Climate Change and Climate

Climate Change and Moral Responsibility The position that will be supported in this paper is that climate change is a fact and Americans in the U.S. have a moral responsibility to address it. The background to this issue includes the following: since the 19th century, scientists and researchers have been looking more closely at changes in the climate and the impact of greenhouse gases on the atmosphere. As Meyer and Roser point out, "the emission of greenhouse gases causes climate change" (223).

Since the rise of industrialization, greenhouse gases and pollutants have surged, leading to global warming, which has resulted in polar ice caps melting, sea levels rising, and temperature and weather patterns changing -- all of which has major ramifications for the planet. From the standpoint of distributive justice, specific questions arise when looking to address climate change.

For instance, many people believe there should be a cap on emissions -- some form of carbon controls, such as a tax or penalty that must be paid if industrial plants release more than their allotted share of pollutants into the atmosphere (Meyer, Roser 223).

The question regarding this issue is how emissions under the cap would be distributed? From the standpoint of political theory, other questions emerge: how can climate change be stopped in a way that also promotes social justice? Political scientists have the potential to help Americans frame this issue correctly and apply the right kind of solutions that will benefit both human beings and the planet (Javelin 420).

The argument to be made in this paper is climate change must be addressed at a political, social and economic level: social justice demands that legislation be passed to enforce emissions standards and hold firms accountable when they violate them. The recent case of Volkswagen's fraudulent emissions testing is just one example of how businesses try to flout the law in order to remain economically viable. Businesses should be forced to pay heavily -- an economic toll -- if they violate climate change legislation.

Socially, climate change education has to be incorporated into schools so that the issue can be addressed as would any other relevant topic by real persons across the country. The more informed people are, the more likely they are to support change. Politically speaking, this issue must be addressed by all branches of the government -- the executive, the legislative and the judicial -- in order for ideas such as carbon controls to be effectively implemented.

As Javelin notes, political scientists can lead the way in the fight against climate change. Likewise, Meyer and Rose point out that the most effective way political leaders can lead the fight is to set emissions standards. One objection that an opponent to my position might offer is that climate change is based on unsubstantiated claims and that the science behind it is faulty -- and, therefore, there is no reason to address the issue at any level.

I would respond to this opponent by arguing that even if one wanted to argue that climate change was not occurring and that the abnormal weather and climate effects being seen in recent years were outliers rather than indicators of a serious problem emerging for the planet, one could not help but admit that pollutants.