Climate Change and Negative Duties

Brooks, Thom

Abstract

Climate change and its harmful effects are widely accepted. A common approach is to argue along the lines of Mill's ‘harm principle’: if we contribute to climate change, then we are likewise responsible for harming others and we have a negative duty to reduce our carbon emissions. This article argues that a negative duty leads to a philosophical fork in the road which does not necessarily entail carbon emissions reductions. Arguments for such reductions require further supplementation to close off possible non-conservationist alternatives.

Citation

Brooks, T. (2012). Climate Change and Negative Duties. Politics, 32(1), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9256.2011.01419.x

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: 2012
• Deposit Date: Nov 16, 2012
• Journal: Politics
• Print ISSN: 0263-3957
• Electronic ISSN: 1467-9256
• Publisher: Political Studies Association
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 32
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 1-9
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9256.2011.01419.x
• Keywords: climate change, environment, global justice, harm, negative duties, positive duties
• Publisher URL: 10.1111/j.1467-9256.2011.01419.x