Phil224.week12 -...
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11/28/11 1 PHIL 224 Environmental Ethics, Week 12 Paul Thagard Use of laptops (tablets, etc.) is discouraged, and limited to the last two rows. 1 2 An atlas of pollution: the world in carbon dioxide emissions 15 Australia 418 India overtook Russia in 2009 3 India 1,602 16 Indonesia 413 5 Japan 1,098 8 South Korea 528 20 Taiwan 291 23 Thailand 253 Asia & Oceania Up 7.5% 13,264m Central & South America Down 0.7% 1,220m Eurasia Down 9.2% 2,358m World Down 0.3% 30,398m Down 6.9%North America 6,411mOnly three years earlier, in 2006, China was in second place, and until recently had been very close to US emissions. But from 2008 to 2009, rapid growth has matched the country’s 9-10% growth in GDP. Since 2000 the country’s CO2 emissions have risen by 170.6% US emissions are down for the second year in succession – after almost uninterrupted year on year increases since these records began in 1980. The decline has matched the country’s economic woes which have seen it only just emerge from recession. Since 2000 the country’s CO2 emissions have fallen by 7.5% 13.3% 7,711 million tonnes 1 China 7.0% 5,425 million tonnes 2 US 7 Canada 541 13 Mexico 444 9.6% 8.7% 28 Kazakhstan 185 4 Russia 1,572 22 Ukraine 255 7.4% 1.2% 9 Iran 527 11 Saudi Arabia 470 26 United Arab Emirates 193 Middle East Up 3.3% 1,714m 3.2% 18 France 397 6 Germany 766 17 Italy 408 25 Netherlands 249 21 Poland 286 19 Spain 330 24 Turkey 253 UK had been ranked 8th for emissions in 2008 10 UK 520 Europe Down 6.9% 4,310m 7.0% 7.8% 29 Argentina 167 14 Brazil 420 30 Venezuela 162 Latest data published by the US Energy Information Administration provides a unique picture of economic growth – and decline. China has sped ahead of the US, as shown by this map, which resizes each country according to CO2 emissions. And, for the first time, world emissions have gone down 9.7% 27 Egypt 192 Africa Down 3.1% 1,122m 12 South Africa 450 Detailed data Full list of each country’s CO2 emissions and movement in the world emissions league table Climate Change is a Hard Scientific Problem 1. Potentially disastrous consequences: Extreme weather, drought and famine. Sea level increases. Infectious diseases. Animal extinctions 2. Uncertainty about future developments: computer models, unintended consequences 3. Conflicting interests: developed vs. developing countries 4. Problems of getting countries to agree: Durban conference 2011 3 Reasons for Denying the Problem 1. Motivated interest: politicians don't want to use government actions to limit economic activity. 2. Worry-driven inference avoidance: ordinary people don't want to think about consequences of climate change. 4 Why Climate Change is a Hard Ethical problem 1. Tragedy of the commons: if all countries pursue self-interest, everyone loses. 2. Problem of future generations and discounting 3. Problem of distribution of costs and benefits 4. Problem of responsibilities for past actions 5 What is to be Done? 1. International agreements to reduce carbon emissions 2. Dramatic drop in use of fossil fuels: Carbon tax, cap and trade, legislation 3. Development of alternative energy sources: Solar, wind, tides; nuclear; geothermal & enhanced 4. Geoengineering: Carbon capture, solar radiation management 6
Transcript of Phil224.week12 -...
11/28/11
1
PHIL 224 Environmental Ethics, Week 12
Paul Thagard
Use of laptops (tablets, etc.) is discouraged, and limited to the last two rows.
1 2
179
184
212
An atlas of pollution: the world in carbon dioxide emissions
182
15 Australia418
56Bangladesh
55.1
191
106
204
153
170
41Hong Kong
86.0
India overtook Russia in 2009
3 India1,602
16 Indonesia413
5 Japan1,098
215
44North Korea
79.5
8 South Korea528
166
147
0.2%
32 Malaysia148
172
108
202
135
140
69 NewZealand
39.1
217
0.4%
33 Pakistan140
174
123
209
0.1%
31 Singapore161
197
92
20 Taiwan291
23 Thailand253
183
203
198
207
4.9%
39 Vietnam98.8
167
156
46Philippines
72.4
93
133
Asia & Oceania
Up 7.5%13,264m
on 2008
tonnes of CO2in 2009
Central &South America
Down 0.7%1,220m
on 2008
tonnes of CO2in 2009
Eurasia
Down 9.2%2,358m
on 2008
tonnes of CO2in 2009
World
Down 0.3%30,398m
on 2008
tonnes of CO2 in 2009
Down 6.9% on 2008
North America6,411m tonnes of CO2
in 2009
Only three years earlier, in 2006, China was in second place, and until recently had been very close to US emissions. But from 2008 to 2009, rapid growth has matched the country’s 9-10%
growth in GDP.Since 2000 the country’s CO2 emissions have
risen by 170.6%
US emissions are down for the second year in succession – after almost uninterrupted year
on year increases since these records began in 1980. The decline has matched the country’s economic woes which have seen it only just
emerge from recession.Since 2000 the country’s CO2 emissions have
fallen by 7.5%
13.3%
7,711million tonnes
1 China
7.0%
5,425million tonnes
2 US
7 Canada541
13 Mexico444
9.6%
8.7%
99
72 Azer-baijan
36.2
52 Belarus60.6
85
121
9.8%
28Kazakhstan
185 120
103
87
111
4 Russia1,572
118
54Turkmen-
istan56.8
28.2%
22 Ukraine255
9.4%
35Uzbekistan
115
7.4%
1.2%
1.9%
75Bahrain
31.1
9 Iran527
3.7%
37 Iraq104
47 Israel70.5
82
42 Kuwait84.9
89
63 Oman49.0
137
50 Qatar66.5
11 Saudi Arabia470
53 Syria56.9
1.2%
26 UnitedArab Emirates
193
79Yemen
22.9
Middle East
Up 3.3%1,714m
on 2008
tonnes of CO2in 2009
3.2%
3.2%
124
49 Austria69.2
11.2%
34 Belgium137
66Bulgaria
44.5
81
102
3.8%
40Czech Rep
95.3
62Denmark
49.6
175
59Finland
52.2
18 France397
6 Germany766
130
5.3%
38 Greece100
61Hungary
50.0
136
67Ireland
40.3
17 Italy408
101
109
139
154
0.2%
25 Netherlands249
68Norway
39.6
3.7%
21 Poland286
55 Portugal56.5
43 Romania80.5
58 Serbia52.3
73Slovakia
35.8
86
19 Spain330
60Sweden
50.6
65Switz.
45.8
7.3%
24 Turkey253
UK had been ranked 8th for emissions
in 2008
10 UK520
84
Europe
Down 6.9%4,310m
on 2008
tonnes of CO2in 2009
7.0%
7.8%
7.4%
9.3%
8.4%
193
3.2%
29Argentina
167
171
90
14 Brazil420
51 Chile65.7
48Colombia
70.1
113
77Ecuador
28.7
119
214
168
149
98
157
105
129
88
132
70Peru38.2
151
110
1.4%
30Venezuela
162
181
169
122
160
187
76Cuba30.4
211
83
195
150
95
146
210
96
74Puerto
Rico33.3
194
188201
64Trinidad& Tobago
47.8
213
94
208
0.3%
Latest data published by the US Energy Information Administration provides a unique picture of economic growth – and decline. China has sped ahead of the US, as shown by this map, which resizes each country according to CO2 emissions. And, for the first time, world emissions have gone down
9.7%
2.4%
1.8%
3.7%
0.1%
Biggest % drop in emissions
6.2%
36 Algeria114
78Angola
24.0
134
128
158
189
107
190
196
199
205
116
145
115155
3.5%
27 Egypt192
125
176112
126
186
104
163185
97
200
180
57 Libya55.0
138
165
177
143
127
71Morocco
36.5
148131
45 Nigeria77.7
142
178
216
206
117
159
164
17391
161
114
141
80Tunisia
22.9
152
192
144 100
162
Africa
Down 3.1%1,122m
on 2008
tonnes of CO2in 2009
6.7%
12 South Africa450
Change in emissions, 2008 to 2009
Regional emissions in 2009
1 China7,711
%
Emissions ranking and country
Million tonnes of CO2 emitted in 2009Key
Table shows total carbon dioxide emissions from the consumption of energy
Rank/changeon 2008
Rank/changeon 2008
Rank/changeon 2008
Rank/changeon 2008
Rank/changeon 2008
Rank/changeon 2008
Rank/changeon 2008
Rank/changeon 2008
Rank/changeon 2008
Rank/changeon 2008
Country Million tonnes2009
Percent change 08—09
Country Million tonnes2009
Percent change 08—09
Country Million tonnes2009
Percent change 08—09
Country Million tonnes2009
Percent change 08—09
Country Million tonnes2009
Percent change 08—09
Country Million tonnes2009
Percent change 08—09
Country Million tonnes2009
Percent change 08—09
Country Million tonnes2009
Percent change 08—09
Country Million tonnes2009
Percent change 08—09
Country Million tonnes2009
Percent change 08—09
ChinaUSIndiaRussiaJapanGermanyCanadaSouth KoreaIranUKSaudi ArabiaSouth AfricaMexicoBrazilAustraliaIndonesiaItalyFranceSpainTaiwanPolandUkraine
ThailandTurkeyNetherlandsUnited Arab EmiratesEgyptKazakhstanArgentinaVenezuelaSingaporeMalaysiaPakistanBelgiumUzbekistanAlgeriaIraqGreeceVietnamCzech RepublicHong KongKuwaitRomaniaNorth Korea
NigeriaPhilippinesIsraelColombiaAustriaQatarChileBelarusSyriaTurkmenistanPortugalBangladeshLibyaSerbiaFinlandSwedenHungaryDenmarkOmanTrinidad and TobagoSwitzerlandBulgaria
IrelandNorwayNew ZealandPeruMoroccoAzerbaijanSlovakiaPuerto RicoBahrainCubaEcuadorAngolaYemenTunisiaCroatiaJordanDominican RepublicBosnia and HerzegovinaEstoniaSloveniaLithuaniaPanama
LebanonBoliviaSudanSri LankaBurmaUS Virgin IslandsJamaicaNetherlands AntillesKenyaGuatemalaArmeniaZimbabweLuxembourgCyprusLatviaGhanaHondurasBruneiCameroonMongoliaMacedoniaUruguay
MoldovaEthiopiaCosta RicaTanzaniaIvoryCoastCongoSenegalTajikistanEl SalvadorKyrgyzstanGeorgiaBahamasPapua New GuineaAlbaniaEquatorial GuineaGabonMauritiusBotswanaNicaraguaGibraltarNamibiaParaguay
CambodiaBeninNepalIcelandPalestineMadagascarMaltaNew CaledoniaTogoReunionMauritaniaZambiaCongo, Dem RepMartiniqueMacauMozambiqueGuadeloupeHaitiSurinameUgandaFijiMontenegro
DjiboutiGuamGuyanaBurkina FasoSeychellesBarbadosSwazilandNigerGuineaSierra LeoneMalawiLaosWake IslandFrench GuianaArubaFrench PolynesiaBelizeMaldivesSomaliaAfghanistanFaroe IslandsEritrea
MaliRwandaBermudaLiberiaAntigua and BarbudaAmerican SamoaEast TimorGreenlandGuinea-BissauGambiaCayman IslandsSaint LuciaBurundiCape VerdeBhutanWestern SaharaAntarcticaSaint Kitts and NevisGrenadaCentral African RepublicSolomon IslandsUS Pacific Islands
ChadLesothoSaint Vincent/GrenadinesNauruTongaCook IslandsComorosSao Tome and PrincipeVanuatuBritish Virgin IslandsSamoaMontserratDominicaSaint Pierre and MiquelonTurks and Caicos IslandsFalkland IslandsKiribatiSaint HelenaNiue
12345678910111213141516171819202122
23242526272829303132333435363738394041424344
45464748495051525354555657585960616263646566
67686970717273747576777879808182838485868788
8990919293949596979899100101102103104105106107108109110
111112113114115116117118119120121122123124125126127128129130131132
133134135136137138139140141142143144145146147148149150151152153154
155156157158159160161162163164165166167168169170171172173174175176
177178179180181182183184185186187188189190191192193194195196197198
199200201202203204205206207208209210211212213214215216217
13.3-7.08.7-7.4-9.7-7.0-9.61.23.2-7.83.2-6.7-1.9-0.3-1.82.4-9.3-7.4-8.4-3.7-3.0-28.2
-0.1-7.3-0.2-1.23.59.8-3.2-1.4-0.1-0.20.4-11.2-9.46.23.7-5.3-4.9-3.810.36.3
-16.614.3
-22.4-2.94.87.9-2.54.8-3.8-9.56.1-1.21.59.4-3.9-3.2-4.9-7.7
-10.7-8.69.9-4.11.0
-11.9
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-15.9-11.80.5
-12.81.7
3.6-2.77.01.7-9.5-3.5-4.6-4.12.4-1.41.5
18.6-11.2-3.58.19.6-2.4-27.1-1.9-3.8-20.1-10.2
-4.17.1
-4.47.12.23.81.8
-10.40.0-0.4-4.93.16.73.8-2.1-3.2-1.07.7-2.9-3.83.73.7
-6.14.33.8-7.44.313.4-2.50.05.60.05.3
18.8-2.66.31.34.6-5.12.94.0-3.0-6.24.3
3.4-3.50.02.16.1
-4.017.03.5-1.25.94.61.1
-4.36.14.27.7-5.43.43.4-2.96.46.4
6.40.04.22.24.42.28.7-4.80.015.4-11.80.04.04.5-11.10.017.611.14.8
-13.025.00.0
11.15.917.69.1
-23.166.725.011.125.025.0-16.758.711.116.70.00.00.011.22.9
7,7115,4251,6021,5721,098766541528527520470450444420418413408397330291286255
25325324919319218516716216114814013711511410410098.895.386.084.980.579.5
77.772.470.570.169.266.565.760.656.956.856.555.155.052.352.250.650.049.649.047.845.844.5
40.339.639.138.236.536.235.833.331.130.428.724.022.922.921.520.019.918.317.517.415.815.5
14.813.913.012.812.512.512.111.611.511.311.210.610.69.48.58.17.97.67.57.47.37.2
7.16.96.86.76.66.36.26.15.95.75.35.24.84.64.64.64.64.54.54.44.14.0
3.93.53.43.43.23.13.13.02.82.82.72.72.72.62.42.32.22.12.01.91.91.9
1.81.71.51.41.41.41.41.31.31.31.31.21.21.11.11.1
0.940.920.900.830.800.77
0.740.740.710.690.690.670.630.610.460.440.430.410.370.340.330.320.310.300.300.290.290.29
0.290.270.270.200.150.150.150.150.150.150.150.150.140.110.080.050.040.010.01
Detailed dataFull list of each country’s CO2 emissions and movement in the world emissions league table
GRAPHIC: MARK McCORMICK, PAUL SCRUTON. SOURCE: EIA
Climate Change is a Hard Scientific Problem
1. Potentially disastrous consequences: Extreme weather, drought and famine. Sea level increases. Infectious diseases. Animal extinctions
2. Uncertainty about future developments: computer models, unintended consequences
3. Conflicting interests: developed vs. developing countries
4. Problems of getting countries to agree: Durban conference 2011
3
Reasons for Denying the Problem
1. Motivated interest: politicians don't want to use government actions to limit economic activity.
2. Worry-driven inference avoidance: ordinary people don't want to think about consequences of climate change.
4
Why Climate Change is a Hard Ethical problem
1. Tragedy of the commons: if all countries pursue self-interest, everyone loses.
2. Problem of future generations and discounting
3. Problem of distribution of costs and benefits
4. Problem of responsibilities for past actions
5
What is to be Done? 1. International agreements to reduce carbon
emissions
2. Dramatic drop in use of fossil fuels: Carbon tax, cap and trade, legislation
3. Development of alternative energy sources: Solar, wind, tides; nuclear; geothermal & enhanced
4. Geoengineering: Carbon capture, solar radiation management
6
11/28/11
2
Methods of settling ethical issues (Brook)
1. Identify problems and collect facts.
2. Identify relevant ethical principles.
3. Lay out criteria for costs and benefits.
4. Apply the principles and criteria to the facts.
Application: is nuclear power ethical?
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Relevant Principles 1. Fairness: those who benefit should bear the costs.
2. Liberty: infringe on people's lives as little as possible.
3. Equal worth: all people have same value.
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Deep geological disposal of wastes
1. Achieves fairness and protects future liberty.
2. Has wide scope in protecting across beings, time, space.
3. Discounts future generations less.
4. Costs paid by those who benefit.
5. Reduces risks and uncertainty.
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Alternative Regulatory Process (Oppenheim)
1. Comprehensive assessment of a new biotechnology.
Examine needs and benefits. Identify possible effects. Assess alternative means.
Propose set of principles.
2. Develop a precautionary screen. Apply precautionary and value principles. Examine questionable product types.
3. Evaluate specific products.
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Basic value principles 1. Continued existence of nature. Protect
ecosystems, diversity, genetic material.
2. Cultural sustainability.
3. Open political process.
4. Freedom from want and economic vulnerability. Needs, distribution, self-reliance.
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