Ethics and Climate Change (ENVIR/PHIL 416)

ENVIR/PHIL 416

5 credits

Instructor(s):

Location: SAV 130

Schedule: TTh 11:30-1:20

Department: Cross-listed

Quarter: Spring

Instructor Andrew Gerkey

Climate change is arguably one of the most important issues facing the world today. In this course we will investigate the ethical and philosophical challenges connected to climate change. Such issues include: What ethical challenges does climate change raise? Is climate change a commons problem? If so, what kind? What would constitute a just allocation of the burdens of climate change? What can economic analysis tell us (and not tell us) about climate change? In what ways does uncertainty challenge our ability to understand what we should do about climate change? Why might geoengineering be ethically problematic? What are we individually required to do about climate change? This course will focus on the philosophical dimensions of these issues, but we will also read about and discuss related issues in climate science, economics, and policy.