On Social Justice Climate Change And Human Destiny

On Social Justice, Climate Change, and Human Destiny is a compilation of the author’s major creative writings on these themes since 1985. Messages within the book warn the human race of its risk of extinction if global plans are not made for survival in this new world age of rapid climate change, devastating climatic events, nuclear threats, and risk of extraterrestrial impact, e.g., by an asteroid. In his novel, The Durabone Prophecies (2011), Harper states, “At all cost, we must assure the perpetuity of our human species and our highly developed technology and scientific knowledge. There is nothing more important for the human race.” Poetry and prose within this book urge human beings around the world to learn how to live in peace and cooperation for the betterment and longevity of humankind. The author also includes poems about the many miraculous and natural beauties of planet Earth.

The impacts of climate change can already be felt in society and on the Earth itself. As new evidence of the environmental impact of climate change is constantly emerging, we are forced to confront the significance of our political decisions about who will pay the price of responding to a changing climate. In the rush to avoid or reduce the repercussions of climate change, we need to ensure that the burden is evenly distributed or run the risk of creating injustice. Climate Change and Social Justice demonstrates that the problem of how to distribute the costs of climate change is fundamentally a problem of justice. If we ignore the concerns addressed this book, the additional burdens of climate change will fall on the poor and vulnerable. Jeremy Moss brings together today's key thinkers in climate research, including Peter Singer, Ross Garnaut and David Karoly, to respond to these important issues.

Climate change is the most difficult threat facing humanity this century and negotiations to reach international agreement have so far foundered on deep issues of justice. Providing provocative and imaginative answers to key questions of justice, informed by political insight and scientific understanding, this book offers a new way forward.

Global environmental change raises profound moral issues with which society has only begun to grapple. What does fairness mean in dividing responsibilities for problems of global warming between rich and poor nations? Does the environment itself have moral standing and, if so, how should its conflicts with the interests of people who depend on the land for their livelihood be resolved? How can the interests of the poor, of indigenous peoples, and of future generations be properly accommodated in a political discourse about environmental policy which is dominated by industrialized states? This book extends the debate both within and across disciplines, engaging philosophers, geographers, political scientists, economists, sociologists, and environmental activists from four continents. The essays address the role of science in global change and argue that western science does not provide morally disinterested solutions to environmental problems. They discuss the role of state and substate actors in the international politics of the environment, and then use accounts of actual negotiations to argue for the centrality of social justice in reaching desirable and equitable agreements. They conclude that a framework for social justice under conditions of global environmental change must include community values and provide for participatory structures to arbitrate among competing interests.

Environment, Social Justice, and the Media in the Age of Anthropocene addresses three imminent challenges to human society in the age of the Anthropocene. The first challenge involves the survival of the species; the second the breakdown of social justice; and the third the inability of the media to provide global audiences with an adequate orientation about these issues. The notion of the Anthropocene as a geological age shaped by human intervention implies a new understanding of the human context that influences the physical and biological sciences. Human existence continues to be affected by the physical and biological reality from which it evolved but, in turn, it affects that reality as well. This work addresses this paradox by bringing together the contributions of researchers from very different disciplines in conversation about the complex relationships between the physical/biological world and the human world to offer different perspectives and solutions in establishing social and environmental justice in the age of the Anthropocene.

Climate change is a profoundly social and political challenge that threatens the well-being, livelihood, and survival of people in communities worldwide. Too often, those who have contributed least to climate change are the most likely to suffer from its negative consequences and are often excluded from the policy discussions and decisions that affect their lives. People and Climate Change pays particular attention to the social dimensions of climate change. It closely examines people's lived experience, climate-related injustice and inequity, why some groups are more vulnerable than others, and what can be done about it--especially through greater community inclusion in policy change. The book offers a diverse range of rich, community-based examples from across the "Global North" and "Global South" (e.g., sacrificial flood zones in urban Argentina, forced relocation of United Houma tribal members in the United States, gendered water insecurities in Bangladesh and Australia) while posing social and political questions about climate change (e.g., what can be done about the unequal consequences of climate change by questioning and transforming social institutions and arrangements?). It serves as an essential resource for practitioners, policymakers, and undergraduate-/graduate-level educators of courses in environmental studies, social work, urban studies, planning, geography, sociology, and other disciplines that address matters of climate and environmental change.

Why social, racial, and economic justice are just as crucial as science in determining how humans can reverse climate catastrophe We are facing a climate catastrophe. A plethora of studies describe the damage we’ve already done, the droughts, the wildfires, the super-storms, the melting glaciers, the heat waves, and the displaced people fleeing lands that are becoming uninhabitable. Many people understand that we are facing a climate emergency, but may be fuzzy on technical, policy, and social justice aspects. In Is Science Enough?, Aviva Chomsky breaks down the concepts, terminology, and debates for activists, students, and anyone concerned about climate change. She argues that science is not enough to change course: we need put social, racial, and economic justice front and center and overhaul the global growth economy. Chomsky’s accessible primer focuses on 5 key issues: 1.) Technical questions: What exactly are “clean,” “renewable,” and “zero-emission” energy sources? How much do different sectors (power generation, transportation, agriculture, industry, etc.) contribute to climate change? Can forests serve as a carbon sink? 2.) Policy questions: What is the Green New Deal? How does a cap-and-trade system work? How does the United States subsidize the fossil fuel industry? 3.) What can I do as an individual?: Do we need to consume less? What kinds of individual actions can make the most difference? Should we all be vegetarians? 4.) Social, racial, and economic justice: What’s the relationship of inequality to climate change? What do race and racism have to do with climate change? How are pandemics related to climate change? 5.) Broadening the lens: What is economic growth? How important is it, and how does it affect the environment? What is degrowth?