Greenhouse Gas Emissions and the Ethics of the Individual
“The most important thing about global warming is this. Whether humans are responsible for the bulk of climate change is going to be left to the scientists, but it's all of our responsibility to leave this planet in better shape for the future generations than we found it.” –Mike Huckabee, politician
Do individual greenhouse gas emissions cause harm? In short, yes. Though this harm may not exactly be measureable on the individual level, it is harm. In similar, though we do not know how many licks it take to get to the center of a tootsie pop, we do know that if we continue licking we will reach the center. Individual greenhouse gas emissions are added collectively to everyone’s individual
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Most people carry out multiple everyday actions that release greenhouse gas emissions, such as driving a car or even buying a product that leads to emissions. This release of greenhouse gas emissions that individuals are contributing to leads to global warming. The rise in temperature derived from global warming can cause floods, droughts, and many other adverse weather conditions. Global warming causes many people harm, and will continue to cause harm long after the individual has emitted any greenhouse gases. Therefore, individually people contribute to harming both current and future generations by their emissions of greenhouse …show more content…
No direct harm is done by this man taking joy rides, and if he were to refrain from doing so no individual would benefit. Armstrong believes that if the act is neither unusual nor does it directly cause harm to any one person, then the individual does not have a moral obligation to no longer do the action. He ends by saying that though an individual does not have a moral obligation to lower their greenhouse gas emissions, they still shouldn’t contribute to the problem. Using the example of the joy riding man again, he said that this joy ride is a waste of gas, so morally it is better of the man not to take the joy ride. Armstrong realizes that global warming is such a big problem that he says it cannot be expected of individuals to be able to fix the problem. He says that it is not the individual’s moral obligation to fix the problem, but instead the governments. Being that they have to ability to implement laws and regulations that will make more of a change than trying to fix the problem on an individual
The term 'globalization' has been subjected to a variety of interpretations. Though at its simplest it can be seen as how the world has become integrated economically, politcally, socially and culturally through the advances of technology, communication and transport John Baylis et al. (2011).
He gives an example of helping push a car over a cliff with a passenger locked inside. It takes five people to push that car off a cliff and five people are already pushing. If we join, we cause harm to that passenger locked inside, even though our act is not necessary nor sufficient for that harm because we intended that harm and our act is unusual (Sinnott-Armstrong 335). Hence, we should not see the act of driving on a beautiful Sunday afternoon as a cause of global warming or its harms, since the harm is not intended and driving is not unusual. The harms of global warming result from the massive quantities of GHGs in the atmosphere. GHGs are perfectly fine in small quantities, however the problem only emerges when there is too much of it. The individual act of a Sunday pleasure drive by itself does not cause the massive quantities that are harmful (Sinnott-Armstrong 335). However, we might believe that a Sunday pleasure drive raises global temperatures by an extremely small amount. Regardless, the exhaust on that Sunday does not cause any climate change, therefore we have no moral responsibility to change our emissions-behaviour, since it is these climate changes that cause harms to people. Global warming by
"If we want to address global warming, along with the other environmental problems associated with our continued rush to burn our precious fossil fuels as quickly as possible, we must learn to use our resources more wisely, kick our addiction, and quickly start turning to sources of energy that have fewer negative impacts."
Other ethical questions such as “How should we- all living today evaluate the well-being of the future generations” (Brome). Scientific data shows that Global climate change will have some lasting effects on the planet, ecosystems and humans. There are many “risks associated with climate change such as the risk of pathogen, and disease” this will affect future generations, and animals this is why we should reduce our emissions of greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere (Crank and Jacoby). “The consequences of heightening greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere appear after a time lag, often decades or more” (Somerville). Even though the current generations are “benefiting from cheap use of burning fossil fuels, and using the atmosphere as a free dump for our waste products” all humans are obligated to find a cleaner way to live so we don’t set future humans up for failure (Somerville). Somerville also explains that within us burning these fossil fuels, and ignoring the consequences “we sentence our children and grandchildren to cope with the resulting climate change” (Somerville). Also we need to take action to prevent further damage of Earth’s climate not only for the future children of the world but other species that we share the planet with. In the article “The Ethics of Climate Change” by John Broome he states that the answer to this ethical question can be easy one without the need of a sophisticated philosopher (Broome). He say that the answer to ethical climate change questions can be answered by simple common sense thinking (Broome). “You should not do something for your own benefit that will harm another’s” (Broome). He asks the question which is worse the death of a child in 2108 or the death of a child currently living?” (Broome). John Broome argues that we have a responsibility to
In the article “Global Warming’s Terrifying New Math”, written by Bill Mckibben, he firstly opens up by saying that back in 2012, according to the statistics, we surpassed the global record high for climate temperature in our nation, destroying other previous records. Despite the research and the displaying of data, nobody is doing anything to adress the following issue. Mckibben outlines three distinctive numbers that outline the following issue., 2 degrees celsius, 565 gigations, and 2795 gigtons, which he uses to validitate and support his argument. Firstly, the ongoing problem of climate change in society is fundamentally a matter of individual moral responsibility that is inspired by the insight individuals are intentionally harming the environment. Secondly there is yet to be an effective collective state response to the issue of global warming, despite approaching two full decades of ongoing and reoccuring negotiations and the very near universal participation by states in the UNFCCC. Thirdly, because this issue has been put on hold for longer than it was innitially expected, greenhouse gases are being emitted into our atmosphere, polluting our environment. The South-North issue and an ongoing debate comes into effect as all the greenhouse gases that are created and used in the Northern hemisphere are being emmited into the southern hemisphere. Hence, my thesis is; despite the fact that global warming and climate change has been an ongoing problem globally for years, humanity has failed to resolve thiis issue as it quickly begins to escalate.
Air pollution and greenhouse gases are the reason for the planet as it is today; the reason why we see campaigns flooding the media informing us to ‘switch off’, ‘save the planet’ and ‘turn down the heat’ and the reason why the government is trying to develop a successful scheme, such as the carbon tax scheme, to reduce air pollution caused by major industries. Air pollution and greenhouse gases are the two immediate causes of global warming and climate change. Air pollution occurs when chemicals or particulate matter enter the atmosphere. They can cause damage to living organisms on the planet, as well as destruction to the natural and synthetic environment (Energy Environment.net 2008). Greenhouse gases are gases in the atmosphere that absorb infrared radiation emitted from the earth. They trap infrared radiation in the form of heat, and hence contribute to global warming. Anthropogenic greenhouse gases are a direct result of air pollution. They are the physical gases emitted that cause air pollution. Naturally occurring greenhouse gases also have an influence on the earth’s atmosphere, though it is not as conspicuous as anthropogenic causes. Together, air pollution and greenhouse gases are intensifying climate change and global warming on a world-wide basis.
The commonly debated “greenhouse effect” refers to “the global-average temperature increase that has been observed over the last one hundred years or more” (Spencer). President Barack Obama addressed the issue as an effort to highlight its severity, "We have to all shoulder the responsibility for keeping the planet habitable, or we’re going to suffer the consequences – together” (Leader). The earth’s increasing atmospheric and oceanic temperatures result in climate changes due to cumulative amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere.
Former Vice President, Al Gore’s speech, The Climate Emergency, was a highly accurate prediction of the circumstances our planet would be under in coming years. The facts relevant as of 2004 are still true in the year 2015. While many companies and individuals have learned to contribute to helping our plant go greener, the dangers of the climate change are still a pressing issue supported by scientific evidence. With occurrences such as extreme weather events, rising sea levels, and ice cap disappearances, global warming is physically being show on our planet and in order to prevent a complete reversed climate on our hemispheres, the population of Earth as a whole must ban together to reduce our carbon footprint.
Damage to human health, severe stress on forests, wetlands, and other natural habitats, and how fish will be affected. Global warming is a serious problem that will affect our generation when we are older. In talking about global warming, we need to learn what causes the greenhouse effect. Rays from the sun are taken up and absorbed by water vapor that is naturally in the atmosphere. The United States emits the largest man-made greenhouse gases in the world.
“Unless humanity is suicidal, it should want to preserve, at the minimum, the natural life-support systems and processes required to sustain its own existence” (Daily p.365). I agree with scientist Gretchen Daily that drastic action is needed now to prevent environmental disaster. Immediate action and changes in attitude are not only necessary for survival but are also morally required. In this paper, I will approach the topic of environmental ethics from several related sides. I will discuss why the environment is a morally significant concern, how an environmental ethic can be developed, and what actions such an ethic would require to maintain and protect the environment.
In recent years global warming has been on the rise. The importance of this issue is so that we as a nation can be aware of the drastic changes which are occurring rapidly around the world. Although there isn 't one set resolution to solve climate change, we must continue to carry out ways to put it to a halt. Some of the ways I believe we can cut this crisis is to stop polluting the manufacturing of toxic gases which is filling our environment with smog. If we all put our ideas and opinions in ways to prevent some causes of climate change, the world in which we live will be a better place. Instead of being a part of the problem we can be a part of the solution. Opposed to just humans, animals, and other species are affected as a result of
In conclusion, many facts point to global warming being detrimental to our world. With scientific predictions, rising temperatures, human causes, drastic climate changes and animal adaptations being some of the more thought about topics it`s hard not to agree that our world can not continue to be used as it is. Even with some scientists arguing against the topic, our Earth`s orbit changing the temperatures before and have been through hotter and cooler time periods the pros still outweigh the cons. This is why we, as a global population, need to take into consideration the outcome of our planet should we continue to abuse it the way we do. Our earth and resources are not a right but a privilege and we should learn to treat them as such before we no longer have either.
Global Warming One of the most substantial problems in the world today is global warming. This gradual warming of the earth is in occurrence at an extremely slow rate but it is happening. Many scientists believe that as human’s work and release greenhouse gases into the earth’s atmosphere, it can become dangerous for the long lasting life of humans and our environment. “Unless we take immediate action, the impacts of global warming will continue to intensify, grow ever more costly and damaging, and increasingly affect the entire planet - including you, your community, and your family” (“Global Warming Impacts”).
Human beings are the advanced species on the earth. The ability of our ancestors to think outside of the box is the reason why humans are the most dominant species. Once upon a time humans were same as the wild animals. The daily chore for human from the past was to hunt, eat, and survive. At present, the life of human beings is more convenient with all the inventions like cars and air conditioners. These inventions have made our lives easier but have also helped to cause global warming. The emission of carbon dioxide from these machines in the atmosphere causes global warming. Global warming, defined by Oxford dictionary is a gradual increase in the overall temperature of the earth's atmosphere generally attributed to the greenhouse effect caused by increased levels of carbon dioxide, chlorofluorocarbons, and other pollutants (“Definition of global….”). There are several creative ideas to stop global warming and some of them have promises, for example, saving money while saving the environment. Planting and protecting the trees is a popular attempt, and it looks great on paper, this solution works well and is beneficial for the people as well as the environment.
Global warming is one of the most serious issues that the human species face today, yet the majority of the population does not pay attention to it. People are not aware of the dangers and do not care about it much because the main effects will affect the next generation and not themselves. Global warming is happening and it is the reason for changing weather and weather extremes such as earthquakes, floods and wildfires. Global warming is caused by societies lifestyle and these lifestyles destroy the environment and affect the whole world. The use of cars, trains, planes, as well as wasting energy for people’s entertainment has a price; this price is that society is in danger.