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15 Med., Health Care & Phil. 1 (2012)

handle is hein.journals/medhcph15 and id is 1 raw text is: Med Health Care and Philos (2012) 15:1-2 DOI 10.1007/s11019-011-9374-4 Ethics of mitigation, adaptation and geoengineering Bert Gordijn - Henk ten Have Published online: 5 January 2012 © Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2011 There are currently three ways of attempting to tackle climate change. The two conventional approaches are mitigation and adaptation. Mitigation is here understood as involving efforts to cut emissions of global greenhouse gases. In contrast, adaptation entails measures to minimize the harmful effects of climate change. Next to these two traditional approaches, a new method of dealing with cli- mate change has now entered the limelight, albeit still in an embryonic stage of technological development: geoengi- neering. The signatories of the Kyoto Protocol-adopted in 1997 and entered into force in 2005-have agreed to sig- nificantly reduce anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases. As yet, however, few countries have completely met their mitigation targets. As a result, there is growing con- cern that current mitigation efforts might not be adequate in order to prevent perilous climate change levels. Unquestionably, actions aimed at reducing the vulnerabil- ity to dangerous climate change effects, are going to be indispensable in order to lessen the most detrimental impacts. However, these adaptation measures are likely to be very expensive. Against this backdrop, geoengineering has been advanced as a deliberate and possibly cost- effective scheme of large-scale management of the plane- tary climate. All three approaches currently on hand trigger their own distinct set of ethical issues. Mitigation It is increasingly becoming apparent that mitigation attempts might not be really successful anytime soon. So B. Gordijn (®) - H. ten Have Dublin, Ireland e-mail: bert.gordijn@dcu.ie far, many rich countries seem to be unwilling or are unable to carry through radical measures to hold back greenhouse gas emissions. Surely some of them fear mitigation might negatively affect economic growth and material welfare. As a result, many people, especially in the poorest coun- tries in the world, have experienced and will increasingly encounter adverse climate change effects on health, both in terms of morbidity and mortality (Patz et al. 2005 and McMichael et al. 2006). Kicking the can down the road in relation to mitigation, however, also means that future generations will have to bear the brunt of climate change. This triggers intricate questions of intergenerational justice. Finally, there is increasing concern about biodiversity disruption and loss, which might be caused by climate change as well (Dawson 2011). In short, our lack of success to curb greenhouse gas emissions seems to be compro- mising the right to life, liberty and security of person (Art. 3, Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948), espe- cially in poorer countries. Our current behaviour also seems incongruous with our responsibility of ensuring that the needs and interests of future generations be fully safeguarded (Art. 1, Declaration on the Responsibilities of the Present Generations towards Future Generations 1997). At last, it might turn out to be hard to reconcile with our obligations with regard to biodiversity conservation (Art. 8 & 9, Convention on Biological Diversity 1992). Adaptation At first sight the distribution of the burdens and benefits of anthropogenic climate change seems to be unfair. The poorest countries, having contributed least to the problem of global warming, are affected most severely by its adverse effects. To many this appears to be a significant I Springer

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