Population
I have explored the normative implications of the relationship between population and climate change. In particular, I have criticised two widely expressed view. The first maintains that there should be uniform compulsory limits on procreative liberty. Sarah Conly, for example, states that each couple may have only one child. I argue that this number is arbitrary and lacks justification and I further dispute her arguments for this Restrictivist conclusion. A second view holds that if we implement human rights to education and an adequate standard of living, and if we recognize women's rights to procreative choice then this will, as a fortunate byproduct, bring about environmental sustainability. I argue that whilst this is a much more attractive vision it too is unsatisfactory for we have no reason to think that this will realize such sustainability. In light of these problems I propose a third approach which I term ecological liberalism'. This holds that (1) humanity - and thus individual human beings - must live within ecological limits and that (2) agents have some choice as to how to discharge their responsibility. Since ecological sustainability is a function of at least three different variables - Population, Consumption and Technology - it is a mistake to focus on just one (such as Population). Rather what it entails is that different individuals and different societies can choose different routes to ecological sustainability (selecting different combinations of population size, consumption level and technological development). This not only fits better with the science but also (i) realizes freedom and (ii) since it is more flexible it is more politically feasible. For arguments to this effect see my:
[1] ‘Human Rights, Population and Climate Change’ in Human Rights in the 21st Century: (Oxford: Oxford University Press, forthcoming) co-edited by D. Akande, J Kuosmanen, H. McDermott and D. Roser.
[1] ‘Human Rights, Population and Climate Change’ in Human Rights in the 21st Century: (Oxford: Oxford University Press, forthcoming) co-edited by D. Akande, J Kuosmanen, H. McDermott and D. Roser.