Ethics and Climate Change (ENVIR 416/PHIL 416)

ENVIR 416/PHIL 416

5 credits

Instructor(s):

Website: http://www.washington.edu/students/icd/S/envst/416smgard.html

Location: FSH 108

Schedule: TTh 11:30-1:20

Department: Cross-Listed

Quarter: Fall

Several politicians and scientists have said that climate change is the most important international problem facing the world today. This course will investigate many of the philosophical issues relevant to this problem. Such issues include:

What is scientific uncertainty, and how should we behave when confronted with problems that are uncertain in this way?

What can economic analysis tell us (and not tell us) about problems with a long time horizon, such as climate change?

Is climate change a commons problem? If so, what kind?

How might we address the problem in a just way?

What are we individually required to do about global and intergenerational problems of this sort?

Prerequisite: either one philosophy or one environmental studies course.

Instructor: Lauren Hartzell