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A publication of the Carnegie Council

Global Ethics Corner Explores Sustainability

By Evan O'Neil, William Vocke

Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs, September 30, 2009

Who pays to stop global warming? How to allocate emissions allowances? If people are entitled to an equal share of the world's resources, should national allowances be allocated on a per capita basis? How about the billionaire in India who pollutes more than a poor person in urban Paris?

Can we regulate international space like the oceans? Pollution and illegal or unregulated fishing plague international waters. How can the problem be managed to maintain the health and beauty of our seas?

The global circulation of goods is a major source of both prosperity and carbon emissions. Can trade be regulated to maximize development and reduce environmental harm?

How do we put value on the forests as an indispensable element of our survival? Can we balance market mechanisms with regulations and consumption with sustainability?

Do states have a responsibility to protect the planet? If so, who would decide when environmental protection is a legitimate reason to interfere in the affairs of another state?