PHL273H1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Kyoto Protocol, Emissions Trading, Division Of Property
Document Summary
Standard assumptions: global warming is occurring, humans are causing it, consequences for humans are bad. Increased economic damage, loss of life from extreme weather events: spread of tropical diseases, changes in food production globally, rich countries likely can adapt to changes without much human loss, poorer countries will find it much harder. Changes force us to reconsider moral thinking on certain issues: value system evolved in circumstances where atmosphere and oceans seemed like an unlimited resources. Problem: the ability of the atmosphere to absorb greenhouse gases is limited and it"s a shared resources: main question: whats fair way of allocating this resources, going forward, given the fact that we"ve already overused this resource significantly. "the present global distribution of wealth is a result of the wrongful expropriation by a small fraction of world"s population of a resource that belongs to all human beings" Justifies compensation/rectification, take responsibility for fixing the problem.
