Caney agues that climate change has had negative effects on people, but especially on those who live in low income places. There's a social and environmental injustice that effects people in low income housing because they don't have the same access to certain resources. Throughout the article he talks about reparations for climate change and who is responsible to pay them. Those who may be morally responsible are not around, so the question of who it falls on arises. That goes with the reparations of slavery. Those who should be held responsible aren't around anymore. Society says that when someone makes a mistake they should be held responsible for it, but in this case we can't do that. Caney brings up a few ideas of how we make make reparations, but ultimately they're not effective since the people truly responsible are not here.
If no one is held responsible for the actions such as slavery or the negative effects of say, the industrial revolution, then how will compensation be given? Will justice ever be served? Perhaps a system should be put in place where the wealthy should divvy out a form of reparations. Or maybe the burden could fall on the hands of the federal government.
ReplyDeleteThe solutions that Caney comes up with won't help in my opinion. The people that have caused these horrible acts to society are no longer here, so then who does the burden fall to? Honestly I don't think there is a perfect solution. No matter what happens there is no way we can change what has happen. There is no way to reverse the horrible crimes committed to slaves, just like there is no way to change the effects that have contributed to climate change. I don't know what a possible solution could be, but the options Caney pointed out certainty don't work.
ReplyDeleteHello Kacie,
ReplyDeleteI hope this message finds you well.
I agree with your point about how Caney describes how it would be difficult to achieve a traditional sense of "environmental reparations" as many of those who supported polices leading to the adverse economic effects are no longer in existence. What do you make of the argument that the ancestors of these individuals have benefitted from these past policies, and thus, should still be held accountable?
I thank you in advance for your response.
Best,
Drew Califano
Hello Kacie! I agree with your interpretation of Caneys article. However he did mention at the end of the paper that it is important for the burdens of climate change to be placed upon contemporary actors who contribute to pollution. With that being said, even though there is no way to enforce repremations of the people who started pollution and engaged in slavery, don't you think justice could still be served by holding current contributors accountable. Going off of Caneys idea, I thought that it would also make sense to hold the current contributors of racial injustice accountable as well, because though there is no slavery in America today, racial injustice is still rampant.
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