AGENDA
- Wenz, "Just Garbage" and PCBB
- PCBB applications
- Preview: next reading is about whether environmentalists should focus on environmental justice or whether that distracts from the core goals of environmentalism
- Also: Midterm is on Oct. 2. We will talk about it a bit on Monday.
Peter Wenz, "Just Garbage"
Problem: more waste and toxic hazards in low income areas
Why it's unjust: violates the Principle of Commensurate Burdens and Benefits (PCBB)
Solution: LULU Point System
- more wealth and consumption, more LULUs
- lower wealth and consumption, fewer LULUs
Is PCBB a correct principle of justice? We discussed using the page below.
Intercommunity applications of PCBB -- perhaps more plausible?
Applications of PCBB to intercommunity environental disparities
1. Wenz's LULU pooint system
2. Banning export of mixed plastics from rich to poor countries
- Frontline: Plastic Wars (we will watch 3:55-5:35 & 24:30-33)
- Tabuchi and Corkery, "Countries Tried to Curb Trade in Plastics"
- Basel Convention amendment prohibits exports of mixed plastics from developed to developing countries
- Info about the Basel Convention
- Basel Action Network
- Funds from Inflation Reduction Act
- 40% awarded to specific communities
- Those with low income/consumption, high environmental burdens (look at map for examples)
Original PCBB says we can't pay our way out of certain burdens, even if someone is willing to be paid. Does this make sense?
- Michael Sandel, What Money Can't Buy: The Moral Limits of Markets
- Debra Satz, Why Some Things Should Not Be for Sale
- Libertarianism--see optional section below
Optional: Other Theories of Justice
- Distributive Justice--How should benefits and burdens be distributed?
- Retributive or Corrective Justice--How should wrongdoing be punished?
- Reparative Justice--How should victims of past wrongs be compensated?
- Procedural Justice--What is the just process for deciding on policies that affect a community?
Other Theories of Distributive Justice
- Libertarianism (Robert Nozick)
- Justice as Fairness (John Rawls)
- Utilitarianism (John Stuart Mill, Jeremy Bentham, Peter Singer, etc.)
I. Libertarianism
- All individuals are entitled to maximum liberty consistent with the same liberty for all
- Government should be minimal because laws take away liberty
- Example: no motorcycle helmet laws
- Government should infringe liberty only for extremely limited and serious purposes, such as security (police, military), perhaps some environmental regulations?
- What does this view say about....
- current distribution of environmental benefits and burdens
- PCBB & LULU points system
II. John Rawls
- thought experiment: imagine founding a society...
- in the "original position" ... behind a "veil of ignorance"...
- which means we don't know our own sex/gender, race, religion, talents, socio-economic status, etc.
- what principles of justice would we adopt to regulate our society?
- Rawls says we would adopt two principles:
- Equal basic rights and liberties or all
- The difference principle: Economic inequality only to the extent that it's good for all, including the worst off
- What do these two principles say about...
- current distribution of environmental benefits and burdens
- PCBB & LULU points system
- Must consider interests of all those affected by a practice, policy, or action
- "Interests" in the sense of "it's in your interest to stop vaping" not in the sense of "he's interested in history"
- Must take account how serious the interest is, not who has the interest
- The right choice maximizes total good (i.e. the balance of happiness over misery)
- What does this view say about....
- current distribution of environmental benefits and burdens
- PCBB & LULU points system