Session #1: Intergenerational equity, long-termism and holism in economics

• Main Authors: Intergenerational Equity, Long-termism In Green Economics, Paul D. Williams
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: Arctic; Climate change; Global warming
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.561.2388; http://www.met.rdg.ac.uk/~williams/conferences/GEI06.pdf

was awarded the Royal Astronomical Society s Blackwell Prize for the best UK doctoral thesis in atmospheric physics. Paul is committed to improving the public understanding of climate science. He won a prize for his entry in the 2002 New Scientist essay competition. In 2003, he was commissioned to research and write a report, published by the European Parliament, reviewing the likely impacts of climate change upon South East England. Aged 29, he currently holds a Research Fellowship in the Centre for Global Atmospheric Modelling at Reading University. Abstract. Global climate change represents a classic example of intergenerational inequity. It brings enormous implications for economics, particularly because of the possibility of a rapid reduction in the strength of the ocean s thermohaline circulation (often mistakenly referred to as the Gulf Stream). This talk will attempt to describe the current state of scientific knowledge regarding the possibility of such a reduction, with a view to guiding economics goals. The thermohaline circulation transports the heat equivalent of one million power stations to northern Europe, but global warming-induced changes in rainfall patterns and Arctic ice could lead to a reduction in its strength. This