A Perfect Moral Storm By Stephen M Gardiner

Is global warming a moral dilemma? Is it the public policy problem from hell? In "The Environmental Issue from Hell," Bill McKibben uses many of such phrases en route to arguing for a new approach to global warming. By discussing hell and morals, the reader’s mind is already equating it with two heavily debated issues. Therefore, we begin to question their existence and how we should deal with the subjects. McKibben wisely chooses these disputes to represent his main concerns: the ways in which consumerism affects the global ecosystem, and the impact of humans on the environment. McKibben presents a solution on how to handle each of these environmental issues, utilizing both the people and the government.

As Earths average temperature increases every year, the discussion of climate change has become a significant topic in the scientific community. Human activities such as powering factories, running automobiles or something as simple as burning wood for heat, emit dangerous greenhouse gases. What makes these greenhouse gases so detrimental is that they absorb the heat radiating off of Earth and keep it in the lower atmosphere creating a “blanket” of warmth around the Earth’s surface. This causes a drastic increase in the Earths average temperature. Due to the rise in temperature, the polar caps have been melting faster than ever, this is dangerous not only because of the risk of floods and sea level increase but ocean water will become less saline and ecosystems will be destroyed, impacting humans just as much as marine life. In the article, Understand faulty thinking to tackle climate change by George Marshall, Marshall states that most people in our world today do not care about climate change because it will not affect them, “Which points to the real problem: climate change is exceptionally amorphous, … no deadlines, no geographic location, no single cause or solution.” (Marshall 2014). Because the author makes it clear that climate change is indeed a great plight, and fails to be acknowledged by people, it is a significant matter that should be discussed

In Michael Pollan’s article “Why Bother?”, he addresses the issue of climate change and the inner reasoning behind those who don’t acknowledge or bother with the crisis. Pollan intertwines a discussion of the rising danger of global warming with a psychological discussion of personal virtue. He emphasis his main point of climate crisis by providing examples and data stating, “we have only ten years left to start cutting—not just slowing—the amount of carbon we’re emitting…So:eight years left and a great deal to do.” (117). His discussion of personal reasoning to the problem of people not responding to global warming is intertwined through the direct question that is the title and by other experiences such as Wendell Berry’s comments on the

In Michael Pollan's article “Why Bother?” he discusses how climate change is a serious threat to humanity and needs to be addressed immediately. Pollan begins to discuss possible solutions but also realizes that these “solutions” may not be easily achieved. There is no way to eliminate people who make a conscious effort to help the advancement of climate change, but it is still important for others to attempt to make changes to help save the environment.

The author first starts off his argument by claiming that the climate change issue is no longer a problem for the next generation ; instead a trouble that the current generation will face and will have to solve. In order to raise awareness and the seriousness of the issue, Eduardo describes the issue as something that ‘we’ cannot do to prevent it ; an issue that is

The Book written by John Broome, Talks about how we as individuals should understand, the full effect we are having, on our environment and ethical issues brought on by our emissions of greenhouse gases. He goes into a lot of detail describing the moral injustice we have caused for the future generations, and many humans today. If we continue to destroy the earth by emitting CO2 in the air, global warming will continue to melt the polar ice caps; we face a crisis that can potentially kill off thousands of people. Broome’s main issue in the book Climate Matters is the moral injustice of Knowing we are doing something wrong and not doing anything to change, because of our transgressions. Broome believes; many people throughout the world will

The issue of anthropogenic climate change, more commonly identified as global warming, has become hotly debated in the media and political arenas. Critics argue that global warming does not exist and that it is merely a fiction created by the science community. Such critics argue further that what scientists are describing as global warming is either a transitory condition or part a cyclical situation that has occurred throughout history. As a result of this critical opposition the question becomes global warming is a problem that needs immediate and/or long term attention? What the critics of global warming are failing to consider is the mountains of evidence provide by the scientific community that supports the fact that global warming is a reality and that it is human behavior that has caused this condition and it is only human behavior that can remedy the situation. Within the scientific community there is little disagreement that global warming is a serious problem.

As a starting point, scholars characterized climate change as a “wicked problem” (Osofsky, 2014; Riedy, 2013; Rittel and Webber, 1973). Rittel and Webber (1973) introduced the term “wicked problems” as “societal problems that lack simplistic or straightforward planning responses”. Arguing that climate change is a “wicked problem” is valid since it is not just environmental problem. It interacts with various sectors (economic, natural and social) at multiple levels. Government, individuals and community groups make choices that impact both mitigation and adaptation actions in ways that no global regime could fully capture (Osofsky, 2014). Effective responses to climate change can hardly be achieved without understanding the problem structure.

Global warming has become one of the most important scientific, political and economic issues. According to the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), the period between 1995 and 2006 seems to have been one of the warmest yet recorded since 1850 relevant variables such as changes in ocean temperatures, changes in terrestrial ecosystems, the decrease in the extent of snow and ice in the northern hemisphere, the shortening of the cold seasons, melting glaciers, reduction in the extent of permafrost and rising sea level, provide clear evidence of that the world is warming (Miller, 2013). Delay and limit climate change requires long-term, large international effort. The most important is the current via the United Nations Convention on Climate Change has given, but it is also important to take preventive measures at national level (Gonzales, 2013). Industrialized countries have made some progress, albeit limited, in curbing GHG emissions (greenhouse gasses) recognizing the urgent need to develop specific policies, such as the use of emissions permits, taxes energy and environmental, industrial voluntary measures, regulatory

The climate crisis that our planet faces has become an ever-increasing and extremely controversial issue. In the book “An Inconvenient Truth,” Al Gore goes beyond the political and economic implications of this crisis and states that global warming is a moral issue that humans need to address. For years, scientists have been examining the reasons for the changing climate and have come to the conclusion that global warming is real and it is serious threat to the world. Eventually, this threat will lead to major catastrophes that will cause epic destruction of our planet. Gore’s main purpose in this book is to expose the lies and misconceptions regarding global warming and to inspire the public to take action. Global

The arrogance of mankind is not in the belief that their lifestyle can alter the Planet’s climate, nor in the denial that it could; instead it is believing that we can understand and address climate disruption individually. This is an issue that stretches far beyond a single discipline, and affects every living creature on Earth, reinforcing the notion that geologists, oceanographers, or even climate scientists cannot tackle this problem on their own. We need to determine our response to the realization that we are living in a period coined the Anthropocene; a time defined by the very influence of human action on the environment we live in. The key to addressing the predicament we now find ourselves in: one of altered weather and climate, shifting ecosystems, unstable resources and numerous negative health effects, as well as possible mass migrations and copious extinctions; to survive it we must use an interdisciplinary approach. By involving as many sectors as possible, we will greatly increase our understanding of the problems we face, and we will be better equipped to address them and find solutions. Through cooperation and artful communication, together we can confront the looming repercussions of climate change.

However “global warming is the most urgent environmental challenge of the 21st century” (Casper 1). So many of us humans don’t pay attention to global warming, that it is more often over looked than any other problem in society. When it

The last time our planet sustained temperatures as high as the present, was millions of years ago when dinosaurs roamed Earth. Civilization has greatly progressed since then in areas such as technology and the arts, but with this development comes an increased standard of living for humans. In order to keep up with the industry and production of this age, our population releases environmentally harmful substances like greenhouse gases into the air every day. In recent decades’ findings, these substances have been found to trap heat in the atmosphere over time, contributing to global warming. To cut these emissions completely would bankrupt the world’s struggling, industry-dependent economy. Knowing that this isn’t a threat that will peak in our life time or even the next generation’s causes political progression to move slowly. If we misinterpret the climate change now when it’s shifting more noticeably, the time available to effectively respond to the issue could end. In order to react appropriately to the world’s changing climate, we must educate members of society in the distinct knowledge that humans have direct influence on the warming of the planet.

Global warming will take its toll of human life to the tune of hundreds of thousands every year. According to John Broome--the Chair of Moral Philosophy at Oxford--these unfortunate victims of society's next big challenge will die by three main causes: heat waves, expansion of tropical diseases to temperate latitudes, and increased flooding. And yet many of my fellow EEB (ecology and evolutionary biology) grad students felt that the direct loss of life was a pittance in comparison with the indirect effects of global warming, such as the loss of ecosystem services caused by the devastation of the natural world and the social turmoil associated with the inundation of the many

When the topic of global warming comes up in conversation many people either groan and avoid conversation, or don their dueling gloves and prepare for a heated debate. Some people feel guilty and concerned; some simply do not care. Different points of view yield different stances on the subject. Coming from the scientific and environmental points of view, myrmecologist Edward O. Wilson discusses the severity of global warming, some of the threads of thought that oppose his own, and some of the consequences of continued mistreatment of the environment in his book The Future of Life. While some people may claim ignorance on the subject, global warming and substantial data showing annual increases in global temperature have been broadcast