Essay Example on Climate change is said to be one of the most important issues of our Time

Introduction Climate change is said to be one of the most important issues of our time The definition is a long term change in the earth's climate estimate especially a change due to an increase in the average atmospheric temperature Dictionary com Individual differences hinder people s obligation to the environment because ethical debates affect our ability to solve environmental problems There are some people who believe wholeheartedly that their actions affect what is happening in the atmosphere They tend to recycle and carpool or find alternative ways to get around Then there are others that do not believe that throwing a plastic bottle away will make a difference in the landfills 

Our reality is that climate change is happening right before our eyes but the question remains who is ethically correct the believer or the denier Summary The film Before the Flood is a documentary that discloses the reality of climate change Actor Leonardo DiCaprio takes a journey as the United Nations Messenger of Peace traveling through places such as Greenland China and Miami showing the direct effects of a disrupted climate He speaks to key influencers such as Barack Obama Pope Francis and Elon Musk the founder of Tesla along with different activists and scientist Each individual provides information that tells us if we do not modify our lifestyles emission usage and consumption the Earth will not be able to withstand life as we know it The film shows the rising sea levels forest fires warming atmosphere and endangered wildlife all causes of climate change and gives a broad view on how humans are affecting the environment and what everyone can do to change it The film also urges viewers to persuade our elected officials to support the use of environment friendly energy sources such as wind and solar power We need everyone to demand bold action from their political leaders and to elect representatives who have their best interests at heart not the interests of corporations to perpetuate a cycle of greed and destruction DiCaprio DiCapiro leaves no room for objective takes on this debatable issue Ethical Analysis Climate change causes serious ethical challenges which forces us to answer tough questions The questions begin with what moral base we go with when we talk about climate change 

Do we believe what we hear about climate change If we do do we change our way of living for the greater good or do we continue to live our lives just the same The definition of ethical relativism is that the truth or justification of moral judgments is not absolute but relative to the moral standard of some person or group of persons Stanford In other words different truths are believed by different people When given a circumstance in which the same facts are given to two individuals each may make an independent judgement that differs from the other based on his her beliefs According to NASA 97 of active climate scientist agrees that climate warming is due to human activities NASA Extreme weather events increased global temperatures and melting ice glaciers aiding in the rising of sea levels are just a few examples of how climate change is affecting the world Jason Box a professor mentions Greenland has always been covered in ice but now the ice is melting altering the livelihood of many that depend on the stability of the ice The countries that are hit the hardest right now are the ones that are trying to the hardest to put plans into action to stop this travesty from happening to not only themselves but everyone We as humans have a social responsibility to take action even if the situation is not directly affecting us The deontological theory tells us it is our duty to do what is right By eating less beef buying products with palm oil and voting for people who support climate action we can start becoming a part of the solution This documentary is full of moral ethics that each of us should take heed to The climate change deniers have a multitude of arguments that prove there is no such thing as climate change caused by humans According to Senator Jim Inhofe when asked about climate change he states greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people and said God not humans controls the weather Kluger In the film 

DiCaprio interviewed Gregory Nankiw for Harvard University who stated politicians views change when the poles change The politicians who are supposed to be our elected leaders are really our followers they do what we want them to do In other words if it gets them the votes Egoism defines right or acceptable behavior in terms of the consequences for the individual In an ethical decision making situation the egoist chooses the alternative that contributes most to his or her own self interest Ferrell Another ethical issue with this film was how the U S ask the individuals from a poor third world country to cut back on their coal use and other none climate friendly activities while the rich does not have to When confronted by Sunita Nariain of India about U S consumption DiCaprio states yes we need to change our lifestyles but it's probably not going to happen This shows that people are continually out for self The film coming out right before an election doesn t help Conclusion In conclusion climate change is an ongoing debate and both believers and deniers of climate change have valid arguments concerning the issues presented in this film By contrasting and comparing both viewpoints we get to consider potential ethical decisions that need to be made Our ethical and moral responsibility is to do what we feel is right for ourselves and earth simultaneously