The talks’ thesis is a double one. First, the many excuses for the lack of the United States’ serious response are ethically unsupportable no matter what the ethical method of analysis. Second, making the ethical dimensions of climate change more explicit is the key to moving forward on this enormous problem.
The talk will review arguments frequently made in opposition to United State action on global warming through an ethical lens, including those United States positions recently made at the Hague negotiations. The talk will review the ethical dimensions of arguments based upon:
- Scientific uncertainty;
- The developing world must meaningfully participate before the United States agrees to reduce its emissions;
- The United States use of cost-benefit analysis of global warming programs;
- The United States insistence on full use of Kyoto “flexibility” mechanisms including three trading mechanisms and sinks.
The talk will show why these arguments fail to withstand minimum ethical scrutiny. In fact it will be argued that although ethicists and theologians have often been preoccupied with metaethical questions, the world does not need a new ethical consensus to conclude that the United States position on global warming has been ethically unsupportable.
The talk will also identify important ethical questions the United States will need to face to reach a much needed global solution including:
- A equitably based national allocation of greenhouse gas emission levels;
- An atmospheric stabilization goal;
- Who should pay for the inevitable damage that will be caused by global warming.
The United States is by far the most important actor in ongoing international climate negotiations. It both emits far more greenhouse gases and exerts more power than any other nation. It is also better situated financially to do something about global warming than most nations. Because, as the presentation will seek to make clear, understanding of the ethical issues entailed by global warming is a key to moving forward in international negotiations, the talk will seek to point the way to more effective international negotiations.
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