Answer To: Hello i need a rough draft by 3/23 11:59 pm and the full one by 04/01 11:59 pm. I have the reading...
Sharanya answered on Mar 21 2022
Climate Crisis and Political Inaction: Inquiring the Different Dimensions of the Ethics of Our Actions
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Writer Amitav Ghosh concludes his 2016 non-fiction The Great Derangement with the following words:
“The struggle for action will no doubt be difficult and hard-fought, and no matter what it achieves, it is already too late to avoid some serious disruptions of the global climate. But I would like to believe that out of this struggle will be born a generation that will be able to look upon the world with clearer eyes than those that preceded it;….”
This is a telling reminder, to both the older and new generations, of the roles that individuals must play in addressing the climate catastrophe impending on this planet. As a response to this (and many more similar) call of duty, it is only pertinent to ask how we conceive our leaders and ourselves, in this battle against a burgeoning calamity. The collective actions that have been promised by our leaders, at least on paper, can be called superficial and slow, leading to no significant change that can assure the young generation of a safe and sustainable future. Coupled with that is the callous attitude of the preceding generation that often fails to acknowledge this very fact of an ecological cataclysm. Countries participating in the 2021 COP26 convention agreed upon continuous efforts to curb the effects of climate change to ensure a world that is not choking on unmitigated carbon emissions, fossil fuel burning, and global temperature. As many countries promised to give up burning coal, we are still far from realizing this claim as our dependency on fossil fuel remains major. Of course, some Scandinavian and smaller countries already boast of a Zero Carbon environment; the majority of the developed and developing countries are still struggling to put words into action through thoughtful strategizing and fund allocation at the national and international level. For youngsters like Greta Thunberg, the moment is imminent to retrace our steps, overview our actions, and start replanning. Her angry exhortation at the UN climate action summit in New York in 2016 called for a reassessment of the false promises made by the global leaders in securing a future that promises individual and ecological prosperity. The call for action is unavoidable, and we must act now. However, what should be our ethical concerns as we decide our course of action? Is there any single ethical ground that justifies our actions, or should we find a middle path and tread carefully?
The existing ethical thoughts, such as the deontological and consequentialist schools, are believed to uphold contradictory viewpoints. While the former is mainly embedded in the relationship between duty and morality of human actions, the latter perceives actions as right or wrong based solely on their consequences. Nevertheless, as we try to judge the actions taken at both the political and individual levels, the line dividing consequences and duty blur. As explained by McBay, Keith, and Jensen, the concept of Deep Green Resistance hinges upon a radical resistance in the face of uncertainty and unsustainability to create a better world order. The adverse consequences of such militant actions to alter the existing sociopolitical and ecological realities, pitted against the obligatory nature of our duty towards nature, society, and ourselves, may help remind us how choosing one ethical stance in the face of a crisis such as this is not easy, nor desirable. All our actions are followed by some reactions/consequences, irrespective of their nature. So an ideal way ahead is to settle the dispute between the deontological and consequentialist thoughts, acknowledging that our primary aim in this regard is...