IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/ags/tugdwp/179094.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Ethics and the Economist: What Climate Change Demands of Us

Author

Listed:
  • Nelson, Julie A.

Abstract

Climate change is changing not only our physical world, but also our intellectual, social, and moral worlds. We are realizing that our situation is profoundly unsafe, interdependent, and uncertain. What, then, does climate change demand of us, as human beings and as economists? A discipline of economics based on Enlightenment notions of mechanism and disembodied rationality is not suited to present problems. This essay suggests three major requirements: first, that we take action; second, that we work together; and third, that we focus on avoiding the worst, rather than obtaining the optimal. The essay concludes with suggestions of specific steps that economists can take as researchers, teachers, and in our other roles.

Suggested Citation

  • Nelson, Julie A., 2011. "Ethics and the Economist: What Climate Change Demands of Us," Working Papers 179094, Tufts University, Global Development and Environment Institute.
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:tugdwp:179094
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.179094
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/179094/files/11-02EthicsandEconomists.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.22004/ag.econ.179094?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Hilary Putnam, 2003. "For Ethics and Economics without the Dichotomies," Review of Political Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 15(3), pages 395-412.
    2. Richard B. Howarth, 2003. "Discounting and sustainability: towards reconciliation," International Journal of Sustainable Development, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 6(1), pages 87-97.
    3. Frank Ackerman & Timothy A. Wise & Kevin P. Gallagher & Luke Ney & Regina Flores, "undated". "Free Trade, Corn, and the Environment: Environmental Impacts of US – Mexico Corn Trade Under NAFTA," GDAE Working Papers 03-06, GDAE, Tufts University.
    4. Gregory Dees, J. & Cramton, Peter C., 1991. "Shrewd Bargaining on the Moral Frontier: Toward a Theory of Morality In Practice," Business Ethics Quarterly, Cambridge University Press, vol. 1(2), pages 135-167, April.
    5. Martin L. Weitzman, 2012. "GHG Targets as Insurance Against Catastrophic Climate Damages," Journal of Public Economic Theory, Association for Public Economic Theory, vol. 14(2), pages 221-244, March.
    6. Robert H. Frank & Thomas Gilovich & Dennis T. Regan, 1993. "Does Studying Economics Inhibit Cooperation?," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 7(2), pages 159-171, Spring.
    7. Gallagher, Kevin P. & Aguayo, Francisco, 2003. "Economic Reform, Energy, and Development: The Case of Mexican Manufacturing," Working Papers 15575, Tufts University, Global Development and Environment Institute.
    8. Aguayo, Francisco & Gallagher, Kevin P., 2005. "Economic reform, energy, and development: the case of Mexican manufacturing," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 33(7), pages 829-837, May.
    9. Martin L. Weitzman, 2011. "Fat-Tailed Uncertainty in the Economics of Catastrophic Climate Change," Review of Environmental Economics and Policy, Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 5(2), pages 275-292, Summer.
    10. Frank Ackerman & Ian J. Finlayson, 2006. "The economics of inaction on climate change: a sensitivity analysis," Climate Policy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 6(5), pages 509-526, September.
    11. Dasgupta, Partha, 2005. "What Do Economists Analyze And Why: Values Or Facts?," Economics and Philosophy, Cambridge University Press, vol. 21(2), pages 221-278, October.
    12. Julie A. Nelson, 1995. "Feminism and Economics," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 9(2), pages 131-148, Spring.
    13. Dasgupta, Partha, 2007. "Economics: A Very Short Introduction," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780192853455.
    14. Neva R. Goodwin, "undated". "Five Kinds of Capital: Useful Concepts for Sustainable Development," GDAE Working Papers 03-07, GDAE, Tufts University.
    15. Julie A. Nelson, "undated". "Does Profit-Seeking Rule Out Love? Evidence (or Not) from Economics and Law," GDAE Working Papers 10-06, GDAE, Tufts University.
    16. Benedetto Gui & Luca Stanca, 2010. "Happiness and relational goods: well-being and interpersonal relations in the economic sphere," International Review of Economics, Springer;Happiness Economics and Interpersonal Relations (HEIRS), vol. 57(2), pages 105-118, June.
    17. Jonathan M. Harris & Neva R. Goodwin, "undated". "Reconciling Growth and Environment," GDAE Working Papers 03-03, GDAE, Tufts University.
    18. Nelson, Julie A., 1997. "Feminism, ecology and the philosophy of economics," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 20(2), pages 155-162, February.
    19. Howarth, Richard B & Norgaard, Richard B, 1992. "Environmental Valuation under Sustainable Development," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 82(2), pages 473-477, May.
    20. Jonathan M. Harris, "undated". "Macroeconomic Policy and Sustainability," GDAE Working Papers 01-09, GDAE, Tufts University.
    21. Martin L. Weitzman, 2009. "On Modeling and Interpreting the Economics of Catastrophic Climate Change," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 91(1), pages 1-19, February.
    22. Bruno S. Frey, 2008. "Happiness: A Revolution in Economics," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 1, volume 1, number 0262062771, December.
    23. DeMartino, George F., 2011. "The Economist's Oath: On the Need for and Content of Professional Economic Ethics," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199730568.
    24. Daniel Kahneman, 2003. "Maps of Bounded Rationality: Psychology for Behavioral Economics," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 93(5), pages 1449-1475, December.
    25. David Dapice, "undated". "Current Economic Conditions in Myanmar and Options for Sustainable Growth," GDAE Working Papers 03-04, GDAE, Tufts University.
    26. Simon Dietz & Nicholas Stern, 2008. "Why Economic Analysis Supports Strong Action on Climate Change: A Response to the Stern Review's Critics," Review of Environmental Economics and Policy, Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 2(1), pages 94-113, Winter.
    27. Dapice, David, 2003. "Current Economic Conditions in Myanmar and Options for Sustainable Growth," Working Papers 15582, Tufts University, Global Development and Environment Institute.
    28. Gui,Benedetto & Sugden,Robert (ed.), 2005. "Economics and Social Interaction," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521848848.
    29. Elizabeth Stanton, 2011. "Negishi welfare weights in integrated assessment models: the mathematics of global inequality," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 107(3), pages 417-432, August.
    30. Nicholas Stern, 2008. "The Economics of Climate Change," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 98(2), pages 1-37, May.
    31. Ackerman, Frank & Munitz, Charles, 2012. "Climate damages in the FUND model: A disaggregated analysis," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 219-224.
    32. Ferber, Marianne A. & Nelson, Julie A. (ed.), 1993. "Beyond Economic Man," University of Chicago Press Economics Books, University of Chicago Press, edition 1, number 9780226242019, September.
    33. -, 2009. "The economics of climate change," Sede Subregional de la CEPAL para el Caribe (Estudios e Investigaciones) 38679, Naciones Unidas Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL).
    34. Stephen J. DeCanio, 2003. "Economic Models of Climate Change," Palgrave Macmillan Books, Palgrave Macmillan, number 978-0-230-50946-7.
    35. Goodwin, Neva R., 2003. "Macroeconomics for the 21st Century," Working Papers 15581, Tufts University, Global Development and Environment Institute.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Mohammad M. Khabbazan, 2022. "Cost-Risk Analysis Reconsidered—Value of Information on the Climate Sensitivity in the Integrated Assessment Model PRICE," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-17, June.
    2. Toman Michael, 2014. "The need for multiple types of information to inform climate change assessment," Journal of Benefit-Cost Analysis, De Gruyter, vol. 5(3), pages 469-485, December.
    3. Julie A. Nelson, 2012. "Poisoning the Well, or How Economic Theory Damages Moral Imagination," GDAE Working Papers 12-07, GDAE, Tufts University.
    4. Sarah-Louise Ruder & Sophia Rose Sanniti, 2019. "Transcending the Learned Ignorance of Predatory Ontologies: A Research Agenda for an Ecofeminist-Informed Ecological Economics," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(5), pages 1-29, March.
    5. Valentinov, Vladislav, 2014. "K. William Kapp's theory of social costs: A Luhmannian interpretation," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 97(C), pages 28-33.
    6. Julie A. Nelson, 2012. "Are Women Really More Risk-Averse than Men?," GDAE Working Papers 12-05, GDAE, Tufts University.
    7. Mukashov, Askar & Henning, Christian H. C. A. & Robertson, Richard & Wiebelt, Manfred, 2021. "The role of Global Climate Change in structural transformation of Sub-Saharan Africa: Case study of Senegal," Kiel Working Papers 2187, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    8. Timothy A. Wise, 2012. "The Cost to Mexico of U.S. Corn Ethanol Expansion," GDAE Working Papers 12-01, GDAE, Tufts University.
    9. John M. Gowdy, 2013. "Valuing nature for climate change policy: from discounting the future to truly social deliberation," Chapters, in: Roger Fouquet (ed.), Handbook on Energy and Climate Change, chapter 25, pages 547-560, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    10. Julie A. Nelson, 2011. "Would Women Leaders Have Prevented the Global Financial Crisis? Implications for Teaching about Gender, Behavior, and Economics," GDAE Working Papers 11-03, GDAE, Tufts University.
    11. Mercedes Varela-Losada & Pedro Vega-Marcote & María Lorenzo-Rial & Uxío Pérez-Rodríguez, 2021. "The Challenge of Global Environmental Change: Attitudinal Trends in Teachers-In-Training," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-19, January.
    12. Nelson, Julie A., 2012. "Poisoning the Well, or How Economic Theory Damages Moral Imagination," Working Papers 179107, Tufts University, Global Development and Environment Institute.
    13. Valentin Cojanu, 2021. "The value of sacrifice in (post-)growth scenarios," Post-Print hal-03384636, HAL.
    14. Spencer, Phoebe & Perkins, Patricia E. & Erickson, Jon D., 2018. "Re-establishing Justice as a Pillar of Ecological Economics Through Feminist Perspectives," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 152(C), pages 191-198.
    15. Fernández, Antonio Turrent & Wise, Timothy A. & Garvey, Elise, 2012. "Achieving Mexico’s Maize Potential," Working Papers 179101, Tufts University, Global Development and Environment Institute.
    16. Delf Neubersch & Hermann Held & Alexander Otto, 2014. "Operationalizing climate targets under learning: An application of cost-risk analysis," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 126(3), pages 305-318, October.
    17. Julie A. Nelson, 2012. "Is Dismissing the Precautionary Principle the Manly Thing to Do? Gender and the Economics of Climate Change," GDAE Working Papers 12-04, GDAE, Tufts University.
    18. Roth, Robert & Neubersch, Delf & Held, Hermann, 2020. "Evaluating Delayed Climate Policy by Cost-Risk Analysis," WiSo-HH Working Paper Series 53, University of Hamburg, Faculty of Business, Economics and Social Sciences, WISO Research Laboratory.
    19. Antonio Turrent Fernández & Timothy A. Wise & Elise Garvey, 2012. "Achieving Mexico’s Maize Potential," GDAE Working Papers 12-03, GDAE, Tufts University.
    20. Maria S. Floro, 2012. "The Crises of Environment and Social Reproduction: Understanding their Linkages," Working Papers 2012-04, American University, Department of Economics.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Julie A. Nelson, "undated". "Getting Past "Rational Man/Emotional Woman": How Far Have Research Programs in Happiness and Interpersonal Relations Progressed?," GDAE Working Papers 09-07, GDAE, Tufts University.
    2. Nelson, Julie A., 2009. "Between a rock and a soft place: Ecological and feminist economics in policy debates," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(1), pages 1-8, November.
    3. Julie A. Nelson, "undated". "Economic Writing on the Pressing Problems of the Day: The Roles of Moral Intuition and Methodological Confusion," GDAE Working Papers 09-03, GDAE, Tufts University.
    4. Nelson, Julie A., 2008. "Economists, value judgments, and climate change: A view from feminist economics," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 65(3), pages 441-447, April.
    5. Frank Ackerman & Ian J. Finlayson, 2006. "The economics of inaction on climate change: a sensitivity analysis," Climate Policy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 6(5), pages 509-526, September.
    6. Zarsky, Lyuba, 2010. "Climate-Resilient Industrial Development Paths: Design Principles and Alternative Models," Working Papers 179080, Tufts University, Global Development and Environment Institute.
    7. Julie A. Nelson, "undated". "Rationality and Humanity: A View from Feminist Economics," GDAE Working Papers 05-04, GDAE, Tufts University.
    8. Ackerman, Frank & Stanton, Elizabeth A., 2006. "Can Climate Change Save Lives? A comment on “Economy-wide estimates of the implications of climate change: Human health"," Working Papers 37240, Tufts University, Global Development and Environment Institute.
    9. Julie A. Nelson, "undated". "Ethics and International Debt: A View from Feminist Economics," GDAE Working Papers 06-04, GDAE, Tufts University.
    10. Julie A. Nelson, "undated". "The Relational Economy: A Buddhist and Feminist Analysis," GDAE Working Papers 10-03, GDAE, Tufts University.
    11. Lyuba Zarsky, "undated". "Climate-Resilient Industrial Development Paths: Design Principles and Alternative Models," GDAE Working Papers 10-01, GDAE, Tufts University.
    12. Julie A. Nelson, "undated". "Care Ethics and Markets: A View from Feminist Economics," GDAE Working Papers 10-02, GDAE, Tufts University.
    13. Julie A. Nelson, "undated". "Sociology, Economics, and Gender: Can Knowledge of the Past Contribute to a Better Future?," GDAE Working Papers 09-04, GDAE, Tufts University.
    14. Frank Ackerman & Elizabeth Stanton, "undated". "Can Climate Change Save Lives? A comment on “Economy-wide estimates of the implications of climate change: Human health," GDAE Working Papers 06-05, GDAE, Tufts University.
    15. Frank Ackerman, "undated". "The Unbearable Lightness of Regulatory Costs," GDAE Working Papers 06-02, GDAE, Tufts University.
    16. Timothy A. Wise, "undated". "Agricultural Dumping Under NAFTA: Estimating the Costs of U.S. Agricultural Policies to Mexican Producers," GDAE Working Papers 09-08, GDAE, Tufts University.
    17. Jonathan M. Harris, "undated". "The Macroeconomics of Development without Throughput Growth," GDAE Working Papers 10-05, GDAE, Tufts University.
    18. Timothy A. Wise, "undated". "Identifying the Real Winners from U.S. Agricultural Policies," GDAE Working Papers 05-07, GDAE, Tufts University.
    19. Roach, Brian, 2008. "Policies for Funding a Response to Climate Change," Working Papers 179062, Tufts University, Global Development and Environment Institute.
    20. Frank Ackerman & Elizabeth Stanton & Rachel Massey, "undated". "European Chemical Policy and the United States: The Impacts of REACH," GDAE Working Papers 06-06, GDAE, Tufts University.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:ags:tugdwp:179094. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: AgEcon Search (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/gdtufus.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.