“The Ethics of Climate Change: Right and Wrong in a Warming World (Think Now)” (James Garvey)
Everyone has their pet cause (or should at least); mine happens to be media literacy. But I bow down to the mother of all causes, climate change, not only because of the extreme danger it represents, but because it ties together all causes (health, environment, ecology, justice, etc.) and the planet into a single problem that we can work on from multiple angles.
Regular readers are probably aware that I tend to have my head in orbit, and fly around the realm of theory a bit much. Thus I’m always thrilled to encounter a book that offers concrete action with information and philosophy to back its claims. Such a book is The Ethics of Climate Change by James Garvey. It lays out convincingly why climate change is real while written in a very practical and accessible style that delves deeply into the various ethical arguments for action or inaction, and addresses psychological reasons for why we don’t act individually or collectively. One such activity could be informing yourself by reading this excellent short treatise, and then buying a copy (or sharing yours), and giving one to the public library.
