philosophy ( ethics )- Homework

The Ethics of Climate Change

Example presentation for Ethics: PHIL 201

Climate Change • In the past 50 years there has been a considerable

increase in the global temperature. This increase in temperature is the result of many practices that arose during industrialization—most notably the use of aerosols, the burning of fossil fuels, and industrial farming.

• There is a consensus in the scientific community that climate change is real, it is the result of human activity, and that there is a high probability of sever consequences as a result of this upward shift in global temperature.

Climate Change Impacts • As a result of a rapidly increasing temperature, many other changes to

the environment will occur. Among the most troubling are the following:

1. Rise in sea level.

2. Increase in erratic and heavy precipitation.

3. Increase in desertification, which is made more severe by farming practices.

4. Instability in vegetation cover and ecosystems.

5. Decrease in ice-cover, melting of permafrost and receding glaciers.

6. Flooding, and more extreme weather events.

Impacts on Humans • As a result of the various climatic changes that will result from the rise in global

temperature, there will be many impacts on human practices and society. Among the most troubling are the following:

1. Rising sea levels will leave to costal areas being inundated by flooding. Some island are only a few feet above sea level, and these island will most likely disappear entirely. Millions of people live in these areas, and will be without a home (climate refugees).

2. More extreme weather events will lead to more disasters, that result in ruin and harm and death.

3. Desertification, and less frequent precipitation means that food systems will be in jeopardy, as growing foods requires a stable climate, accessible and dependent fresh water sources and healthy soil.

4. Additionally, violence and war will likely increase on a global scale as resources will become more scarce and certain populations will be left to struggle and fend for themselves.

Impacts on Other Organisms

• Already it has been documented that the sixth great extinction is underway. More species are going extinct, and more rapidly, than in any other documented point in human history.

• Entire ecosystems are being ruined to continue the practices that have resulted in the increased temperature. The Great Barrier Reef was recently determined to be undergoing the largest bleaching event in history—which is essentially death of the coral that are the keystone species in these ecosystems. AS a result of the coral dying, all species in the ecosystem are damaged.

• The environmental as a whole is rapidly changing to be inhabitable to more and more of the life that evolved.

Ethical Considerations • Suffering and harm to others.

• Autonomy and freedom concerns.

• Death: the indirect result of human action.

• Inequality: will become more pervasive, as the gap between first and third world countries will likely expand.

• Unjust distribution of resources.

• Questions of responsibility.

Deontological Considerations

• From a deontological perspective, the strongest issues are related to the concepts of justice, equality, fairness and autonomy. There are questions about the just distribution of resources, and the equal treatment of individuals on a global level considering the problems that will come as a result of climate change.

• There are also considerations related to the normative principles of do not harm, and prevent harm. If we take seriously these considerations, this places obligations on some first world countries who have resources to prevent harm in locations in which there is a high risk of catastrophe related to climate change.

Utilitarian Considerations • Utilitarians are going to be concerned with identifying

the actions that can create the most utility in the face of climate change.

• Given what type of pain or happiness you take into account as a utilitarian, this might include considerations of actions that have consequences for ecosystems and non-human animals.

• The utilitarian is going to want to determine the best way to ameliorate the suffering of individuals and communities that will be impacted by climate change.

Peter Singer “One Atmosphere”

• Using the greatest happiness principle, how can solve the moral issue of distributing energy emissions in the future to ensure fairness?

• The greatest overall happiness goal might support distribution of more units to the worse off because of decreasing marginal utilities.

• Would also likely consider extra hardships of people in certain locations—like Canada, who need greater energy use for comfort. This is because in order for their happiness to be greatest, they will need extra resources than an individual living in less harsh conditions.

• Rich countries should bear most of the burden, if not all of it if we are to be consistent with utilitarian principles. Rich nations have lower populations but are use much more energy than other nations. Even so, a cut in their energy shares will not likely lead to a severe decrease in happiness, and distributing those resources to those in need of basic amenities has more utility.

• Solution: to support equal per capita future entitlements to a share of the atmosphere that is tied to the projected population of 2050. This is a result of using the greatest happiness principle to solve the above dilemma.

Against Geoengineering “Ongoing global warming is the result of inadvertent climate modification. Humans emit carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases to heat and cool their homes; to grow, transport, and cook their food; to run their factories; and to travel—not intentionally, but as a by-product of fossil fuel combustion. But now that humans are aware of their effect on climate, do they have a moral right to continue emitting greenhouse gases? Similarly, since scientists know that stratospheric aerosol injection, for example, might impact the ecosphere, do humans have a right to plow ahead regardless? There’s no global agency to require an environmental impact statement for geoengineering. So, how should humans judge how much climate control they may try?” From Alan Robok (http://climate.envsci.rutgers.edu/pdf/20Reasons.pdf)

The Earth is 4.6 billion years old. Let’s scale that to 46 years. We have been here for 4 hours. Our industrial revolution began 1 minute ago. In that time, we have

destroyed more than 50 percent of the world’s forests.

Video on Climate Science “Debate”

John Oliver and Bill Nye on Climate Change

• And because John Oliver says no discussion of climate change is incomplete without a picture of a polar bear…