From Me to We by Doppelt Bob;

Author:Doppelt, Bob;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Group

The moral obligation to rescue the innocent and protect the most vulnerable

The moral duty not to abuse others that is part and parcel of our moral obligation to “do no harm” means we have a special responsibility to assist the most vulnerable people and communities to withstand and bounce back from the impacts of climate disruption, ecological breakdown, and their associated social and economic ills. Even though climate disruption affects everyone, the Earth is warming faster near the equator and the poles. People living in less developed, low-latitude, hotter regions of the world, as well as in cold locations such as the Arctic, are thus initially the most affected by climate disruption. Yet they have contributed very little to the problem and have no say in what Western nations do.

By contrast, the U.S., European nations, and other developed countries have generated the largest amount of carbon dioxide emissions but appear, at least in the near term, to be least impacted by climate disruption.

A similar pattern holds true within the U.S. and Europe where low-income communities, working-class neighborhoods, communities of color, and children have contributed the least to climate disruption but have the fewest resources to protect themselves, and the least capacity to recover from impacts.

This is morally unjust. In order to enrich ourselves, wealthier people and nations are stealing from the poor and most vulnerable and abusing the defenseless. None of us living in the West can deny our responsibility for these problems. There are no innocent bystanders when it comes to climate disruption and ecosystem degradation. There is nothing innocent about idly standing by and doing nothing when you have the capacity in both small and large ways to avert or minimize the suffering and death caused by today’s crises. Doing nothing is a gross violation of our moral duty to rescue and protect the most vulnerable.

Every one of us, and every organization, has a moral obligation to reduce our contribution to the problems. We also have a responsibility to urge others to reduce their contribution.

We must, in addition, demand that our governments provide financial resources and technologies necessary to allow the poor and most vulnerable within our nations, and in less developed countries across the world, to prepare for and adapt to the ecological, economic, and social consequences of climate disruption. And we have a moral obligation to help them grow their economies with as few emissions as possible by sharing the clean energy and production technologies that are emerging in the West.

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