A perfect moral storm : the ethical tragedy of climate change / Stephen M. Gardiner.

New York : Oxford University Press, [2011], ©2011.

xvii, 489 pages ; 25 cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

The global environmental tragedy -- My approach -- Introducing the perfect storm metaphor -- Climate change -- The wider relevance of the model -- Outline of the book -- pt. A. Overview. 1. A perfect moral storm : Why ethics? ; The global storm ; The intergenerational storm ; The theoretical storm ; The problem of moral corruption -- 2. The consumption tragedy : What's the point of game theory ; Motivating the models ; A green energy revolution? ; Consumption and happiness ; Conclusion -- pt. B. The global storm. 3. Somebody else's problem? : Past climate policy ; Somebody else's burden? ; Against optimism ; Conclusion -- 4. A shadowy and evolving tragedy : Climate prisoners? ; An evolving tragedy ; Beyond pessimism ; Lingering tragedy ; Climate policy in the shadows ; Conclusion -- pt. C. The intergenerational storm. 5. The tyranny of the contemporary : Problems with "generations" ; Intergenerational buck-passing ; Intergenerational buck-passing vs. the prisoner's dilemma ; The features of the pure intergenerational problem ; Applications and complications ; Mitigating factors ; Conclusion -- 6. An intergenerational arms race? : Abrupt climate change ; Three causes of political inertia ; Against undermining ; Conclusion -- pt. D. The theoretical storm. 7. A global test for contemporary political institutions and theories : The global test ; Scenarios ; A conjecture ; Theoretical vices ; An illustration: utilitarianism ; The status of the complaint ; Conclusion -- 8. Cost-benefit paralysis : Cost-benefit analysis in normal contexts ; CBA for climate change ; The presumption against discounting ; The basic economics of the discount rate ; Discounting the rich? ; Declining discount rates ; Two objectives to not discounting ; The "anything goes" argument ; Conclusion -- pt. E. Moral corruption : 9. Jane Austen vs. climate economics : Corruption ; The dubious dashwoods: initial parallels ; The opening assault on the status of the moral claim ; The assault on content ; Indirect attacks ; The moral of the story -- 10. Geoengineering in an atmosphere of evil : An idea that is changing the world ; Political inertia revisited ; Two preliminary arguments ; Arming the future ; Arm the present? ; Evolving shadows ; Underestimating evil ; An atmosphere of evil ; "But, should we do it?" -- pt. F. What now? : 11. Some initial ethics for the transition : An ethical framing ; The ethics of skepticism ; Past emissions ; Future emissions ; Responsibility ; Ideal theory ; Conclusion -- 12. The immediate future -- Appendix 1 : The population tragedy : Hardin's analysis ; Population as a tragedy of the commons ; Total environmental impact ; Conclusion -- Appendix 2 : Epistemic corruption and scientific uncertainty in Michael Crichton's State of fear : What the scientists know ; Certainty, guesswork, and the missing middle ; Conclusion.