The Moral Challenge of Dangerous Climate Change
Values, Poverty, and Policy

This book examines the threat that climate change poses to the projects of poverty eradication, sustainable development, and biodiversity preservation.

Darrel Moellendorf (Author)

9781107017306, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 14 April 2014

276 pages, 3 b/w illus. 1 table
23.1 x 15 x 2 cm, 0.54 kg

'This book provides a timely challenge to current trends in decision making frameworks for climate change policies … The text provides an argumentative arsenal for the case that the sense of 'urgency' related to climate change does not automatically justify reduced consideration of moral starting points, but rather, such moral perspectives may be the most practical means of determining what we can and cannot do in relation to future climate change policies.' Phil Johnstone, Journal of International Development

This book examines the threat that climate change poses to projects of poverty eradication, sustainable development, and biodiversity preservation. It discusses the values that support these projects and evaluates the normative bases of climate change policy. It regards climate change policy as a public problem that normative philosophy can shed light on and assumes that the development of policy should be based on values regarding what is important to respect, preserve, and protect. What sort of policy do we owe the poor of the world who are particularly vulnerable to climate change? Why should our generation take on the burden of mitigating climate change caused, in no small part, by emissions from people now dead? What value is lost when species go extinct, because of climate change? This book presents a broad and inclusive discussion of climate change policy, relevant to those with interests in public policy, development studies, environmental studies, political theory, and moral and political philosophy.

1. Danger, poverty, and human dignity
2. The value of biodiversity
3. Risks, uncertainties, and precaution
4. Discounting and the future and the morality in climate change economics
5. The right to sustainable development
6. Responsibility and climate change policy
7. Urgency and policy
Afterword. Frankenstorms
Appendix 1. The anti-poverty principle and the non-identity problem
Appendix 2. Climate change and the human rights of future persons: assessing four philosophical challenges.

Subject Areas: Environmental science, engineering & technology [TQ], Social impact of environmental issues [RNT], Conservation of the environment [RNK], Applied ecology [RNC], Environment law [LNKJ], International environmental law [LBBP], Law [L], Environmental economics [KCN]