The 17th NatChat was continuation of the interview with the 5th laureate of the Avicenna Prize, Professor Donald Brown, Environmental Lawyer and Scholar in Residence for Sustainability Ethics and Law at Widener University Commonwealth Law School (USA). The session was moderated by Dr Ehsan Shamsi Gooshki, member to the Iranian National Committees for Bioethics and Ethics in Science and Technology. The discussion focused on the impacts of climate change.
Professor Brown said: “Despite all the existing documents, important ethical principles regarding climate change are still neglected. Surveys in 24 countries, including Australia and New Zealand, show that despite joining the Paris Convention, these countries have preferred national interests to the interests of all the inhabitants of the earth.”
“According to the research of 40 American sociologists, some companies, such as Axon, which is working in the field of oil, are organizing conferences to mislead the public. In this regard, media is very important”, said the speaker.
In the United States, courts do not address these issues because they cannot estimate the damage caused by climate change. But in the Netherlands, people have sued over the government or organizations that have been responsible for reducing greenhouse gases. In the meantime, civil society should step in and be more sensitive. Referring to climate change and its effects on humans and biospheres, Professor Brown continued: “the effects are very severe, and if the earth’s temperature rises by 1.5 degrees, 80% of the coral reefs will be destroyed. If the temperature rises by 2 degrees, all the coral reefs will be destroyed due to the warming of the oceans. While these reefs play an undeniable role in preserving the ecosystem of the seas and the whole earth.
He added: “cities and countries, such as the Maldives, will also be flooded due to melting ice. This makes the immigration difficult. While the world is currently struggling with the issue of immigration, the next problem will be drought and famine, especially in Africa.
In the end, he called for global solidarity, as a crucial factor in controlling climate change.
