with A Trexler, Climate Change in Literature and Literary Criticism, WIREs Climate Change, vol.

2,
no. 2, 2011, 185200
alexlingh 301301 docin alexlingh@hotmail.com
The Ethics of Climate Change: Right and Wrong in a Warming World
Open this book and James Garvey is right there making real sense to you... in a
necessary conversation, capturing you to the very end."" "Ted Honderich, Grote
Professor meritus of The Philosophy of !ind "#ogic, $niversity %ollege #ondon,
$&.
James Garvey argues that the ultimate rationale for action on climate change
cannot be simply economic, political, scientific or social, though our decisions
should be informed by such things. 'nstead, climate change is largely a moral
problem. (hat )e should do about it depends on )hat matters to us and )hat )e
think is right. This book is an introduction to the ethics of climate change. 't
considers a little climate science and a lot of moral philosophy, ultimately finding
a )ay into the many possible positions associated )ith climate change. 't is also a
call for action, for doing something about the moral demands placed on both
governments and individuals by the fact of climate change. This is a book about
choices, responsibility, and )here the moral )eight falls on our )arming )orld.
Description
Open this book and James Garvey is right there making real sense to you in a necessary
conversation! capturing you to the very end."#ed $onderich! Grote %ro&essor 'meritus o& #he
%hilosophy o& (ind ) *ogic! +niversity ,ollege *ondon! +-.
James Garvey argues that the ultimate rationale &or action on climate change cannot be simply
economic! political! scienti&ic or social! though our decisions should be in&ormed by such things.
.nstead! climate change is largely a moral problem. /hat 0e should do about it depends on 0hat
matters to us and 0hat 0e think is right.

#his book is an introduction to the ethics o& climate change. .t considers a little climate science
and a lot o& moral philosophy! ultimately &inding a 0ay into the many possible positions associated
0ith climate change. .t is also a call &or action! &or doing something about the moral demands
placed on both governments and individuals by the &act o& climate change. #his is a book about
choices! responsibility! and 0here the moral 0eight &alls on our 0arming 0orld.
Table of Contents
.ntroduction
1. 1 /armer /orld
2. 3ight and /rong
3. 3esponsibility
4. 5oing 6othing
7. 5oing 8omething
9. .ndividual ,hoices
'pilogue
Author(s)
James Garvey,
James Garvey is Secretary of the Royal Institute of hilosophy, !"# $e is
the author of The T%enty Greatest hilosophy &oo's an( The )thics of Climate
Chan*e, also publishe( by Continuum#
Revie%s
:Open this book and James Garvey is right there making real sense to you. 1 ne0 philosopher
doing logic in the 0orld. .n a necessary conversation! capturing you to the very end.: ; #ed
$onderich! Grote %ro&essor 'meritus o& the %hilosophy o& (ind ) *ogic! +niversity ,ollege
*ondon! +-.
:/ritten in plain 'nglish! Garvey<s excellent book makes accessible to the reader the ethical issues
surrounding global 0arming! and the literature too. .t should &igure on all relevant reading lists.: ;
3obin 1tt&ield! %ro&essor o& %hilosophy! ,ardi&& +niversity! +-
:The Ethics of Climate Change is a model o& philosophical reasoning about one o& the greatest
moral challenges any generation has ever &aced. .& you don<t yet kno0 0hy you should be morally
outraged about the present situation! read this book. ,almly! care&ully! 0ith 0ell;marshalled &acts
and sound argument! Garvey sho0s us =ust ho0 badly the nations o& the industriali>ed 0orld ; and
the citi>ens o& those nations ; are behaving. $e also tells us 0hat 0e need to do about it.: ; %eter
8inger! .ra /. 5e,amp %ro&essor o& ?ioethics! +niversity ,enter &or $uman @alues! %rinceton
+niversity and *aureate %ro&essor! +niversity o& (elbourne! ,entre &or 1pplied %hilosophy and
%ublic 'thics.
:'ssential reading &or anyone interested in the urgent moral Auestions raised by our climate crisis.:
; (ark *ynas! 1uthor o& Six Degrees: Our Future on a Hotter Planet
:.t<s an excellent book to think 0ithB Garvey has a delicious style! o&ten very &unny! and a trick o&
ushering the reader right inside his thought experiments.: ; 8tephen %oole! The Guardian
+,-ith this boo'. you (on/t *et the feelin* of bein* hectore( by a preachy *reen,
but rather of bein* a((resses( li'e the intelli*ent a(ult that you are###-itty %ithout
bein* frivolous, e0planatory but never con(escen(in*, en*a*in* an( challen*in* in e1ual
measure, this boo' shoul( become a campus classic#+ Jonathan -ebber, The
hilosophers/ 2a*a3ine
4In this outstan(in* boo', Garvey (Royal Institute of hilosophy, !") ta'es a position
on *lobal %armin* that is fair5min(e( an( supporte( by compellin* reasons# In the
first chapter he ar*ues that *lobal %armin* is occurrin*, that human activities have
contribute( si*nificantly to this process, that it %ill have (etrimental effects on
people, an( that the evi(ence for all this is lar*ely beyon( 1uestion %ithin the
scientific community# The remain(er of the boo' ma'es a case for the claim that both
in(ivi(uals an( nations, particularly economically privile*e( ones, have a moral
obli*ation to ameliorate this situation# Garvey offers an e0cellent (iscussion of
*eneral moral issues such as responsibility, 6ustice, an( choice an( their relation to
*lobal %armin*# $e also presents a forceful rebuttal of the vie%s that ethics is
irrelevant an( 4merely7 sub6ective# The conclu(in* chapters propose concrete
practices an( policies that are morally re1uire( in response to *lobal %armin*#
Garvey8s ar*uments are clear an( unencumbere( %ith 6ar*on9this boo' %ill be
e0tremely helpful to anyone %ho %ants a lively intro(uction to this topic# Summin* !p:
$i*hly Recommen(e(# ;o%er5level un(er*ra(uates throu*h faculty<researchers= *eneral
rea(ers#7 2#A# 2ichael, C$>IC), ?ovember @AAB
</hen . canvassed my carbon;management masters students on their &avourite climate change
books ... plaudits came in &or ... James Garvey<s Ethics of Climate Change ... Cone o& a &e0D
recently published! 0ell;0ritten books that increase understanding and provoke debate< ; Nature
<#his book o&&ers an excellent and :capturing: E$onderichF introduction to the ethics o& climate
change.< ; Ethical Persecti!es