Amnesty International global ethics

A philosopher discusses the climate change debate, including the science of greenhouse gasses, offsetting carbon emissions and the choices facing policymakers by filtering the issues through the universal philosophical standards of goodness and justice.

The idea of universal rights--rights shared by all, regardless of nationality, creed, wealth, or geography--has a powerful grip on the way many people feel about justice and global politics. No one should be subjected to torture or disappearance, to starvation or sex trafficking, to economic exploitation or biased treatment under the law. But when it comes to actually enforcing these rights, the results rarely resemble the ideal. In this bold new...