A Perfect Moral Storm: The Ethical Tragedy of Climate Change

by Stephen M. Gardiner

Book by Gardiner, Stephen M.

Genres: Philosophy, Climate Change, Nonfiction, Science, Environment, School

518 pages, Paperback

First published April 6, 2011

Reviews

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

The issue with this book may be this: readers who are motivated enough to want to understand in gory detail why climate change is such a difficult ethical challenge will already have thought about the basic issues: climate change is a truly global issue; it spans generations--costs come due now, later generations benefit; we don't have ethical frameworks for dealing with problems at this geographic and temporal scale--not even in academia; we're even further from having political institutions adequate to what needs to be done.

Fascinating issues, all of them. But it's tough going to wade through Gardiner's laying it all out in exhaustive, rigorous detail, even though that may be an important task.

I had the book around the house for six weeks or so and got through about half the recommended "quick tour" of the book, and sent it back to the library.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this as a requirement for an Ethics and Climate Change class, though it's not technically a textbook. It did make me want to sulk and wallow in pity, though not because I hated reading it. More because Gardiner paints a pretty vivid picture of how it's going to turn out in the next couple centuries, while simultaneously reminding you that the nature of people is so that we are kind of fucked. Regardless, a good read for anybody who's looking for a different approach to climate change, and chalk full of the ethical problems that come with it.

[David Risstrom · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid academic book that applies philosophy and morality to the often technical discussions about our human role in changing the climate. Stephen Harding regularly identifies areas that the reader can move past, which while I didn't, I appreciated given how turgid moral discussion can be at times.

For someone having done their science honours in climate in 1995 and competing laws and politics and social theory degrees to help answer and act on these issues, I am currently deflated by the chasm between could be and is. Stephen has done the hard work to examine the foundations of our dilemma. Having remained bewildered and concerned about our clear responsibility, opportunity to act and evident unwillingness to deal with the problems we have contributed to, this book visited many issues that have consumed me over the years.

I recommend borrowing this book from a library and see if it helps answer some of the questions asked by many of us who are uncertain if we are humane enough to act humanely. We have confirmed our move into the Anthropocene, where humans undoubtedly have a major influence on the planet's life support systems. If and what we choose to do with our wonderful cultural capacity for influencing things remains uncertain, though the directions are less than positive and likely to secure the death of many of us amidst the Earth's sixth species extinction.

With Extinction Rebellion being one of those citizen responses that thinking people may choose in the face of political sclerosis, books such as this give us a chance to think as well as act. We need to. Hopefully with some moral foundation that gives more of us a chance.

[Graham Barrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Read in 2014, review from 2023)

Read this in senior year of college. Some depressing lessons about the attitudes and actions that led to the Climate Crisis but they are effective and continue to ring true a decade later. Definitely worth reading still.

[Gene Grossmann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Modern ethical approach to a most difficult moral issue.

[Heathyr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely well thought through. It's amazing the sophistication of argument this author can present while remaining super clear. I learned SO much that won't fit in this review :/
This book is a long haul, but worth it.