Philosophers’ Cafe: Climate Change: To Act or Not to Act?

Climate change. Is it a hoax? Is it the most pressing problem we face as a society? It has to be one of the two, right? There can’t be a middle ground. It would certainly appear that way listening to all the sources that we typically get our news from. Ironically, some of the most compelling voices on the debate are the ones that never speak the loudest. These are marginalized communities; these are farmers; these are those in the educated white middle class; these are island nations; these are scientists. The voices we hear politicise and trivialize the experiences of others and reduce the debate to talking points that don’t allow the kind of dialog that helps move that debate further. We’re stuck in the mud. We can’t hear the questions we need to and the important answers. “Will dramatic reductions in CO2 emissions hurt the economy?” “How can we be responsible for rising temperatures if the Earth has been warmer (and colder) in the recent history of the universe?” “Why would we tax carbon - I already pay enough taxes?” “Wait, I’d get income from a carbon tax?” We’ll discuss what is to be gained by ignoring the news and paying attention to others.

This discussion will be lead by Nicholas Mauro (Physics, St. Norbert) and will be held at St. Brendan’s Inn (Waterford Room).

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