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Month: March 2021

March 30, 2021March 28, 2021 Bruce Straight

The societal and economic cost of obesity

In 2010, the OECD issued a comprehensive report titled Fit Not Fat in which they noted that ‘before 1980, obesity rates were generally well below 10%. They have since doubled or tripled in many countries, and in almost half of the OECD, 50% or more of the population is overweight.’ The report outlined various approaches … Continue reading The societal and economic cost of obesity

March 28, 2021March 29, 2021 Bruce Straight

Obesity and public healthcare

One year ago Austria responded to the initial COVID-19 wave with tight restrictions. Being outside of your home was only permitted for essential work, to buy food, or to help others. Gatherings of more than five people were forbidden. These restrictions limited, and continue to limit, individuals’ agency – a common definition of harm. As … Continue reading Obesity and public healthcare

March 26, 2021March 28, 2021 Bruce Straight

Limitations of the harm principle

In previous posts I have argued in favor of consumer constraint as a viable measure for reducing GHG emissions. Further I have noted that in a liberal democracy for such policies to gain acceptance that proper narrative framing is crucial. Some limits and controls we will accept. Others we will not. The context of how … Continue reading Limitations of the harm principle

March 24, 2021March 19, 2021 Bruce Straight

Responsibility reloaded

Two posts ago I examined how stopping profligate bread waste could reduce C02 emissions. Earlier in a comment to my post on climate change responsibility, Jordan had astutely noted that while consumers bear some responsibility in reducing emissions major corporations should also be held accountable. Today I will explore how assigning responsibility to both consumers … Continue reading Responsibility reloaded

March 22, 2021March 19, 2021 Bruce Straight

What we believe to know

Recently I wrote about intuitionism – things that we simply “know” to be right non-inferentially – and its limitations. How does one discern between a principle actually being right and it merely seeming right to a particular person? If intuitionism functioned correctly then all individuals would reach the same moral conclusions, yet people reach different … Continue reading What we believe to know

March 20, 2021March 19, 2021 Bruce Straight

Our daily bread and GHG emissions

As examined in recent posts, one reason that people lack motivation in addressing climate change is that they have difficulty in conceptualizing how their actions can affect amorphous global problems. Wearing your clothes longer or driving less doesn’t result in a discernible reduction in GHG emissions. We need help in quantifying how our individual actions … Continue reading Our daily bread and GHG emissions

March 18, 2021March 16, 2021 Bruce Straight

Climate change and FMGCs

Following up on my last post, today I want to examine the importance of narratives in getting people – especially Europeans since I’m Austrian – involved in climate change activism. First, it is important to note that current inaction is not because people reject climate science. Europeans overwhelmingly agree that “the climate is probably or … Continue reading Climate change and FMGCs

March 16, 2021March 14, 2021 Bruce Straight

Climate Change Responsibility

In my last post I posed the question: Who specifically is responsible for addressing climate change and reducing GHG emissions? Today I provide one possible answer. I believe that considerable, if not the brunt of, responsibility ought to lie with consumers. However, it is unlikely that individuals accustomed to unlimited choice among a glut of … Continue reading Climate Change Responsibility

March 14, 2021March 13, 2021 Bruce Straight

Who is responsible?

When I started studying political, economic, and legal philosophy at the University of Graz just for fun, little did I know that climate change would play a prominent role in the curriculum. Now in my fourth semester, I have had the opportunity to examine the urgings and arguments of diverse researchers – philosophers, economists, climate … Continue reading Who is responsible?

March 12, 2021March 12, 2021 Bruce Straight

Book Recommendation: Epitaph for a Spy

If you enjoy old school crime fiction and are looking for an entertaining fast paced read for the weekend, get a copy of  Eric Ambler’s Epitaph for a Spy. Written and set in 1938, it casts an unlikely protagonist into the role of spy. Josef Vadassy is a language teacher of Hungarian descent. He is … Continue reading Book Recommendation: Epitaph for a Spy

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