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Is Utilitarianism a viable solution to climate change?

Modena Tottman

Hmm, that's a tough one. Utilitarianism is the ethical theory that says we should maximize happiness for the greatest number of people. So I guess the question is whether using utilitarian principles can help address climate change.

On the one hand, you could argue that utilitarianism would be a good guide for action on climate change. After all, climate change affects everyone, and reducing emissions would benefit the majority of people in the world. So from a utilitarian perspective, it would make sense to take action to reduce emissions and mitigate climate change.

But there are also some potential problems with using utilitarianism in this way. For one thing, it's not clear how we would weigh the happiness of different people when making decisions about climate policy. Would we prioritize the happiness of people in developing countries who are most affected by climate change, or would we prioritize the happiness of people in wealthy countries who benefit from high levels of consumption and emissions? There's no easy answer to this question.

Another issue is that utilitarianism doesn't necessarily consider environmental ethics or the rights of non-human animals. So even if reducing emissions would benefit humans overall, it's possible that it would have negative consequences for other forms of life on the planet. This is especially significant given that a large amount of emissions come from industrial agriculture and livestock production.

Overall, I think utilitarianism could be a useful lens for thinking about climate change policy, but it shouldn't be the only factor we consider. We also need to think about environmental ethics, social justice, and the rights of non-human animals when making decisions about how to address climate change. Utilitarianism certainly has its merits, but it's not a silver bullet for solving the complex problem of climate change.