes an ecocentric approach to the environment. However, there are some schools of thought which argue that existing ethics are adequate to deal with environmental problems. This paper first considers and critiques some of these views and points out why they fall short. It then develops the basis and broad outlines of an ecocentric environmental ethic.
