Reparations

     Simon Caney proposes a strong argument aiming on how certain environmental injustices relate to moral implications of global climate change. Caney opens his argument by referring to the issues that occur with climate change such as higher temperatures which gives way to malaria, cholera, heat stress, and dengue fever. Equally as important, climate change can increase rainfall causing significant flooding all having a dramatic effect on our environment. The question that should be raised during this oppressing issue is who should be held responsible? 

    Part of this process behind finding out who is responsible for such terms, Caney uses two accounts Causal and Beneficiary. In terms of climate change, the Causal account can be referred to as, "...those who caused the pollution are morally responsible for it and the duty to rectify this situation or compensate the victims therefore rests with them" (Caney 467). In other words, this account can be touched on as those who are responsible for the wrong doing. On the other hand, the Beneficiary account is mentioned as, "reparations should be paid by those who have benefited from industrialization (or global warming)" (Caney 471). Alternately stated, this account deals with the people that are part of this situation should have to pay for their wrong doing.

    However, with these two account Caney disagrees with choosing one account over the other. In other words, you can not have one account without the other. With both of these accounts, there is no easy solution. Relating back to climate change, as a society we can not all blame on another, but everyone should be held accountable. 

    Referring back to the main question, to what extent do Caney's arguments about reparations regarding anthropogenic climate change apply to the issue of reparations for slavery? In terms of slavery and climate change, in both cases reparations should be made for those who are affected both by people who caused and benefitted.




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